France took home the trophy, but we all know who really won the World Cup: Vladimir Putin (who somehow ended up with the only umbrella in Moscow). In their Season 2 adieu, David, Tony, and Kanishk share their top moments from one of the most me

Three Lions and a Funeral

Jul 13th, 2018 27m 47s

All right… maybe we jinxed it. But now that he’s ripped off the Band-Aid, David’s ready to take a hard look at England’s last game (and anyway, his money is on France). Misery loves company, so he calls up journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo to ta

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Havelange

Jul 10th, 2018 28m 10s

England is divided, but in the midst of political upheaval at home comes a moment of destiny on the pitch. David’s a mess, Kanishk Tharoor is back to try and jinx England, and Tony’s Skyping in from a car in South Africa to wind them both up. P

Shhhh … Don’t Jinx It

Jul 6th, 2018 25m 12s

David goes to the mat for England as he dares to dream of a World Cup victory for the Three Lions; meanwhile, his guest, writer Kanishk Tharoor, hopes they lose — call it payback for a couple centuries of empire. With the quarterfinals upon us,

From Russia With Pride

Jul 3rd, 2018 25m 40s

Are penalty kicks any way to decide a match? David and Tony disagree — but we know how Russia feels. And as fans chant freely in stadiums from St. Petersburg to Sochi, some waving rainbow-colored flags, Piara Powar of FARE joins David to talk a

What If...?

Jun 29th, 2018 23m 1s

On the verge of packing their bags for home, Mexico got a reprieve when South Korea beat Germany in a stunning upset. Now the country’s fans are riding high…straight to the polls this weekend. Can a football victory — or defeat — change the cou

Operation Double Eagle

Jun 26th, 2018 25m 16s

Surprise! Despite FIFA policy, political provocations abound at the World Cup. This week we talk about rumors of Mo Salah’s impending exit from Team Egypt, the hooligan-to-paramilitary pipeline, and what exactly is up with that Albanian double

It’s All Fun and Games Until the Nationalists Show Up

Jun 22nd, 2018 25m 59s

“If football nations were rappers, Brazil would be Tupac.” Guest Musa Okwonga from the New York Times blew up on Twitter last week with his arch comparisons of rappers and World Cup teams. Today, he joins David to talk about xenophobia in Europ

Iran v. Nike, Iceland Rising, and the Goal That Shook the Earth

Jun 19th, 2018 30m 37s

And we’re not even a week into the World Cup. From Iceland’s unexpected draw with Argentina to Mexico’s seismic win over Germany, David & crew revel in the opening weekend’s action. Plus, Iranian journalist Mani Djazmi dials in from a train in

Russia’s Big Win, the NAFTA World Cup, and the Future of South American Football

Jun 15th, 2018 34m 8s

It’s on! Preening pop stars, a surprise home team blowout, and a handshake seen ‘round the world. Host David Goldblatt and crew break down Russia’s rout of Saudi Arabia, dissect Vladimir Putin’s upstaging of the FIFA Congress, and talk with foo

Everything You Don't Understand About Russia: World Cup 2018

Jun 8th, 2018 32m 45s

Vladimir Putin: we've seen him shirtless on horseback, wielding a hockey stick, and maneuvering for global domination. But how does Putin's Russia really feel about football? Host David Goldblatt talks with Russian journalist Sasha Goryunov abo

COMING SOON: Game of Our Lives Season 2 — World Cup

Jun 6th, 2018 1m 58s

Goals, tragedies, victories, politics—and, yes, songs. Host David Goldblatt is back to guide you through football's biggest tournament! Season 2 starts June 8, 2018.

Italy: Football, Fascism, and the World Cup — with John Foot

Apr 26th, 2018 35m 12s

“We have made Italy; now we have to make Italians,” Massimo d’Azeglio famously stated. Has football made Italians? And how do the country’s anxieties play out on the pitch? Goldblatt talks with historian John Foot about Italian football and its

India is In the Game — with Supriya Nair

Apr 19th, 2018 31m 43s

When the World Cup begins, the absence of just two countries will mean that over a third of the global population will not be represented. India and China are not traditional football powers, but in recent years they’ve become huge and lucrativ

Liverpool: Rebellion and Resilience

Apr 12th, 2018 18m 29s

Liverpool is a political football city like no other. It’s also swimming in just as much money as the rest of the game. This week, Goldblatt heads to watch his beloved Tottenham Hotspur take on Liverpool FC; but also visits the activists from S

After Escobar — with Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Apr 5th, 2018 31m 11s

In the 1980s and 90s, Colombian football was some of the best it had ever been. The price: near-total control by the country’s drug lords. This week, Goldblatt talks with fan and novelist Juan Gabriel Vásquez about what it was like growing up i

Playing the Game, Wearing Hijab — with Shireen Ahmed

Mar 29th, 2018 25m 37s

All Shireen Ahmed wanted to do was play — but college officials kept her off the pitch because she wanted to wear her headscarf, or hijab. This week, the player, advocate, and coach talks about her fight to get back on the field, what football

Mountain of Fire and Miracles — with Godwin Enakhena

Mar 22nd, 2018 25m 39s

One of the top teams in Nigeria is Mountain of Fire and Miracles FC, a Pentecostal club in Lagos. It’s a team that provides stability for its players within the fraught world of Nigerian domestic football — and also represents the country on th

Cinema of The Pitch — with Werner Herzog

Mar 15th, 2018 27m 47s

If Werner Herzog made a football movie, what would it look like? Host David Goldblatt talks football (soccer) and cinema (movies) with the celebrated filmmaker (and reasonable center forward). Herzog talks about falling in love with the game wh