Democracy's Edge: The World Cup's Surprising Reflection of Global Politics The 2026 World Cup is just around the corner, and a significant trend has emerged from recent years.
Contrary to the notion that authoritarian regimes often thrive at the tournament, democracies have dominated the competition in recent times.
According to Freedom House data, the proportion of "not free" countries participating in the World Cup decreased significantly since 1974, when 41. 4% of world nations fell into this category.