America 2026: A World Cup podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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America 2026: A World Cup podcast

Paul Howard and Kevin Kilbane

Sports

Frequency: 1 episode/4d. Total Eps: 32

This is a new podcast from The Irish Times covering the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States. Join former Irish international Kevin Kilbane and journalist and host Paul Howard for all the big stories, match analysis and special guests.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Apple

Data updated on 21/07/2026

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
14/08/2026
#85
🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
10/08/2026
#86
🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
09/08/2026
#40
🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
08/08/2026
#69
🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
28/07/2026
#58
🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
27/07/2026
#95
🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
26/07/2026
#55
🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
25/07/2026
#83
🇨🇦 Canada - Soccer
24/07/2026
#74
🇺🇸 USA - Soccer
24/07/2026
#86

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/world-cup/
1 share
https://www.irishtimes.com/podcasts/america-2026/
1 share
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2026/06/03/paul-howard-the-world-cup-is-the-greatest-thrill-ever-as-long-as-you-arent-there/
1 share

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 42%

Publication history

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BONUS: Roddy Collins’ life in World Cups

Sunday, July 19, 2026 • Duration 26:15

Former footballer, manager and full-time raconteur, Roddy Collins has been many things to Irish football.

He's also the star of The Rodfather, his memoir written with our own Paul Howard.

To celebrate World Cup final day, Paul and Roddy take the chance to revisit the tournaments, players and moments that changed their footballing lives.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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World Cup final preview with Ken Early in New York

Saturday, July 18, 2026 • Duration 48:08

Lionel Messi’s international football career wasn’t always a litany of heroic victories and dressing room anthems. For most of his time in sky blue and white he looked more likely to go down as a busted flush. An iconic club player who left his home too young and therefore severed the connection he could have had to his national team.

The wheel has well and truly turned and he now finds himself just one game away from back to back World Cup titles in what will be his last tournament at international level, if the song is to be believed.

Standing in his way is the ruthless professionalism of Spain and the man he once washed in a bathtub as a baby, Lamine Yamal.

Ken Early is in on the ground in New York and gives us his thoughts going into the game, how likely it is that we get a finale anywhere close to 2022 for drama and why Spain should win but he’s reluctant to go against Argentina.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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England crumble in Atlanta: Gavin Cooney and Kevin Kilbane on Tuchel's handbrake and Argentine spirit

Thursday, July 16, 2026 • Duration 47:00

England led midway through the second half of last night's World Cup semi-final in Atlanta. Thomas Tuchel, seemingly satisfied with his evening's work, made the fatal error of hauling off his attacking options to cram the box with central defenders. In doing so, they handed Argentina the lion's share of possession with Leo Messi still prowling the pitch. You tend to get exactly what you deserve in these situations and England were picked off, beaten 2-1 inside 90 minutes.

Gavin Cooney took the game in at an establishment just outside Liverpool, and reports back, a little bewildered, from amid a surprisingly fervent pocket of pro-English support.

Kevin Kilbane joins us from Toronto to unpick Tuchel's baffling tactics, how to heal his fractured relationship with Bellingham, and what it takes to see out a slender lead late in the biggest games.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Spain beat France: Keith Duggan in Dallas, Malachy Clerkin on the missed warning signs and seeing Spain for who they are

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 30:12

Spain haven't lost a competitive game since Scotland beat them in March 2023. Tonight's win leaves them just a single match from breaking Italy's record unbeaten run of 38 games. Oh, and from lifting a World Cup trophy too, of course.

In the end, Spain's structure and patience proved far too much for France. They were ruthless in midfield, picking apart the soft spots in the French line-up and doing the unglamorous things well. You'd be forgiven for thinking they wore the look of the rightful favourites. A title they’ve been quietly holding onto all along while our attention was pulled elsewhere.

Malachy Clerkin and Paul Howard took the game in from the studio, while Keith Duggan joins us from the stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Confrontational Leadership - Miguel Delaney and Kevin Kilbane on the Bellingham beef, tired bodies and FIFA’s dream draw

Monday, July 13, 2026 • Duration 50:53

England are through to the World Cup semi-finals, and still nobody can say quite what they're good at, or what they're trying to do exactly. Now that Jude Bellingham has established himself as the squad's main man, will his clashes with Thomas Tuchel and his coaching staff prove England's undoing? Or is it precisely the kind of kinetic charge that carries a side all the way?

Miguel Delaney has the inside track, having shadowed England throughout the tournament. Kevin Kilbane also knows more than a thing or two about dressing-room scuffles between big personalities.

Elsewhere, Argentina looked leggy but ground down Switzerland after another draining slog through extra time. Spain, meanwhile, might just be peaking at exactly the right moment with France waiting for them tomorrow night.

Produced by Rob Sutton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Zut Alors! - Ken Early in Boston, Gavin Cooney and Malachy Clerkin on the business end of the World Cup, At home with Malcolm

Friday, July 10, 2026 • Duration 01:14:44

France thumped Morocco with relative ease last night, laying bare just how wide the gulf still yawns between the plucky underdog and the ruling classes of world football.

Ken Early joins us from Boston for our weekly check-in, sharing his reflections on the tournament as the endgame comes into view. He also gives his take on the zealous furore engulfing Brazilian media since the seleção's exit.

Closer to home, Malachy Clerkin and Gavin Cooney are in studio to look ahead to the weekend’s quarter finals games.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Good cup / Bad Cup? Dave Hannigan in New York, Messi business and the halo effect

Wednesday, July 8, 2026 • Duration 28:23

Yet another moment, yet another highlight reel, yet another memory for us all - courtesy of Leo Messi's remarkable football career.

Egypt’s two-goal lead should have been more, but in the end they were made to bow to the sheer weight of inevitability. Was it fate alone at work here? Or was there a human thumb pressing on the scales?

After FIFA's litany of missteps this week, perceived contentious calls are more up for debate than ever. When the game's governing body is torching its own credibility, even the conventional decisions start to look loaded.

Dave Hannigan joins us from New York to run through last night's matches, and gives us his take on the many World Cup conspiracy theories up to this point.

Produced by Rob Sutton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The Anti-Midas Touch: The US buckle in Seattle, Cristiano bows out, Keith Duggan in Miami and Paul Howard’s Party Trick

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 • Duration 44:49

The American Dream is over. The United States, perhaps laden down with the sheer weight of the swirling situation, limped to a 4-1 defeat in Seattle. A result which ends their campaign and potentially the administration’s interest along with it. For all the strings pulled to drag Folarin Balogun back onto the pitch, their exit was a quiet, deflating end to the loudest week of the World Cup so far.

Paul Howard and Malachy Clerkin are in studio to review the events of last night and the rolling catastrophe still engulfing FIFA.

Meanwhile, Keith Duggan was in Dallas to see Spain pip Portugal last night. The defeat also draws the curtain on Cristiano Ronaldo's (not-so) storied World Cup career, forever missing the one prize that eluded him to the very last.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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FIFA under fire: Infantino back in the spotlight, England Conquer the Azteca, and Trump's gaze lands on the World Cup

Monday, July 6, 2026 • Duration 55:03

There was a real expectation heading into this tournament that off-field issues would wreak havoc on World Cup 2026. It's had its moments, but nothing has come close to the news of the past couple of days.

FIFA has rescinded the red-card suspension of USA star striker Folarin Balogun, clearing him to face Belgium tonight. They did so, primarily, at the request of President Donald Trump. The fallout has been messy: bodies like UEFA have condemned the decision in the strongest possible terms, and things will likely only get stranger from here.

Miguel Delaney, chief football writer for The Independent and author of the superb "States of Play," joins Paul Howard to pick apart the saga and where it goes next. Miguel also reports back from the Azteca, where England marched into the next round by handing Mexico just their third home defeat there in 90 games.

Plus, Kevin Kilbane joins us from Vancouver, where the co-hosts' run at the tournament is over. Though not without another Jesse Marsch zinger or two.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Pole Pole, Slowly Slowly: Ken Early in New York, Kevin Kilbane in Canada, explaining the snickometer, and the delirium of Paul Howard

Friday, July 3, 2026 • Duration 01:14:32

"We'll sell you the whole seat, but you'll only need the edge of it."

Fridays tend to run giddy on the America 2026 podcast but make no mistake, this World Cup is barrelling into the serious business end now.

Malachy Clerkin is in studio to keep an increasingly delirious Paul Howard company. Kevin Kilbane joins us from Canada, where the tournament's stay is drawing to a close. Though not without leaving an enduring mark on the country's culture, and on Kevin's star power.

Paul also caught up with Ken Early in New York last night, who shares his reflections on England, hearts of darkness, and the champions-in-waiting: France.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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America 2026: A World Cup podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

America 2026: A World Cup podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other3

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other3

Apple Podcasts

Spotify