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The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

The World (Cup) Comes to Seattle: Spring Speaker Series

March 5, 2026

The World (Cup) Comes to Seattle

Each week of this spring, the University of Washington Global Sport Lab will be bringing experts to discuss the geopolitical, local, and sporting implications of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Seattle. Seminars will focus on teams coming to Seattle, along with specific topics including workers’ rights, World Cup histories, and the Pride Match controversy, among others. Whether you are a lifelong fan of the sport or just curious about how the World Cup will impact our city and the world, this speaker series is for you. 

Moderator: Ron Krabill, Director of University of Washington Global Sport Lab and Professor, UW Bothell Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

Sessions run on Mondays, 5-6:00 p.m. Pacific Time from April 6 to June 1, 2026. 

UW students: Interested in taking this as a 2-credit/no credit course? Go to MyPlan for full details.

For the public: Free and open to all. Available via livestream only. Registration is required to receive the livestream link: RSVP here

Sponsored by the University of Washington Global Sport Lab,  Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies,  UW Bothell School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and the Responsible Business Law Initiative of the Barer Institute at UW School of Law

Questions? Email jsisevents@uw.edu

LIST OF SPEAKERS AND TOPICS

Monday, March 30 | Students-only session; no public livestream

Monday, April 6
Title: World Cup: The Syllabus
Time: 5-6:00 p.m. PT
Speaker: Sean Jacobs and Martha Saavedra

Monday, April 13
Title: Bringing the World Cup to Seattle
Time: 5-6:00 p.m. PT
Speakers: Leo Flor, Mary Harvey, and Maya Mendoza-Exstrom; Anita Ramasastry (also serves as moderator)

Monday, April 20
Title: Lessons from Qatar
Time: 5-6:00 p.m. PT
Speaker: César Wazen

Monday, April 27
Title: Iran and Seattle’s World Cup
Time: 5-6:00 p.m. PT
Speaker: Niki Akhavan, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Media and Communication Studies at The Catholic University of America

Monday, May 4
Title: Workers’ Rights in Seattle during the World Cup
Time: 5-6:00 p.m. PT
Speaker: Teresa Mosqueda and Anita Ramasastry (moderator)

Monday, May 11
Title: Seattle’s World Cup: The View from Europe
Time: 5-6:00 p.m. PT
Speakers: Paul Dietschy, Yvan Gastaut and Stéphane Mourlane

Monday, May 18
Title: The Pride Match and LGBTQ+ Rights
Time: 5-6:00 p.m. PT
Speaker: TBA

May 25 – HOLIDAY – No Session

Monday, June 1
Title: Egypt Comes to Seattle
Speaker: Abdullah Al-Arian