That’s what David Goldblatt and I wonder in this week’s episode as the podcast returns with a vengeance. The English sports writer, broadcaster, sociologist, and journalist is the author of many books, including The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football and Injury Time: Football in a State of Emergency. He’s also teaching some masterclasses ahead of the tournament this summer in partnership with Equator magazine. Check out more on his seminar here.

We also got into FIFA, Brazil and England's designs on the trophy, the suppression of a different side of America that could have shone on the world stage at this tournament, and whether the U.S. will be the first host nation to be at war with one of its World Cup guests.

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Check out previous editions of The Road to the World Cup:

Mussolini's trophy + more World Cup stories from Jonathan Wilson

The Road to World Cup 2026: Africa

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I initially asked ESPN and NBC commentator Jon Champion if he had a few minutes to chat about one of the stadiums I’ll be covering on the ground next week for the latest edition of our CATHEDRALS series on the world’s great football stadiums. Look out for more on that soon, and check out more of Jon’s stadium expertise in our Goodison Park feature from last year.

But it also seemed like a fine time to check in with him about his work calling FA Cup matches for ESPN — our U.S. listeners can catch every game on ESPN and ESPN+ this season — because it’s already an extraordinary edition of the world’s oldest knockout competition. Macclesfield, yes, but Wrexham, too, and Jon was at the Racecourse Ground to call that one last weekend. Plus, we got into a bit of a Manchester derby preview.

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Moss Rose was built in 1891 for Macclesfield Town, which was would-up in 2020 amid financial troubles. A phoenix club was born in the ashes and has risen from the ninth tier of the English football pyramid (the North West Counties Football League) to the sixth (the National League North) in next-to-no time. Now they’ve got their biggest match of the year on Saturday, as FA Cup holders and Premier League stalwarts Crystal Palace will come to a small ground south of Manchester to battle the Silkmen.

In fact, says this week’s guest, it’s one of the biggest days in the combined history of Macclesfield Town and Macclesfield F.C. That guest is James Walker of The Silkmen News, a podcast and newsletter, and he also explained how new owner Robert Smethurst righted the ship with the help of his friend Robbie Savage after buying up the assets in an online liquidation sale. We also touched on how Wayne Rooney’s brother, John, is doing this season having replaced Savage as manager having helped the club win promotion how non-league football is thriving these days, and how Macclesfield got their nickname.

For our U.S. listeners, you can catch every FA Cup match this season on ESPN+

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It’s a perfect opportunity to have a look at one of the world’s more storied — if off-beat — football clubs. Red Star was founded way back in 1897 by Jules Rimet, eventual inventor of the FIFA World Cup, and in the time since it’s acquired layer upon layer of identity. It’s the French capital’s rebel club, a vessel of alt-Paris, a different kind of chic from the glitz of the European champions at the Parc des Princes.

Simon Binns is a veteran journalist who wrote a book on Red Star — and fell in love with the club along the way. Red Star Paris: Punks, Politics and Power Struggles in the Fight for the Coolest Club on Earth is a history, a social study, and a love letter, though Binns also made use of his background as a financial journo to tackle the issue of Red Star’s new owners: 777 Partners, most famous for a failed takeover attempt of Everton Football Club.

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We got into how, exactly, Portugal and these clubs in particular produce so many fantastic players. We traced some of the history of this rivalry, including the crucial intervention of the legendary Eusébio, who turned the tide after years of Sporting dominance to deliver Benfica into a new era. We talked over the return of José Mourinho to Portuguese football, as he's now coaching Benfica after all his years of massive success with Porto and across Europe. And David offered some intel on where to eat and drink if you’re going to the Estádio da Luz — where this one will be played on Friday — or the Estádio José Alvalade.

Follow David on Twitter and Instagram 👍

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We talked about all that when Friedel joined the show this Thanksgiving week, but we also got into a fascinating early chapter of his career. In 1995, he went off to Istanbul to play for Graeme Souness at Galatasaray. Along the way, he got a true taste of one of the world’s most combustible football derbies, Galatasaray against Fenerbahce, the latest edition of which will play out this coming Monday.

Friedel talked the derby, his times with Brian Clough and Kevin Keegan, and a bit about life in Istanbul.

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A new book from Jonathan Wilson — columnist for The Guardian, co-host of the Libero podcast, and esteemed local Substacker — seeks to tell the very best tales from nearly 100 years of World Cup football. The Power and the Glory: The History of the World Cup is a delightful read, full of sharp insight and laugh-out-loud moments. From Benito Mussolini’s bonus trophy for the 1934 World Cup winners — the Coppa del Duce — to the inside story of France’s disastrous 2010 World Cup, to the insidious inner workings of FIFA in the modern era, it’s all there.

Wilson joins the show this week to talk a little Premier League title race before we get into his book, the latest edition of the World Cup next summer, why Gianni Infantino’s reign as FIFA chief makes us all pine for the days of Sepp Blatter, and a whole lot more.

Go get your copy of The Power and the Glory after you’ve had a listen here!

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This one is box office each and every time, even if we’ve descended somewhat from the interstellar days of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. We’ll make do with Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Jude Bellingham, and whoever wins out here will take pole position in the Spanish title race. With Atlético Madrid fading somewhat, this is a campaign that could well end with both these teams taking 90+ points — or, as this week’s guest suggests, perhaps they both have more weaknesses than you might think.

Here to help us get our bearings ahead of kickoff on Sunday (11:15am ET / 3:15pm UK) is Dan Hilton of The Barcelona Podcast.

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The Bavarian hosts have returned to their formidable best with 11 wins from 11 matches across all competitions this season. Bayern have scored 25 goals in six Bundesliga matches, with Harry Kane, Luis Díaz, and Michael Olisé firing on all cylinders. They are once again among the favorites to win the Champions League.

On the other side, the last couple of years weren’t up to Dortmund’s standards domestically as they fell away from what they’ll feel is their rightful place as Bayern’s main challengers. But they now look to have reclaimed that spot from Bayer Leverkusen and are unbeaten in the league, though they’ve relied more on stout defense than explosive attack.

This one’s shaping up well, and joining us to preview the match is the commentary team who will deliver it to American viewers on ESPN at 12:30pm ET on Saturday: Derek Rae and Stewart Robson, who also happen to be the in-game commentators for EA Sports FC 26 — and many previous iterations of the famous franchise formerly known as FIFA!

We got into how they record play-by-play for video-game matches that haven’t happened yet, their travels together across Germany (and shared taste for bratwurst), and much more...

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• How the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams rights a historical wrong with respect to how many tickets African nations get every four years.

• The wonderful story of Cape Verde, population half a million, who are on the verge of qualifying for their first world cup.

• Why the continent’s traditional powers like Nigeria and Cameroon are struggling to qualify.

• Why the power base of the continent is moving north to Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, thanks in part to changes to FIFA rules and the North African diaspora in Europe.

• The controversy around South Africa’s qualifying campaign and why they are the most rapidly improving team on the continent.

Here to break it all down is Maher Mezahi, an African football journalist based in Algiers who hosts the African Five-a-Side podcast:

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AS Monaco has a rich footballing tradition in recent decades, from the Arsène Wenger days (and those of Thierry Henry and George Weah) to more recent times, when the club has been a kind of finishing school for elite talent like Kylian Mbappé and Bernardo Silva. OGC Nice has not enjoyed the same success recently, and yet engenders fierce support rooted in deep tradition that Monaco can’t always match: the Stade Louis II, where this weekend’s match will be played, has inconsistent attendance in a town where football isn’t always paramount.

Meanwhile, both clubs are seeing varying levels of fan revolt over poor results and msigivings about how they’re run — not least Nice, where fans are even more disenchanted with Sir Jim Ratcliffe than Manchester United supporters. That combined with a rebellion against French footballing authorities has spurred a boycott among Nice ultras, who will not be attending this match or enjoying their traditional mass scooter procession across the 20-or-so kilometers from Nice to Monaco.

Joining us to break it all down is Jonathan Johnson, a Paris-based French football expert.

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Each of those is a chapter of Once Upon a Time in La Liga, a new book out this month. Author Brendan Madden joins the show to share them, talk about his path from data journalist to football storyteller, and of course talk about how the current versions of Atléti and Los Blancos are looking coming into this weekend’s marquee fixture.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the book: https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/once-upon-time-la-liga

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The big one is ARSENAL vs MANCHESTER CITY at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and it could tell us a lot about whether the Premier League is about to see a two-horse title race, a three-way, or even a foursome if Chelsea get involved. It will certainly have a different feel from those recent seasons where Pep Guardiola got the better of his ex-pupil Mikel Arteta, however, because Arsenal come into this one as firm favorites.

Beyond all that, Warnock also talks about a couple of his more idiosyncratic managers back in his playing days, Big Sam Allardyce and Neil Warnock. He also remembers sharing a flank with streets-won't-forget Barclaysman Morten Gamst Pedersen, and these are the kind of behind-the-scenes stories you'll find — along with some expert insight into the fitness and recovery side of things — on his new podcast, Strain on the Game.

Check that out, but first: Have a listen here, leave a review if you enjoy yourself, and check out more sharp conversations and on-the-ground reporting at The Football Weekend.com.

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We’ll take those opportunities with a series of shows in those windows where club football is on hiatus, and joining up for the inaugural edition is Felipe Cárdenas, senior writer for The Athletic covering national teams across North and South America.

We got into the U.S. Men’s National Team, Mauricio Pochettino’s performance, and the controversy around this summer’s Gold Cup; Lionel Messi’s last ride with Argentina and his chance to add a line to his resumé that could really settle all debates; Carlo Ancelotti’s bid to put the icing on his own cake with Brazil; Chile and Colombia’s struggles; Bolivia’s 13,000-foot home field advantage; and how Mexico and Canada are setting up as hosts.

(And to come clean: I mispronounced Felipe’s last name in the intro! Ignore my “ñ.” We learn.)

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But what about the commercial side?

Because from the beginning, all concerned have recognized the financial opportunity generated by Scotland’s greatest rivalry. “The Old Firm” name may well come from a cartoon that satirized the whole thing as a joint business enterprise, and fans have rebelled against the two clubs and the authorities for reasons financial. Some local companies, like Tennent’s brewers, have even chosen to sponsor both Celtic and Rangers simultaneously — because to choose just one could mean financial ruin. After all, both sides are more than happy to stage a boycott.

The 447th Old Firm derby was played Sunday, as early as possible to (theoretically) keep the number of pints consumed beforehand to a minimum. Rangers have won 171 of those meetings, Celtic 170. Last year, ahead of the first Old Firm of 2024/25, Chris McLaughlin of the BBC Scotland joined the show to run through the rich and tempestuous history of this very particular derby match.

Get more on this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAGSb8lq12g&pp=2AYB

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It comes on the back of a very active transfer window for both sides, and we got into that along with the rich history between the two clubs and why they differ in some fundamental way — as far as heritage and culture — from big-money upstarts Chelsea and Manchester City. Plus, Andrew offers his view as an Irishman on the Irish thread that runs through both of these clubs.

Fair warning that this is a meeting of two devout Arsenal partisans, but there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy along the way!

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But this one has a different kind of electrical charge, because the defending champion Reds are trying to pry Newcastle’s star striker, Alexander Isak, out of a black-and-white jersey. The forward is agitating for the move, and the Magpie faithful are not happy about any of it. The Swede isn’t likely to feature, but he’ll be looming over it all, and it’s sure to be a tumultuous atmosphere on Tyneside.

That’s just a small part of what we got into with this week’s guest: Clive Tyldesley, the legendary commentator for CBS Sports and Paramount+ who’s been calling the biggest games in European football for decades. Along the way, he’s seen a whole lot, and his vast experience and the wisdom thereof is now pouring into a new project: his blog here on Substack, where he weighs in on football’s current affairs with wit and insight.

He joins the show to talk Isak, Liverpool, the Club World Cup, why Sergio Busquets is the greatest walking footballer ever, and the state of the game he loves. Get more from Clive in your inbox each week:

https://ctyldesley.substack.com/

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They welcomed Earle to the crew as only they could: By stripping him naked during a team run through a public park and leaving him with just a traffic cone “to cover the most embarrassing bits.”

He quickly accepted the price of initiation into the Crazy Gang and enjoyed a nine-year stint in the English top flight with the Dons. He made 244 appearances and scored 59 goals from midfield. Nowadays, you can find him on your TV here in the States pretty much every weekend. That includes this one, because the Premier League kicks off later today on NBC Sports and Peacock.

Robbie first came by The Football Weekend ahead of a spring 2024 title clash between Manchester City and Arsenal, and he returned to preview Championship Sunday later that season.

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But when I asked Liverpool fan and prodigious observer of the game Laurence McKenna whether he agreed with that diagnosis, he offered a different one: It’s not the tourist fans making their pilgrimage to Anfield who’ve dented the famous atmosphere, and it’s not necessarily some growing sense among those in attendance that they’ll cheer when they’re entertained. It’s the ticket resale platforms, Laurence said, who are all too willing to fill up the home sections with away fans and change the makeup of the collective Anfield organism.

For more on the deep history and changing dynamics of Liverpool’s famous stadium, check our Cathedrals feature:

https://www.thefootballweekend.com/p/liverpool-anfield-champions-league-night

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That’s just one reason that the little Argentine is the greatest there ever was, and from there we dove into a discussion of what a privilege it is to witness this man play. Nowadays, when you’re lucky enough to be there in the stadium, you can feel that everybody around you knows it, too: this is Michael Jordan, this is Wayne Gretzky, and we’re running out of time to bear witness to a genuine sporting phenomenon.

Get more Classic moments from The Football Weekend:

"Go, Go USA!" Ian Darke on His Massive Contribution to American Football Lore

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So what are his favorite stadiums?

Champion has a natural predilection for old places with all their layers, one laid atop another until there’s a tasty cake of architectural, cultural, and sporting history to devour. He had kind words for Fulham’s Craven Cottage, and — earlier in the episode — for Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road.

But his greatest praise was for Goodison Park, Everton’s grand old cathedral, and he had some fabulous stories about the treacherous route to the commentary gantry at the 1892 ground and the dire consequences thereof for an old colleague of his, Gerald Sinstadt.

Champion’s words here were so stirring that he inspired The Weekend’s trip to Merseyside last season.

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The tournament did not go well for the USA, and then-head coach Gregg Berhalter lost his job on the back of it. But it was also a great opportunity to take stock of the young Americans plying their trade for some of Europe’s biggest clubs: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards and more.

Holden spoke on the biases that American footballers have faced in Europe and his own pride in challenging those perceptions as a Premier League player with Bolton Wanderers a generation ago. But he also threw down a challenge to the high-flyers of the present, and a year later, his takes on many of the Americans abroad look rock-solid.

Pulisic continued to thrive at AC Milan last season, Richards and Robinson went from strength to strength in England, and Reyna — among others — never cleared Holden’s bar to become a key asset for his employer. (In fact, Reyna’s time at Borussia Dortmund appears to be over.) As Holden put it, these guys need to do more than just be at these clubs if the USMNT is to do something major next summer at the 2026 World Cup.

Get more Classic moments from The Football Weekend:

"Go, Go USA!" Ian Darke on His Call for Landon Donovan's 2010 World Cup goal

Kasey Keller's Millwall Adventures

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And then goalkeeper Tim Howard launched the ball forward with a half-field throw to Landon Donovan. The #10 carried it into the final third and played Jozy Altidore into the Algerian box, where he fed Clint Dempsey with a low cross. The Texan’s strike was blocked, but the rebound fell to Donovan, and the rest is history: “Go, go, USA!”

Those were the words of Ian Darke, the ESPN commentator who came by the show in December before he called Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid for the network. We’ll have more from Ian’s La Liga adventures soon, but what better time to look back on World Cup glories than the heady days of July?

Get more Classic moments from The Football Weekend:

Kasey Keller's Millwall Adventures

Boyhood Liverpool Fan Stephen Warnock Lived the Dream But Has Regrets

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The Athletic staff writer covers Manchester United and joined the podcast ahead of the derby with Man City in April, but we also surveyed the wider landscape of England’s top flight. Carl is one of today’s great tactical minds, and he explored how Nottingham Forest thrived last season, whether their blistering counterattacking style was a philosophical rebuttal of Pep Guardiola’s City, and whether teams that normally dominate possession should consider giving it up at times when facing a counterpuncher of Forest’s caliber.

With the new Premier League season just a month away, it’s time to take stock of the future.

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Nowadays, Warnock is a co-commentator and pundit for NBC in the United States and Sky Sports (and more) in the U.K. He came by The Football Weekend ahead of last season’s famous last derby at Goodison Park, the 2-2 draw with two red cards where James Tarkowski’s wonderstrike in the 98th minute felt like it won the game for Everton by tying it. Warnock has his own Goodison story as a young Liverpool fan who got himself onto the pitch.

MORE:

Has Anfield lost its formidable atmosphere?

What Everton will leave behind at Goodison Park

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Welcome to The Football Weekend Classics series, where we’ll be sharing some of the best moments from the podcast all summer long. First up: Kasey Keller’s Millwall stories.

The goalkeeper from Olympia, Washington played for the U.S. Men’s National Team at four World Cups, but he was also one of the first Americans to really cut it in Europe. His first move after college in 1992 was to head out to South London to play in The Den. A Scottish professor tried to explain to him the gravity of this development before he went, but now, after 175 appearances — and a regular series of pitch invasions — Keller knows better than most the ferocious intensity of Millwall’s world.

It all came to a head when they were closing the famous old stadium and moving to The New Den, when fans rushed the field and stripped the players — including Keller — of everything they had on. In the end, he could only escape the pitch by running at full pelt and kicking somebody in the chest when they jumped into his path.

For the full interview with Kasey, check the original podcast.

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The former England national team goalkeeper will call this game for CBS and Paramount+ at 3pm ET on Saturday alongside Clive Tyldesley, who was kind enough to join us before last year’s edition of this marquee fixture. Now Rob stops by to trace how INTER MILAN got here having survived a spectacular FC Barcelona side in the semifinal and major disappointments on multiple fronts as the club chased a treble. Then there’s PSG, the club reborn as a young and hungry force of nature. And of course, we get Mr. Green’s thoughts on the two unbelievable goalkeepers on show here in what could be a major moment for his tribe.

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And as always, for kickoff times and storylines on all the other matches worth your time this weekend, check TheFootballWeekend.com.

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And he’ll see one more thing this Saturday, when Sunderland travel to Wembley to face Sheffield United in the Championship playoff final — the $200 million game. Whoever wins will play Premier League football next season and travel to Anfield, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, the Emirates Stadium. Whoever loses will be back in the Championship, going to Swansea.

Either way, Barnes will be along for the ride. But first he joins The Football Weekend to trace Sunderland’s path to this moment.

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And as always, for kickoff times and storylines on all the other matches worth your time this weekend, check TheFootballWeekend.com.

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But this remains a showpiece match nonetheless, and this edition has its narratives. There’s MANCHESTER CITY in their third-straight final, looking to salvage something from a season that’s been almost unbelievably poor by Pep Guardiola’s high standards. And then there’s CRYSTAL PALACE, a club without a trophy in its history besides the hardly major Full Members’ Cup. Twice the South Londoners have appeared in this final, and both times the Eagles took the lead. Both times, they ultimately lost to Manchester United.

Now they’ve got a chance at redemption against the other Manchester side, and here to preview it all ahead of kickoff on Saturday (11:30am ET, 4:30pm UK) is Jon Champion, who will be calling the game for ESPN in the United States.

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And as always, for kickoff times and storylines on all the other matches worth your time this weekend, check TheFootballWeekend.com.

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That makes the two contestants in El Clásico a pair of wounded animals, though Barcelona have the consolation of that cup final victory and a very good chance to wrap up La Liga with a win here. Madrid have no such comfort, and all they can do is beat their greatest rivals to keep the title race alive. Which of these two can shake off the emotional baggage in time to win the biggest match in club football?

Here to help us answer that question ahead of kickoff on Sunday (10:15am ET, 3:15pm UK) is Dan Hilton of The Barcelona Podcast.

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This rivalry, the Basque derby, has had its nasty periods. The late 1980s and early 1990s in particular were a time of discontent. But for the most part, this is a family feud, a sibling rivalry. They’ll fight amongst themselves, but when outsiders knock on the door, they band together against the common enemy. That’s true in football, and in heavier things. The Basque region was decimated under the regime of Spain’s longtime dictator, Francisco Franco, and in the most difficult times, these folks came together in opposition to the Generalissimo and his thugs.

Here to trace all that before the match kicks off on Sunday (3pm ET/8pm UK) is Christopher Evans, author of Los Leones: The Unique Story of Athletic Club Bilbao.

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The latter is where they’ll meet Roma this weekend for another highly difficult encounter, even at the San Siro. The visitors have not lost a league match since December, an incredible turnaround from a frankly disastrous opening period of the season, and they’ve zipped up the table to compete for a Champions League place. At the heart of it all is Claudio Ranieri, the 73-year-old Roman who came out of retirement to manage his hometown club for one final chapter (maybe) of a lifelong football romance.

Here to get into all that ahead of kickoff is Alasdair Mackenzie, Rome-based writer for TNT Sports, Destination Calcio, Total Italian Football and more.

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And as always, for kickoff times and storylines on all the other matches worth your time this weekend, check TheFootballWeekend.com.

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And then there’s BAYERN MUNICH, back to being Bayern domestically. They’re six points clear of current adversaries Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga, and they seem to be on pace to secure Harry Kane his first career trophy. But there are still questions swirling around manager Vincent Kompany, and a recent spate of injuries — especially to thrilling young star Jamal Musiala — might have just created an opening for Dortmund here.

Joining the show to chat about all that and more is Markus Fjørtoft, a former professional footballer who now hosts The Fussball Podcast with his dad, Jan Åge Fjørtoft, who was himself a pro in the Bundesliga and beyond. Get the lowdown above before it all kicks off at 12:30pm ET/5:30pm UK on Saturday.

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It’s an incredible state of affairs for one of Europe’s true superclubs, and on this week’s show, the brilliant Carl Anka of The Athletic suggests that United are becoming something like the Dallas Cowboys: a giant global sporting institution that’s lost its magic. We got into how the Red Devils spent their way into this mess, how City have become a team with a soft underbelly, and why this Sunday’s encounter may be a meeting of the legless midfields.

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And as always, for kickoff times and storylines on all the other matches worth your time this weekend, check TheFootballWeekend.com.

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This is one of the most vibrant rivalry matches in world football, Spain's greatest local spat, a true expression of Seville's colorful culture: the freewheeling social scene fueled by ubiquitous outdoor dining and Sevillanos who are impressively direct with one another; the searing heat of Andalusia; the close quarters in which the two sets of fans live, including in split households; and a rich history featuring the Romans, the Moors, Christian kings of all stripes, and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco after the Spanish Civil War.

This derby has boiled over at times, but more than anything it's defined by the (mostly) good-natured banter of the street, known as guasa, and a stubborn refusal from both sides to drift towards the corporatism that has come to define the modern game. They're desperate to beat each other and, perhaps as importantly, see each other suffer. In recent years, Sevilla have become the Europa League masters, seven times champions since 2006, in what is a considerable shakeup of the dynamic here. For a while, neither of them won much of anything, and the whole ethos of Real Betis is built around manque pierda — something like, "even when they lose." Betis are the better off this season, though, gunning for European football next season year behind the talismanic talents of Isco, who not so long ago had a short and disastrous spell at Sevilla. He could be the difference-maker this Sunday, though this week's guest predicts Betis could still fall prey to their own inferiority complex in this fixture.

That guest is Colin Millar, news writer for The Athletic and author of The Frying Pan of Spain, a book on the history of this rivalry. He lived in Seville himself and has all kinds of insight into what this one means.

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And as always, for kickoff times and storylines on all the other matches worth your time this weekend, check TheFootballWeekend.com.

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But there’s one headliner here, because there's a trophy up for grabs: It's LIVERPOOL vs NEWCASTLE at Wembley Stadium, vying for the League Cup.

It could be a nice tonic for the Reds after their untimely exit from the Champions League in midweek, while a trophy — any trophy — would be extremely timely for the Magpies. Newcastle United have not won a piece of major silverware since 1969. Their victory in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup came a month before the moon landing.

Here to preview this one is Laurence McKenna, Liverpool fan and sharp football observer across all kinds of platforms, not least his channel on YouTube. You can find him on the socials @Lozcast.

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When Ferguson left, United had their own downfall, and now they've sunk farther than the eighth-place finish Arsenal endured towards the beginning of manager Mikel Arteta's reign. The Red Devils are in terrible shape after a decade of self-sabotage, cycling through managers and executives and even — with the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe — ownership structures. None of it’s helped, and now this week’s guest — Manchester United fan and host of Touchline Fracas, Morayo Bamidele — fears his team could be embarrassed at Old Trafford.

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Reigning champions INTER, meanwhile, are in unabashed pursuit of a treble, and boss Simone Inzaghi has been rotating his teams like mad to deal with the matchload associated with all of their obligations. Still, they’ve been grinding out those three points, like the 1-0 over Genoa last time out in the league — and they've zipped into first place just in time for this encounter, one point clear of the Neapolitans.

Joining us to preview the match on Saturday (12pm ET, 5pm UK) is Nima Tavallaey (@NimaTavRood) co-host of the Italian Football Podcast (@ItaFootPod). He broke down how Napoli’s mismanagement goes farther back than the January transfer window and goes all the way to the top; why it's a three- or even four-horse title race in Serie A; and whether, if this goes the wrong way, Conte might erupt like the nearby Mount Vesuvius.

For kickoff times and storylines on all the good matches this weekend, check TheFootballWeekend.com.

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Joining us to preview the big match on Sunday (11:30am ET, 4:30pm UK) is Andy Jones, a staff writer for The Athletic covering Liverpool.

For kickoff times and storylines on all the matches worth your time this weekend, check TheFootballWeekend.com

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The Werkself need victory when Bayern come to the BayArena on Saturday if they want to keep the title race a race, and there are a few points in their favor: Xabi Alonso has not lost any of his five matches managed against his old employers, and the visitors have not been particularly good away from home in big games recently. Bayern have rattled off seven Bundesliga wins in a row, however, and they bring with them the frankly ridiculous attack of Jamal Musiala, Michael Olisé, Harry Kane and more.

Meanwhile, honorary Bayern president Uli Hoeneß is making noises in the buildup about the Bavarians luring away Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz. I asked this week's guest, Nik Wildhagen of Talking Fussball, whether this is a classic pre-match mind game from the Bayern hierarchy. Plus: as a supporter of another Bundesliga club, how does Nik feel about FC Hollywood's dominance of the competition for years on end, and is there any prospect that Germany's (relatively) empowered fans could rally to change the dynamic?

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It’s all happening just as managers Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti—egged on by the tempestuous football media in Spain—trade barbs over refereeing controversies and Real Madrid’s repeated shattering of Atléti hearts in recent times. This one goes way further back, though. It's a dispute with roots in Spanish football’s earliest history and then—crucially—the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

For much of the ‘60s and ‘70s, as now, Atléti fought their way into the reckoning at the summit of Spanish football, forcing Real Madrid and Barcelona to take notice. The Colchoneros started out as a satellite of Athletic Club de Bilbao, gained then shedded associations with the Spanish military, and then the Madrid derby took on its modern shape: Real Madrid as the establishment club, the continental giants and serial winners. Atléti as the leftist, working-class outfit that proudly embraced a spirit of rebellion.

Here to trace it all and preview this weekend’s encounter is Graham Hunter, storied scribe of Spanish football for ESPN.

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One of those questionable officiating moments came in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium, when Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard was shown a harsh second yellow card for kicking the ball away and City got back into the match thanks to their numerical advantage. A last-minute equalizer—after which Erling Haaland launched the ball at the back of Gabriel’s head and told Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to “stay humble”—made for a very contentious affair.

Now they’re back in battle, and Tom Canton joins the show to preview the festivities. As the chief Arsenal writer for Football.London, he also offers some insight into the North London club’s desperate search for a forward as the January transfer window begins to close.

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Yes, The Football Weekend will venture to Goodison Park on Sunday as EVERTON host TOTTENHAM in the Premier League. It’s been a strange few years for the home side, no doubt about it. Farhad Moshiri’s tumultuous ownership of the club has ended, and the Friedkin Group is coming in. The Sean Dyche era is over, too, and former stalwart David Moyes has returned to the manager’s chair. Plus, it’s Everton’s last season at Goodison, their home since 1892.

Joining us to trace all this—and tell me what I can expect to see in the Gwladys Street End this weekend—is podcaster and Everton fan Rodger Armstrong of Blue Monday, a production of The Blue Room podcast.

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The beauty of the world’s oldest cup competition is that it offers TAMWORTH FOOTBALL CLUB from the National League, England’s fifth tier, the chance to host TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR of the Premier League at their 4,000-capacity stadium, The Lamb Ground. That’s the first match we’ve chosen to highlight from this weekend’s fixtures with the help of Jonathan Day, host of The Tamworth F.C. Social.

Then we move to MILLWALL, the club from South East London that for all their fame from depictions in film and TV have rarely featured in England’s top flight. They don’t look like winning promotion from the Championship this year, either—they’re 14th—but what would an FA Cup run mean to the Lions? Omer Ronayne of That Millwall Podcast joins to offer a view into second-tier life, and to preview their tie with fellow Londoners DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE on Monday.

Soon enough, we’ll know who might be this season’s Maidstone United, who made it to the Fifth Round in 2024 as a sixth-tier outfit. That’s where the Stones were beaten by Coventry City, who came within an inch of defeating Manchester United at Wembley in the semifinal. In fact, I’m still not entirely convinced that Haji Wright was offside…

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This match is just a meeting of two of Spain’s great institutions, a fixture that’s spawned wild scorelines and decided league championships. In this case, it’s a meeting of first and second in La Liga, and they’re tied on 38 points.

Joining us to preview the festivities is Ian Darke, the legendary commentator who’s called matches across the world in the Premier League, the Champions League, and the World Cup. American fans might know him as the soundtrack to Landon Donovan’s famous goal against Algeria in 2010, but he’s also called some of the biggest matches in club football—like this one. He’ll be behind the mic for ESPN on Saturday at 3pm Eastern Time, but first he’s here with us to look ahead to the match—and look back on that time he and Steve McManaman stuck around the Camp Nou until 2 a.m. drinking beers with the locals!

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It’s almost unspeakable turmoil for a Pep Guardiola team, unprecedented in his career across the Premier League, the Bundesliga, and La Liga. On the question of how the champions of England can dig themselves out of it, the Catalan does not seem to have the answers. He was clawing at his own nose. Now he’s shell-shocked on the sideline.

Of course, no City scandal can compare to Manchester United's state of affairs. They’ve been a disaster for a decade, cycling through players and managers and—just recently—sporting directors without much to show for it. That FA Cup victory over these opponents back in May seems a long ways away now, and the decision to re-hire Erik ten Hag on the back of it has been confirmed as a calamitous one.

Now they’ve got another promising young coach in Ruben Amorim, but he’s fast discovered the scale of the task here. The Red Devils have lost two on the bounce and slipped to 13th in the Premier League. Considering the sheer amount of money spent, the players trotting out onto that Old Trafford pitch are simply not good enough. This Sunday, they’ll trot out across town at the Etihad, and their best hope is that their opponents are in their own kind of disarray.

Joining us to preview this peculiar Manchester derby is Adam Monk, a presenter for FourFourTwo, DAZN, and BBC Manchester who's a devout City fan.

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Liverpool are flying coming into this one—or at least they were. Top of the league (and the new Champions League table), they did have a blip in midweek with the draw at Newcastle. Everton are reeling as usual this season, though they did smash Wolves 4-0 on Wednesday. Can they take heart from that, and learn a bit from Newcastle’s approach against these opponents just a few days ago, to disrupt Arne Slot’s title-chasers and snatch the points for themselves? After all, it was defeat in this fixture seven months ago that derailed Liverpool’s last title challenge.

Joining us to muse on that question is Stephen Warnock, an analyst and co-commentator for the Premier League on NBC here in the U.S. and for Sky Sports and more over in the U.K. An accomplished left back at the top level in England, he also started his career in the Liverpool academy and broke through into the first team, so he’s walked out onto that pitch at Goodison for this very fixture. He shares some derby memories and some insight into how this one might shake out.

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Alasdair Mackenzie joins the show to preview this one and explain where it fits in a league experiencing remarkable parity from top to bottom. A writer based in Rome for TNT Sports, Eurosport, FourFourTwo and more, he also helps us trace the remarkable American influence on the fixture: Christian Pulisic has become a talismanic force for Milan, where he often shares a team sheet with Yunus Musah. Weston McKennie has played his way back into the Juventus team more regularly under new coach Thiago Motta, and Tim Weah could play up front as the #9 against the team for whom his dad, George, put in a decent shift back in the day. Plus, we kick things off with some chat about the turmoil at Roma in Alasdair's backyard.

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Of course, Chelsea have been a bit nutty too over the last few years, but they might just be getting it together under their own new boss, Enzo Maresca. Are the Blues from West London a bit of a model for United as they try to get back on track?

Joining us to answer that—and try to digest the madness of this week and the last few years—is journalist and United fan Usmaan Akhtar. We also took a minute to reminisce about the glory days of this rivalry, when these two English heavyweights were battling at the top of the European game.

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One Brazilian from each side—Vinicius Jr. for Madrid, Raphinha for Barça—scored a hat trick in the Champions League in midweek. They're two of the form players in Europe, with Vini a strong bet to take home the Ballon d'Or in a couple months' time, but there's also the 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal and some guy named Kylian Mbappé playing his first Clásico. It's an embarrassment of riches in the forward positions for both these sides—and in midfield, too: Barcelona have added EURO 2024 standout Dani Olmo to academy starlets Pedri and Gavi in the engine room, and could we see 39-year-old Luka Modrić in there on the other side next to Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham?

The matchups everywhere are mouthwatering, and joining us to preview the match is Paco Polit of La Liga Lowdown. He explained how Barcelona have changed under new coach Hansi Flick and how the German has got Robert Lewandowski firing again, with 12 of their astonishing 33 goals already this season; how Madrid remain inevitable in the Champions League, if not La Liga, under Don Carlo Ancelotti; and why fans of Los Blancos aren't overly taken with Mbappé's performances after so many years of speculation that he'd join the club. We also spared a minute to discuss the reports this week that La Liga is angling to stage a Barcelona-Atlético Madrid match in Miami, and the unfortunate fate of Paco's Valencia CF.

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But most of all, this one is an argument about what's important in football. For years, Liverpool fans would sing, "You've got no history," at their Chelsea counterparts, an ode to their many decades of trophy-stacking when the West Londoners were irrelevant. But now Chelsea have two Champions Leagues—some history, that—and have won enough to wonder whether it matters how they got there at all.

Joining us to preview this one is Beth Lindop, football writer for Reach PLC and a bona fide Merseysider. We got into all of the above and how Liverpool have changed in this young season under a new manager, Arne Slot. Plus: Jürgen Klopp's legacy, the Cole Palmer problem, and did you hear England have a new manager?

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One man who knows a bit about all that is Kasey Keller, who represented the United States as a goalkeeper at four different World Cups. He was also among the first Americans to forge a serious career in Europe's top leagues, helping to pave the way for Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie today. Now he's an analyst at ESPN, and he took some time to offer his thoughts on Pochettino's appointment and the financial implications, including for women's coach Emma Hayes; the state of this U.S. squad and just how many more breakout players they'll need to compete in two years time; his own time with the national team and how the game has shifted Stateside over the last couple of decades; and how he nearly had his whole kit stripped off him during a pitch invasion at The Den, the cauldron where he kept goal for Millwall when he first arrived in Europe.

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These two clubs have enjoyed very different histories: Bologna were a big deal in the early decades of Serie A, at a time when Parma were looking up at them from a league (or multiple) below. Then, in the 1990s, the Crociati (Crusaders) of Parma rose to the lofty heights of the Italian league when it was the greatest in the world, fielding a parade of famous names—Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram, Hernán Crespo, Gianfranco Zola, Juan Sebastian Verón—thanks in part to some very rich and very volatile ownership. When the multinational dairy and food corporation with a controlling ownership stake, Parmalat, collapsed early on in the new millennium, it decimated the club.

Now Bologna are back on top again, playing Champions League football again after a fine season under Thiago Motta, now departed for Juventus. They lost a couple of key players in Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori, but they just played their biggest game in maybe 60 years at Anfield on Wednesday. You can hear all about that in this week’s episode with Christine Cupo, reporter and analyst on the CBS Sports Golazo Network and for Attacking Third, the hub for coverage of the women's game on CBS Sports.

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How have these two teams changed since last year, particularly Bayern under new coach Vincent Kompany? Have Leverkusen lost the air of inevitability that carried them through last season and helped them grab late goals to rescue results? Derek offered all that and much more from his vast reservoir of knowledge when it comes to German football. Plus, on EA Sports FC 25 release week, he offered up some of his favorite lines from his role as a commentator for the world-famous video games.

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There might be just a bit of Arsenal partisanship in this episode, because joining the show to preview this North London derby is Andrew Mangan—blogger, podcaster, and proprietor at Arseblog, the foremost Arsenal fan channel. We delved into his path to The Arsenal as a Dubliner, Arsenal’s rather disastrous injury and suspension situation coming into this one, those frightening times when Mauricio Pochettino threatened to win Spurs a trophy, his memories of the Sol Campbell transfer—an all-time North London flashpoint—and why he wants bad things to happen to Tottenham, everywhere and all the time.

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In the beginning of the 20th century, these two sets of fans marked the final whistle of a cup final by attempting to burn down Scotland's famed Hampden Park. After the 1980 final, supporters from both sides rioted on the pitch, fighting hand-to-hand and flinging bottles and more at each other until mounted police charged in to rescue control of the situation. This is a match that carries questions of what it means to be Scottish, baggage tied up in The Troubles of Northern Ireland and the quest for Scottish independence from Great Britain. And it's also, partly, about football.

Joining us to trace this history and preview this Sunday's match is Chris McLaughlin, Sports News Correspondent at BBC Scotland and a man of Glasgow. He also covered the Scottish national team at EURO 2024 and offered some insight into a raucous atmosphere and an ultimately disappointing campaign.

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Like Barça, Athletic represents a part of Spain—the Basque region—with a serious independent streak, but that hasn't always made them allies off or on the pitch. In the 1980s, especially, these two clubs entered an explosive feud, one that culminated with none other than Diego Maradona launching into a flying kick at an Athletic player in the final of the Copa del Rey. That's the competition that has revived this rivalry more recently, too, as these two clubs have a habit of running into each other in the king's cup final.

But the biggest story going into this league fixture might just be Nico Williams, the electric winger who starred for Spain at EURO 2024 this summer, who appears to have turned down a move to Barcelona to stay in Bilbao. What does that say about the state of the Blaugrana at the moment, about Athletic, and about Williams?

Here to offer some insight is Graham Hunter, who's covered Spanish football for decades and now does so for ESPN. He also hosts a podcast of his own, The Big Interview. He helps us trace the history of this fixture and its politics, explains the origins and consequences of Athletic's policy of only fielding Basque players, and offers a look behind the scenes of Spain's camp at EURO 2024. He followed the champions up close throughout the tournament.

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Joining us to preview the match and the Prem season writ large is SANNY RUDRAVAJHALA, reporter for Sky Sports News and beyond who hails from the Manchester area. He zoomed in from his back garden to assess Chelsea's 40-something-player squad, the new-look Manchester United under the same old ten Hag, whether Tottenham could be a dark horse to compete at the top of the league, and whether Darwin Núñez is his dark-horse pick for this season's top scorer.

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We also discuss the stress of watching players from your club team play international tournaments, Xavi Simons' wondergoal and the Netherlands' fine tournament, whether the French will be kicking themselves—and Didier Deschamps—about how they approached this competition, and of course Lamine Yamal's thunderbolt to crack their vaunted defense. Then there's some talk about how England might deal with the threat of Yamal and Nico Williams, the midfield battle between Rice and Rodri, and our unrelenting FOMO having missed out on a trip to Germany.

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Joining us to preview this sweet schedule of seismic sporting encounters is CARL ANKA, a staff writer for The Athletic. He covers Manchester United during the club season but was deployed to Germany for the group stage of this competition and has some wonderful stories to tell from on the ground at the EUROs. We also covered Cristiano Ronaldo's tearful and torrid time in the Round of 16, the largely disappointing performances from Kylian Mbappé's France and Gareth Southgate's England, the exemplary coaching of Murat Yakin for the Swiss national team, Cody Gakpo's transformation when he represents his nation as opposed to his club, and Türkiye's distinction as this tournament's great entertainers.

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Joining the show to preview both—and the two other matches in between—is ALEXIS GUERREROS of The Cooligans podcast and Morning Footy on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. We also spared some time for the USA's disastrous group-stage exit from the tournament and Gregg Berhalter's future with the U.S. Men's National Team, COLOMBIA's fine performance at this Copa and their fans traveling in force, Jesse Marsch's revenge tour with CANADA, and the general vibe that Copa América is the EUROs after dark.

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Joining us this week to preview the knockout rounds is @RoryTalksFootball, who returns to the show to offer some of the same insight he serves up to hundreds of thousands of followers across TikTok and beyond every single day. We of course touched on England's woes and the trials of Gareth Southgate, the power of Germany and Spain, the weakness of Belgium and France, the value of quality coaching for Austria and Switzerland, and whether a lack thereof could cost the Netherlands and Portugal. Or is Cristiano Ronaldo what will hold the Portuguese back?

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We touched on how American players have gone to a new level in Europe since Stu’s days, Jesse Marsch’s appointment as Canada’s head coach, Lionel Messi and the mighty Argentines’ clash with nemesis Chile, the North Americans getting torched by the South Americans in pre-tournament friendlies, how the USMNT should line up, the major threats posed by Colombia and Uruguay, and whether there’s a mismatch between Coach Gregg Berhalter and the current crop of American footballers.

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Maximilian Mansfield can tell you first hand. He's the CEO of Brooklyn FC, a startup club that's sprouting out of the asphalt not far from TFW HQ here in New York. Max joins the show to chat about where BKFC fits in a football ecosystem that already boasts two MLS teams, finding a home court in the borough—they've signed up to share the Brooklyn Cyclones' Maimonides Park on Coney Island—and what items are top of your To Do List when you launch a brand-new professional outfit. He also shares his own story growing up in Brooklyn after he was born in Dortmund, and how he got here from a job in finance and a stint playing non-league football in England.

You can check out Brooklyn FC at their website to learn more, and the same goes for Two Bridges Football Club, a wonderful project Max also spearheaded that will now become the formal academy for BKFC.

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CLIVE TYLDESLEY will call his 30th final in this competition for CBS and Paramount+ in the United States, but first he joins the show to run through some of the biggest moments to which he's borne witness—from Manchester United's last-gasp treble win over Bayern Munich in 1999 to Zinedine Zidane's wondervolley to defeat Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 to Barcelona's tiki-taka destruction of United in 2011—as well as some of his inspirations as a commentator, drinking champagne out of the European Cup at a Parisian nightclub with the victorious Liverpool team in 1981, parallels between the two Manchester trebles he called, and the mystical power of football heritage in this competition.

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The last time City and Arsenal went head-to-head, Robbie Earle joined the show to preview the match and mentioned he might like to come back at the end of the season. He’s on location in London, where NBC will provide wall-to-wall coverage of Championship Sunday. For our American listeners, all 10 matches will stream simultaneously on Peacock with coverage beginning at 9am, and you can also catch Man City-West Ham on NBC and Arsenal-Everton on USA Network. For his part, Robbie will be watching pitchside at the Emirates with Rebecca Lowe and the rest of the NBC crew.

We talked the title race but also the relegation stakes this season, the points deductions for Everton and Nottingham Forest, Wolves’ proposal to scrap VAR, Ange Postecolgou’s Tottenham discontent, how Liverpool’s season has changed since Jürgen Klopp’s midseason announcement that he would depart the club, and the twisting fates of Chelsea and Manchester United.

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Here to preview the match is Chris Wittyngham, a play-by-play commentator for CBS and Paramount+ who called both legs of the Champions League semifinal between PSG and Borussia Dortmund over the last couple of weeks. He also calls matches for the MLS on AppleTV+ and features on The Football Show on SiriusXM FC.

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Joining the show to discuss this remarkable run is a man who's borne witness to it firsthand: Derek Rae is the lead commentator for ESPN’s coverage of German football and for the Bundesliga world feed. He’s also the voice of the FIFA video game series, now doing business as EAFC. We spoke Wednesday, ahead of Leverkusen’s first-leg meeting with Roma, about this spectacular season for Xabi Alonso’s side.

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Here to discuss the North London Derby this Sunday is Rory Talks Football, who covers the top-level European game across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for an audience of hundreds of thousands of followers. He's also an Arsenal fan, so expect some heavy Arsenal chat along with some decent analysis of what Spurs have brought to this Premier League season. Plus, Rory explains why he hates Tottenham more than any other club.

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ESPN's Spanish football writer Graham Hunter joins the show to offer his insight on this rivalry from decades living in Spain and covering La Liga, including:

the legacy of the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime with regard to both of these clubs; how commercialization and marketing have changed the rivalry; the legend of Alfredo Di Stefano; how Florentino Perez used Figo to rise to power at Real Madrid, and how Zidane became the Galáctico archetype; the severe mismanagement of FC Barcelona in recent years and the role of player power; how Xavi's departure will be a dark day for the Spanish press; and Carlo Ancelotti's legacy as one of the all-time greats of football management.

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This week's guest is Patrick Kendrick, lead commentator on the world feed for Serie A and the Coppa Italia and a press conference interpreter of some distinction. He helps us break down the history of this disagreement, why the Roman clubs have flagged behind the powers of northern Italy in terms of on-pitch success, the tumultuous seasons that both of these clubs have endured, and some of the secrets of the craft of commentating.

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Here to discuss it is Robbie Earle, a former Premier League pro with Wimbledon who's been a studio panelist for NBC Sports' coverage of the Premier League for more than a decade. He offered his measured insight on the battles that will play out all over the pitch, whether Pep could surpass Sir Alex Ferguson's managerial achievements with yet another title win, and whether this could be the moment where Arteta's Arsenal announce they're for real. Plus, there are a few stories from his days in a wild Wimbledon dressing room with Vinnie Jones and Co.

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One of those teams is Ukraine. More than two years on from Russia's full-scale invasion, qualifying for the EUROs—and lining up next to the Germans, the French, the Czechs, and the rest of Europe—could be deeply symbolic and bring the Ukrainian struggle back to the fore at a time when other conflicts have come to dominate the news.

First up for the Жовто-Сині is Bosnia and Herzegovina. If the Ukrainians are victorious in Sarajevo, they will play one of Iceland and Israel in the playoff final for a place in the EURO 2024 group stage. The Ukrainians have an impressive array of footballers to call on, their best team in history, many of whom play across Europe's top five leagues at a time when the Ukrainian Premier League has been decimated by the war.

Our guest this week is Andrew Todos, a British-Ukrainian journalist and founder of Zorya Londonsk, the home of English-language Ukrainian football coverage. He joins the show to discuss all of the above—and how the sports-diplomatic blockade of Russia may be just beginning to crack.

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Chivas de Guadalajara — the team from a quintessentially Mexican city known for Mariachi and located in the state of Jalisco, the home of tequila — has a policy of only fielding Mexican nationals.

Club América, from the swanky and cosmopolitan capital of Mexico City, rose to prominence spending big money on foreign players, a master plan from the club's TV magnate owners not just to compete but to create a football telenovela, a soap opera in which their club could play the villain.

Ramses Sandoval, a commentator for TelevisaUnivision, joins the show to discuss the rivalry, the two clubs, and the current state of Mexican football.

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