UW Global Sport Lab Podcast (ep.1): Interview with Laurent Dubois

University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies

In the run-up to the 2026 FIFA Men's Soccer World Cup, Ron Krabill, Global Sport Lab Podcast Host, Director of the Global Sport Lab, and Professor in Interdisciplinary Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell, along with Jesús Hidalgo, a graduate adviser for the UW's Jackson School of International Studies who teaches a class about soccer and international studies, interview Laurent DuBois, John L. Nau III Bicentennial Professor of the History & Principles of Democracy and the Academic Director of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia. DuBois is the author of seven books, including "Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France" and "The Language of the Game: How to Understand Soccer," among others. His writings on soccer have appeared in The Atlantic, The New Republic, The New York Times and Sports Illustrated. Recorded on January 10, 2025. The Global Sport Lab, based in the UW's Henry M. Jackson School, is supported by over a dozen UW departments and schools and was founded in 2024. The Lab uses the lens of sport to explore the big challenges of our global world, such as inequity, politics, injustice, human rights, popular culture, democracy and the economy. Music credit: “Merci Kylian” by Laurent Dubois. Full song "Merci Kylian": https://music.apple.com/us/album/merci-kylian/1734840482?i=1734841106 Music label: https://www.wotiproduction.com/music-1