*By Michael Teich*
Russia is still three victories away from hoisting up the FIFA World Cup 2018 trophy, but President Vladimir Putin may already be the tournament's champion.
"This is nothing but a diplomatic and political win for Putin," said Jeffrey Marcus, publisher of [The Banter](http://jointhebanter.com/).
Russia’s victory over soccer powerhouse Spain in Sunday's Round of 16 shocked the sports community and prompted speculation that corruption could be a factor in the historic upset.
The country already engineered to get the World Cup by throwing money around to FIFA officials, said Marcus, and now it could be motivated to influence the outcome of matches. Marcus himself said he joked in his [daily newsletter](https://mailchi.mp/7947f595e587/world-cup-banter-kicks-from-the-penalty-mark) that "this was the biggest Russian upset since the 2016 election."
But Putin shouldn't feel the need to rig the games, Marcus said, because the Russian leader's World Cup campaign is successful just by "having a positive tournament that has gone on without a hitch."
“He looks like the leader of a legitimate government and an open society where people are having fun and rallying around soccer,” said Marcus.
“All of the other stuff when it comes to Russian politics and what Putin’s been doing has been brushed to the side.”
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-putin-is-the-world-cups-biggest-winner).
Here are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, January 15, 2020.
The WNBA and its union announced a tentative eight-year labor deal Tuesday that will allow top players to earn more than $500,000 while the average annual compensation will surpass six figures for the first time.
Here are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, January 14, 2020.
In bringing esports to the big screen, IMAX President Megan Colligan said the company is trying to find new ways to make the most of movie theaters at times when ticket sales generally lag.
Here are the headlines you Need 2 know for Friday, January 10, 2020
Six-time NBA All-Star Paul George is promoting his Nike PG4s — and he says the new collaboration is different from any other sneaker that fans have seen on the court.
Even though TeamFight Tactics was initially released as a League of Legends game mode, it has become so much more. And is now a staple within the autobattler genre. Inven Global's Esports Journalist Tom Matthiesen joined us to give us a review of 2019 as well his thoughts for TFT's 2020 future.
Despite expanding into music festivals and other notable entertainment venues, Satisfi co-founder and CEO Don White says that sports remain the company's number one priority.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, January 6, 2020.
Former NBA commissioner David Stern, who died on New Year's Day, carved out his professional legacy by turning the league, and the sport of basketball, into a massive commercial success. But the hard-nosed executive also left behind lasting social impact with the decisions he made over the course of his three-decade tenure at the top, remembers David Levy, former president of the Brooklyn Nets and a friend of Stern.
