Shadows on the Pitch
Did the US influence a World Cup qualifying tournament to keep Iraq, Iran and North Korea away from USA '94? James Montague investigates a conspiracy theory that refuses to fade.
James Montague investigates an explosive conspiracy theory put forward by the Iraqi football federation in the 90s - that America influenced a World Cup qualifying tournament to save USA '94 from its so-called enemies.
To this day many in Iraq still blame the US for their nation's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, and James has heard similar claims from Iranian players and journalists - there's talk of spooks operating in the shadows, CIA meddling and the hidden hand of Uncle Sam.
It's a conspiracy rabbit hole that leads James from the desert of Doha to the pitches of Milan, from Washington DC's marbled corridors of power to rural Romania.
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