Ron Krabill — Five Ways to Watch the World Cup
Global Sport Lab director examines the economic, cultural, and political dimensions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for Seattle and the world.
Why we picked this
Perfectly timed as Seattle hosts World Cup matches — a smart lens on what the world's biggest sporting event reveals about power, money, and identity.
The 2026 World Cup is coming to Seattle, and Ron Krabill wants to make sure you’re watching it properly — which means looking at far more than the scoreline.
Krabill directs the University of Washington’s Global Sport Lab, and he brings five distinct analytical frameworks to the tournament: economic (who profits and who pays), cultural (what national identity means on a global stage), political (FIFA’s relationship with authoritarian regimes), urban (what hosting does to a city), and social (how sport builds and divides communities).
Whether you’re a football obsessive or someone who only pays attention every four years, this talk offers a way to engage with the spectacle that goes far deeper than the usual commentary. Free at Town Hall Seattle.