Afleveringen
-
England completed their pre-World Cup run with a convincing 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in Orlando—but it wasn’t without a bit of classic Florida weather chaos!
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, Harry Brent is joined by the Mirror’s Chief Football Writer, John Cross, straight from the humid grounds of Florida. From torrential rain delays and bizarre pitch-watering spectacles to tactical masterclasses on the field, we break down everything you need to know ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
In today's episide:
• The Match: Goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon, and Ollie Watkins seal the win.
• The Standouts: Why Jude Bellingham completely owned the midfield and staked his claim for the No. 10 shirt against Croatia.
• The Miss: Noni Madueke’s open-goal blunder that he won't want to watch again.
• Injury Update: The latest on Bukayo Saka’s Achilles tendonitis and how Thomas Tuchel plans to rotate the squad.
• Transfer Gossip: Is Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson really worth a £100M+ British transfer record? Man City and Man Utd think he might be.
• Player Ratings: Full starting XI breakdown, including why Harry Kane needs to stop playing like an NFL quarterback.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - England 3-0 Costa Rica: Match Overview
00:32 - Torrential Rain & American Lightning Rules
03:28 - Performance Review: Pace, Tactics & Tough Tackles
05:01 - Man of the Match: Jude Bellingham Locks Down the No. 10
06:00 - Noni Madueke's Performance & That Infamous Miss
07:49 - Bukayo Saka Injury Update & Squad Rotation Under Tuchel
09:25 - Transfer Talk: £100M Elliot Anderson to Man City or Man Utd?
11:41 - England Player Ratings: Why Kane is Dropping Too Deep
14:45 - Predicted Starting XI vs Croatia & Selection Dilemmas
16:35 - Tuchel’s USA Training Camp & Moving to Kansas City
17:53 - 2026 World Cup Kicks Off Today!
With the World Cup officially kicking off with Mexico vs. South Africa, make sure you're fully clued up. Check out our 48-Nation Scouting Report available right now on the channel, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts!
Don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
John Cross joins Harry Brent to react to Thomas Tuchel's press conference ahead of England's friendly against Costa Rica before the 2026 World Cup.
He discusses what he learned from the Three Lions boss, including concerns over Saka's fitness and why England cannot rely on singular players to win the World Cup.
Plus: weather, weddings, darts, and barbecues in a happy England camp.
__
Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters.
Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/
Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
In the final instalment of our 48-nation roadmap, Harry Brent speaks to his colleagues Daniel Caw and Darren Cooney from the Daily Record about Scotland.
Can Scott McTominay become Scotland's GOAT? What are the expectations for Steve Clarke's side? And who is the OAP in the Tartan Army?
Daniel and Darren discuss auld rivalries and potential history making at the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, which is only days away.
You can watch Hotline Live, the go-to place for unfiltered opinion on the biggest talking points in Scottish football, on the Daily Record channel: https://www.youtube.com/ โจ@scottishdailyrecordโฉ
Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters.
Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/
Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
On this Episode of the 48 Nation Roadmap Harry talks to soccer aficionado Lee Wingate, host of the The Sweeper Podcast. They talk Dutch routes and winning records as they look to score their first World Cup Goals.
Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters.
Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/
Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle
#England #ThreeLions #Football #Soccer #WorldCup #WorldCup2026 #2026WorldCup #podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Welcome to Make Football Great Again! ๐โฝ
In this episode, we sit down with Hassanane Balal, host of the Iraq Football Podcast, to explore one of football's greatest underdog stories.
From winning the 2007 Asian Cup against all odds to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup after 40 years—Iraq's football journey is unlike anything you've ever heard.
Iraq Football Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hassananeIraq
Football Podcast on X: https://x.com/IraqFootballPod -
What You'll Learn:
โ How Iraq won the 2007 Asian Cup with players sleeping in airports and no training facilities
โ The incredible story of national unity—how football brought together Sunnis, Shias, Kurds, Christians, and Arabs
โ Iraq's dramatic 2026 World Cup qualification journey (including the controversial Asian Cup quarter-final loss to Jordan)
โ The challenges Iraqi fans face traveling to the US World Cup
โ Key players to watch: Ali Al-Hamadi, Ayman Hussain, Zidane Iqbal, and more
โ Graham Arnold's tactical masterclass and how Iraq plans to compete against France, Norway, and Senegal
โ Why this World Cup is about so much more than football—it's about changing global perceptions of Iraq
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Will the co-hosts shock the world, or repeat past heartbreaks? ๐จ๐ฆโฝ
Welcome back to Make Football Great Again! In today’s 2026 World Cup preview, Harry Brent is joined by Footy Prime podcast host James Sharman and Canadian Soccer Hall of Famer Amy Walsh to profile co-hosts Canada.
Despite a historic generation of talent playing across Europe’s top tiers, Canada faces massive questions heading into Group B against Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Qatar.
From tactical breakdowns to off-pitch controversies, we cover everything you need to know about the Les Rouges this summer.
๐ Drop a comment: How far will Jesse Marsch's side go this summer? Can they make it out of the group stage for the first time ever?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
On this episode Harry is joined by Sudesh Baniya, co-host of the Asian Game podcast, as the 48 nation roadmap brings us to 2022 hosts: Qatar.
Eager to take advantage of an interesting group, and with an attacking prowess described as "the best Asian football has ever seen", Qatar could surprise fans at this summer's tournament.
The Asian Game podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4t1TlqXUhyRVExWcYVD88A -
The Asian Game podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Uu7bDa2nIrpLVIeHLBR2E
Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters.
Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/
Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle
#Qatar #Football #Soccer #WorldCup #WorldCup2026 #2026WorldCup #podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Can South America’s ultimate clean-sheet machine stun the global powerhouses and go deep into the 2026 World Cup? ๐ช๐จ๐ก๏ธ
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent is joined by Copa Club podcast host Nathan Joyce to deliver the definitive team preview for Ecuador.
We skip past standard roster sheets to explore the mind-bending reality of legal escape stunts, geopolitical qualification drama, and the world-class youth academy turning street football into £100M blockbusters.
๐ฅ Inside this episode, we unpack:
The Valencia Great Escape: The unbelievable true story of how Enner Valencia faked a medical emergency on the pitch to escape law enforcement.
The Valley of Dreams: A deep dive into Independiente del Valle—the revolutionary academy building multi-million-pound pipelines directly to Europe.
The Golden Left-Side Block: Sizing up the monumental defensive solidity of Piero Hincapié and William Pacho.
The Gift of Caicedo: How Moises Caicedo’s record-breaking move to Chelsea fundamentally transformed the infrastructure of Ecuadorian grassroots soccer.
The Star Boy's Burden: The split public opinion inside Quito surrounding Chelsea's teenage phenomenon Kendry Páez.
๐ Follow Nathan Joyce and the Copa Club Podcast: https://youtube.com/@thecopaclub?si=ScaDBjpnomAO7cgz https://x.com/TheCopaClub -https://open.spotify.com/show/55qUiyYLD4wQWYiCtbeYKa?si=yT8-ZxonS1efeAXfMD5HFQ - https://thecopaclub.substack.com/ - https://x.com/TheCopaClub
๐ Subscribe to Make Football Great Again so you never miss a stop on our global scouting mission down to the opening match of 2026!
#WorldCup2026 #EcuadorFootball #MoisesCaicedo #EnnerValencia #KendryPaez #PieroHincapie #SoccerPodcast #RoadTo2026
โณ The Timecodes
0:00 – Teaser: Slaying expectations & South American football as a religion
0:13 – Welcome to Make Football Great Again!
0:41 – Meet Nathan Joyce: Identifying the dark horses of South America
1:10 – Segment: One Truth and One Lie (Guinea pig healers vs. the faked ambulance escape)
3:56 – Historical Context: David Beckham’s free-kick trauma from 2006
4:26 – Segment: The Travel Log – Who is Ecuador's definitive GOAT?
5:47 – Overcoming Poverty: Antonio Valencia’s legacy at Old Trafford
6:39 – Continental Warfare: Squeezing past Brazil and Uruguay in 2002
8:02 – Geopolitical Beef: Why Chile and Peru tried to get Ecuador banned
10:54 – The Altitude Fallacy: Sizing up the thinning air of the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa
12:16 – Deep Dive: Inside the global talent machine at Independiente del Valle
13:42 – The Caicedo Clause: Tracking contract kickbacks from Woking to Brighton
15:02 – Segment: The Scouting Report – Roster sheet and defensive metrics
16:30 – Relishing the 36-Year-Old: Why Ecuador still heavily leans on Enner Valencia
18:44 – Under the Radar: Tracking Alan Minda and Kevin Rodríguez in Belgium
21:02 – The Polarizing Wonderkid: The shifting public opinion on Kendry Páez
23:48 – Safety First: Is manager Sebastián Beccacece too defensively rigid?
26:04 – Sizing up Group E expectations & navigating knockout permutations
27:55 – The England Swap: Giving Harry Kane to an attack crying for goals
28:26 – Rapid Fire Predictions: World Cup Winners & Golden Boot
30:44 – Outrageous Hot Take: Danilo tracks as the next break-out icon
31:40 – Outro & Next Nation Preview
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Can Saudi Arabia recreate the magic of Qatar 2022 and navigate past Spain and Uruguay? ๐ธ๐ฆ
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent sits down with Saudi football expert Mo Fayed to trace the definitive 48-nation roadmap for the Green Falcons.
From their dramatic historical managerial turnovers to the structural realities behind the massive investments in the Saudi Pro League, we explore what it will take for this squad to rise above domestic pessimism and make a splash in North America.
We dive deep into the unique fan culture, domestic bottlenecks, and tactical system variables, breaking down:
โฝ The Mancini Walkout: The dramatic, unedited story behind Roberto Mancini abandoning his players during the 2023 Asian Cup shootout.
โฝ The GOAT Paradox: Why Asia's Player of the Year, Salem Al-Dawsari, faces internal club vs. country scrutiny.
โฝ The Cristiano Ronaldo Effect: How training alongside icons like Benzema and Ronaldo is physically shifting local training standards.
โฝ The Athletic Deficit: Why the traditional regional "family night" coffee culture poses a distinct physiological challenge to high-level sports development.
โฝ Roster Hidden Gems: Why breakout full-back Mohammed Abu Shamat is currently tracking as one of the best domestic options in the country.
Follow Mo Fayed for expert Arab football coverage:
๐ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4t1TlqXUhyRVExWcYVD88A - https://www.instagram.com/fayadzinho/
๐ Subscribe to Make Football Great Again on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify to follow our global scouting mission down to the opening match of 2026!
The Timecodes
0:00 – Teaser: Roberto Mancini walks out & an audacious Argentina prediction
0:17 – Welcome to Make Football Great Again!
0:46 – Meet Mo Fayed: Tracking the Green Falcons' narrative trajectory
1:15 – Segment: One Truth and One Lie (Managerial turnover volume vs. the shootout abandonment)
3:32 – Analyzing Mancini's 2023 Asian Cup exit controversy
4:54 – Segment: The Travel Log – Who is Saudi Arabia's true football GOAT?
7:55 – Most Celebrated Result: Slaying Messi and Argentina in Lusail
8:39 – Banter Rivalry: Why Saudi fans closely watch Egyptian football
10:32 – Roster Bottlenecks: Are domestic stars losing essential game time to foreign icons?
13:56 – Foreign Manager Bias: Why the Middle East constantly imports tactical celebrity
15:42 – Look Ahead: Infrastructure, expectations, and hosting 2034
18:35 – Segment: The Scouting Report – Roster breakdown & Ultimate Team gems
20:17 – Sizing up the Talisman: Salem Al-Dawsari vs. Firas Al-Biraikan
21:10 – Under the Radar: Why Mohammed Abu Shamat is a proper threat
22:09 – Group H Breakdown: Surviving Spain, Uruguay, and Cape Verde
23:37 – Managing Expectations: Sizing up the tactical system under Georgios Donis
25:45 – The Pro League Balance: Living, breathing, and training with Cristiano Ronaldo
28:34 – The Cultural Friction: Coffee culture, late nights, and physical peak ceilings
29:16 – The England Swap: Inserting Harry Kane into the attack
29:47 – Rapid Fire Round: 2026 Tournament Winner & Golden Boot
30:39 – Outrageous Hot Take: Lionel Messi's early exit
31:22 – Outro & Next Nation Preview
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
John Cross joins Harry Brent straight after England's 1-0 friendly win against New Zealand ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
He discusses what it could mean for Thomas Tuchel's selection, and who shone for the Three Lions in Florida - and who needs to up their game.
__
Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters.
Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/
Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Fresh from Thomas Tuchel's press conference, ahead of England's pre-World Cup friendly against New Zealand in Tampa, Florida, John Cross shares the mood in the Three Lions camp with Harry Brent.
He discusses how rivalries in the camp could beneficial for England, starters for the Three Lions, and whether Thomas Tuchel's side could literally weather the storm.
__
Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters.
Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/
Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
The definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup continues! ๐๐
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent is joined by renowned African football journalist Ali Howorth to deep-dive into West African powerhouses Ghana and the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire).
From incredible dressing room trivia (did a squad really get thrown in prison?!) to the lingering legacy of Luis Suarez's infamous 2010 handball, we cover the culture, the chaos, and the tactics shaping these two incredible teams ahead of the tournament.
Ali Howorth: https://x.com/ahoworth97 & https://alasdairhoworth.substack.com/
We break down Ghana's reliance on Jordan Ayew, the tactical shift under Carlos Queiroz, and why the incredibly talented Ivory Coast squad might just be the ultimate dark horse—if they can survive a brutal tournament path.
Who are you backing to go further this summer? Let us know in the comments! ๐
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Can Ralf Rangnick’s tactical rebuild carry Austria past Argentina and the heavyweights of Group J? ๐ฆ๐นโฝ
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent is joined by the host of The Other Bundesliga podcast, Tom Midler, to trace the definitive tournament preview for Austria.
We discard routine statistical analysis to unlock incredible pieces of administrative hubris, political friction, and the historical coffee house culture that invented modern tactical movements.
๐ฅ In this episode, we unpack:
The Euro 2008 Petition: The bizarre, true story of tens of thousands of Austrian fans who formally begged their own team to withdraw from the tournament to prevent a national crisis.
The Invention of Total Football: Why the intellectual coffee house circles of Vienna’s Ringstrasse deserve historical credit for inventing tactical fluid movement long before the Netherlands.
The Miracle of Córdoba: Tracing the legendary 1978 win over West Germany that sparked the most unhinged, emotional commentary in sports broadcasting history.
The Rangnick Friction: The ongoing strategic war between a demanding German manager and an old-school Football Association resistant to structural evolution.
The Roster Pipeline Changes: Sizing up Carney Chukwuemeka’s choice to acquire an Austrian passport right before a massive international flight.
The Scandal of Gijón: The long-standing, bitter historical rivalry between Austria and Algeria rooted in an explicit 1982 non-aggression pact.
๐ Follow Tom Midler and The Other Bundesliga Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherBundesliga - https://x.com/mid_5 - https://x.com/OtherBundesliga
#WorldCup2026 #AustriaFootball #RalfRangnick #DavidAlaba #CarneyChukwuemeka #HarryKane #LamineYamal #SoccerPodcast #RoadTo2026
โณ The Timecodes
0:00 – Teaser: Emotional commentators hugging on air & the ultimate fan petition
0:17 – Welcome to Make Football Great Again!
0:44 – Meet Tom Midler: Celebrating Austria's long-awaited return to the world stage
1:12 – Segment: One Truth and One Lie (Alpine yodels vs. the formal withdrawal petition)
2:07 – The Psychosocial Malaise: Exploring the fallout of Euro 2008
3:03 – Historical Context: Sizing up the modern Group J matrix
3:30 – Segment: The Travel Log – Who is Austria’s true footballing GOAT?
3:58 – The Paper Man: Tracing the tragic, mysterious legacy of Matthias Sindelar
4:59 – Slaying Champions: Explaining the lingering passion behind Córdoba 1978
6:11 – Banter Rivalry: Why Austrian fans closely look at German and Swiss football
7:43 – Intellectual Pioneers: The tactical architecture born on the Vienna Ringstrasse
9:09 – Striking the Maverick Balance: Marco Arnautoviฤ vs. Bureaucratic Elegance
10:37 – Domestic Boundaries: Why Christian Fuchs' Premier League medal feels distant
12:32 – The Shadow of Germany: Why structural change faces stiff local blockades
14:53 – Segment: The Scouting Report – Roster standouts & Ultimate Team additions
15:51 – Rising From the Ashes: Sasa Kalajdzic's emotional Bundesliga double campaign
17:39 – Meet the System Talisman: David Alaba's core center-back transition
19:06 – Under the Radar picks: Sasa Kalajdzic and Michael Gregoritsch
20:33 – Rebuilding the "Gegenpress": Rangnick's tactical war against the local FA chiefs
22:35 – Expanding the Pipeline: Parachuting Carney Chukwuemeka into the roster
26:11 – Group J Analysis: Facing Argentina, Algeria, and Jordan
28:09 – The Scandal of Gijón: Inside the non-aggression pact of 1982
29:34 – Swashbuckling Forwards: Sizing up massive recent results under Rangnick
31:18 – The England Swap: Giving Harry Kane to a forward line crying for goals
32:36 – Rapid Fire Round: 2026 World Cup Winners & Top Scorers
33:58 – Outrageous Hot Take: Inflationary metrics ruin the modern World Cup viewing framework
34:54 – Outro & Next Nation Preview
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Can the defensive masterminds of North Africa survive the most chaotic groups at the 2026 World Cup? ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐น๐ณ
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent sits down with African football journalist Ali Hawa to map out the definitive tactical and cultural profiles for Algeria and Tunisia.
We discard standard group previews to unpack unbelievable tales of historical arrogance, legal exile, and the modern systemic frameworks defining Maghreb football.
๐ฅ In this episode, we unpack:
The German Hubris: The unedited story behind West Germany's disrespectful promise before falling victim to Algeria's legendary 1982 upset.
The No-Look Fugitive: The fascinating, under-reported truth about how an Algerian football icon spent twenty years running from international extradition laws.
The Talent Plunder: Explaining the complex socio-political reality behind why the absolute elite of French football hold Algerian heritage.
The Star Boy's Burden: Sizing up Michael Olise's growth at Bayern Munich and why he tracking as a tournament game-changer.
The "Haram Ball" Mechanics: A granular look at Tunisia's defensive discipline, set-piece traps, and structural identity.
The Hannibal Manifesto: How Burnley's young midfielder went viral in Tunis by publicly demanding a root-and-branch formatting of the national setup.
๐ Follow Ali Howorth For Elite African Football Coverage: https://alasdairhoworth.substack.com/
Check out Ali's insights on Twitter/X: https://x.com/ahoworth97
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Croatia is a country of just 3.8 million people, yet they have reached consecutive World Cup semi-finals. How do they keep doing it?
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, Harry Brent sits down with Croatian football expert Lovre Nikolaicic to map out Croatia’s definitive roadmap to the 2026 World Cup.
From Group L tactics against England, Ghana, and Panama, to Luka Modriฤ's final tournament at 41 years old, we break down everything you need to know about the Vatreni.
We also dive deep into Croatia's next generational talent, Tottenham-bound center-back Luka Vuškoviฤ, and explain why his potential is completely "through the roof."
https://x.com/CroatiaFooty
https://x.com/CroLovre
Who wins the opening match: England or Croatia? Let us know your score predictions in the comments below! ๐
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Nima Tavallaey, Italian-Iranian football journalist and host of the Italian Football Podcast, joins Harry Brent to discuss how Iran's "golden generation" could fare in Group G, alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand at the 2026 World Cup.
You can follow Nima on X: https://x.com/NimaTavRood
Italian Football Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ItaFootPod
https://www.youtube.com/@ItaFootPod
__
Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters.
Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/
Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Can the relentless winning machine of French football break the tournament blockades and claim a third star in North America? ๐ซ๐ทโญ๏ธ
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent sits down with ESPN writer and French football expert Julien Laurens to map out the definitive tournament preview for France. We discard routine statistical sheets to explore jaw-dropping tales of international fan folklore, inner-locker room fractures, and the revolutionary academy systems shaping modern tactical profiles.
๐ฅ In this episode, we unpack:
The Baguette Smuggling: The unbelievable true story of how a legendary French super-fan attempted to bypass international livestock laws inside a hallowed loaf of bread.
The CONCACAF Hotbed: Exploring the ruthless street football culture of Paris and why French academies continuously produce the most polished wonderkids in world football.
The Unbeatable Engine: Why a hypothetical double pivot of Claude Makélélé and N’Golo Kanté would force an absolute international forfeit.
The Tactical Mutation: How manager Didier Deschamps plans to trade his trademark defensive conservatism for a devastating 4-2-3-1 setup.
The Unpopular Prediction: A bold defense of Thomas Tuchel’s appointment and why a France vs. England final feels mathematically inevitable.
๐ Grab Julien Laurens' New Book ("Kylian Mbappé: The Definitive Biography"): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kylian-Mbappe-Definitive-Biography-World/dp/1399629565
๐ Subscribe to Make Football Great Again so you never miss a stop on our global roadmap down to the opening match of 2026!
#WorldCup2026 #FranceFootball #KylianMbappe #ZinedineZidane #ThomasTuchel #HarryKane #SoccerPodcast #RoadTo2026
โณ The Timecodes
0:00 – Teaser: An unbeatable midfield engine & an unpopular England prediction
0:21 – Welcome to Make Football Great Again!
0:50 – Meet Julien Laurens: Discussing the biography of Kylian Mbappé
1:11 – Segment: One Truth and One Lie (Michel Platini at the Louvre vs. the smuggled rooster)
2:22 – Balthazar the Rooster: Exploring the scale of Clément d'Antib's 1500-match legacy
3:33 – Historical Context: Traumatic penalty shootouts in Qatar and half a century of waiting
4:27 – Segment: The Travel Log – Who is France’s definitive footballing GOAT?
5:48 – Erasing the 50s: Why Zinedine Zidane edges Michel Platini on technical elegance
6:18 – Inheriting the Throne: Can Mbappé surpass Zidane's historical estimations?
7:43 – Border Rivalries: Why French fans closely watch Belgian and Swiss football
8:41 – The "Bad Boy" Gene: Redefining the passion of Nicolas Anelka and Eric Cantona
10:40 – The English Legend: Why Thierry Henry face structural imagery limits back home
13:30 – Incompetence at the Top: Dissecting the catastrophic locker room fallout of 2010
15:56 – Rebuilding the Midfield: Tracing the historical lineage of the French No. 6
18:21 – Hotbeds of Football: How local academy systems handle impatient wonderkids
21:10 – Segment: The Scouting Report – Front four variations and roster setups
22:33 – Striking the Roster Balance: Adapting after Hugo Ekitiké's injury blow
24:30 – The Ego War Illusion: Why Mbappé's modern captaincy protects the inner circle
26:53 – Defending like 25: N'Golo Kanté's unyielding positional utility
28:49 – The Defensive General: Sizing up the modern strategic legacy of Didier Deschamps
32:01 – Winning is the Minimum: Exchanging conservative frameworks for tournament dominance
33:26 – The England Swap: Inserting Harry Kane into a front-four cheat code
34:49 – Rapid Fire Round: Best No. 6 & Historical Ligue 1 Icons
39:03 – Tracing Foundations: Nicolas Anelka vs. David Trezeguet
42:25 – Outrageous Hot Take: Thomas Tuchel carries England to a final crunch
43:21 – Outro & Next Episode Permutations
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Can the historic kingpins of African football finally break their World Cup hoodoo and make a deep run in North America? ๐ช๐ฌ๐
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent sits down with African football journalist and expert Ali Howorth to map out the definitive tactical and cultural profile for Egypt.
We look past simple stats to uncover unbelievable tales of political activism, historic international grudges, and the intense systemic frameworks defining Egyptian football.
๐ฅ In this episode, we unpack:
The Presidential Anomaly: The unedited story of how hundreds of thousands of Egyptians wrote Mo Salah’s name on their official voting ballots.
The Lusail Formula: A granular look at the historic night when Mo Salah single-handedly dragged a struggling Egypt team to the world stage.
The Ramos Grudge: Why the entire nation of Egypt has never forgiven Sergio Ramos for his "wrestling move" in the 2018 Champions League final.
The Port Said Trauma: Tracing the dark history of the 2012 stadium massacre and how it drastically altered the structural lineage of domestic Egyptian football.
The Talent Conundrum: Sizing up Eintracht Frankfurt's Omar Marmoush and how manager Hossam Hassan plans to fit his elite attacking starlets into a back-five framework.
Follow Ali Howorth For Elite African Football Coverage:
๐ https://x.com/ahoworth97
Read all of the latest world football news on Mirror Football:
๐ https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/
๐ Subscribe to Make Football Great Again on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify to follow our global scouting mission down to the opening match of 2026!
#WorldCup2026 #EgyptFootball #MoSalah #SergioRamos #AfricanFootball #HarryKane #KylianMbappe #RoadTo2026
โณ The Timecodes
0:00 – Teaser: A massive voting anomaly & an unyielding international grudge
0:20 – Welcome to Make Football Great Again!
0:47 – Meet Ali Hawa: Sizing up the true power of African football
1:15 – Segment: One Truth and One Lie (Stadium shadows vs. the write-in voting ballots)
2:14 – Analyzing the scale of Mo Salah’s 2018 political write-in votes
2:23 – Historical Context: Missed boats in 1934 and half a century of waiting
2:56 – Segment: The Travel Log – Who is Egypt’s absolute footballing GOAT?
4:51 – Slaying Giants: Turning international qualifiers into national holidays
5:21 – Historic Masterminds: Tracing the iconic Afcon dominance of Mohamed Aboutrika
7:17 – Regional Rivalry: Why Egyptian fans closely watch Algerian football
7:58 – Post-Soviet Trauma: Tracing the dark fallout of the 2012 Port Said tragedy
9:30 – The Private Icon: How Salah’s neutral political stance protects his star status
10:20 – Segment: The Scouting Report – Roster breakdown & Ultimate Team gems
16:23 – Sizing up the Attack: Blending Omar Marmoush with Mo Salah
18:21 – Tactical Blueprint: Exchanging expansive setups for a low-center Back 5
19:36 – The Legend at the Helm: Punditry mechanics under Hossam Hassan
20:33 – Career Milestones: Salah’s driving focus to break the all-time goal record
21:00 – Group G Breakdown: Surviving Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand
22:52 – The Twin Manager Framework: The complete, telepathic connection of the Hassan brothers
24:14 – Defending with Everyone: Core center-back frailty analysis
26:39 – The England Swap: Inserting Marc Guéhi into the back line
27:02 – Rapid Fire Round: 2026 Tournament Winner & Golden Boot
31:16 – Outrageous Hot Take: A climate-induced operational freeze
33:09 – Outro & Next Episode Preview
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Can Uzbekistan shock the corporate giants of world football and navigate a brutal Group K? ๐บ๐ฟ
In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent is joined by Asian football expert Martin Lowe to chart the definitive 48-nation roadmap for the Uzbek national team.
From near-miss heartbreaks to their active system under Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro, we explore why this team of structural underdogs is finally ready to make a splash on the global stage.
We dive deep into the cultural identity, administrative dramas, and tactical blueprints behind the White Wolves, breaking down:
โฝ The 2005 Replay Scandal: The unbelievable, controversial refereeing mistake that cost Uzbekistan a historic spot at the World Cup.
โฝ The Footballing GOAT: Why Maxim Shatskikh’s legacy at Dynamo Kyiv paved the way for a whole generation.
โฝ The Cannavaro Blueprint: How a legendary Italian defender brought immense professionalism and stability to the squad.โฝ The Olympic FC Innovation: How a manufactured team allowed young players to fail safely and develop tactical maturity.
โฝ The Star Boy: Why Man City's Abdukodir Khusanov is currently tracking as one of the best young defenders in world football.
Follow Martin Lowe and the Asian Game:
๐ https://x.com/plasticpitch -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4t1TlqXUhyRVExWcYVD88A -
https://open.spotify.com/show/3Uu7bDa2nIrpLVIeHLBR2E
๐ Subscribe to Make Football Great Again so you never miss a stop on our global scouting mission to the 2026 World Cup!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices - Laat meer zien
