Make Football Great Again – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to Make Football Great Again! 🌍⚽ 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: ✅ How Iraq won the 2007 Asian Cup with players sleeping in airports and no training facilities ✅ The incredible story of national unity—how football brought together Sunnis, Shias, Kurds, Christians, and Arabs ✅ Iraq's dramatic 2026 World Cup qualification journey (including the controversial Asian Cup quarter-final loss to Jordan) ✅ The challenges Iraqi fans face traveling to the US World Cup ✅ Key players to watch: Ali Al-Hamadi, Ayman Hussain, Zidane Iqbal, and more ✅ Graham Arnold's tactical masterclass and how Iraq plans to compete against France, Norway, and Senegal ✅ 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? 🇨🇦⚽ 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. 🚀 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

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 Modrić'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 Vušković, 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! 👇 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? 🇫🇷⭐️ 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. 🔥 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. 🔗 Grab Julien Laurens' New Book ("Kylian Mbappé: The Definitive Biography"): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kylian-Mbappe-Definitive-Biography-World/dp/1399629565 🔔 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 ⏳ 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

Football reporter Kenta Hagiwara from the Asian Football Show joins Harry Brent to preview the "scariest dark horse" at the 2026 World Cup: Japan. https://x.com/AsianFutbolShow https://www.youtube.com/@TheAsianFootballShow 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? 🇪🇬🌍 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. 🔥 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: 🔗 https://x.com/ahoworth97 Read all of the latest world football news on Mirror Football: 🔗 https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ 🔔 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 ⏳ 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? 🇺🇿 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: ⚽ The 2005 Replay Scandal: The unbelievable, controversial refereeing mistake that cost Uzbekistan a historic spot at the World Cup. ⚽ The Footballing GOAT: Why Maxim Shatskikh’s legacy at Dynamo Kyiv paved the way for a whole generation. ⚽ The Cannavaro Blueprint: How a legendary Italian defender brought immense professionalism and stability to the squad.⚽ The Olympic FC Innovation: How a manufactured team allowed young players to fail safely and develop tactical maturity. ⚽ 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: 🔗 https://x.com/plasticpitch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4t1TlqXUhyRVExWcYVD88A - https://open.spotify.com/show/3Uu7bDa2nIrpLVIeHLBR2E 🔔 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

Could the smallest nations at the 2026 World Cup pull off the ultimate giant-killings against the elite of world football? 🌍⚽ In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent is joined by African football journalist Ali Howorth to map out the definitive tournament previews for Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We look far past standard tactics to uncover incredible tales of geopolitical turmoil, tragic near-misses, and the ultimate unifying power of football across both nations. 🔥 In this episode, we unpack: The Irony of FIFA: The truly unbelievable administrative blunder that abruptly saw Cape Verde disqualified from their first real World Cup dream. The Birth of a Nation: Why a simple football stadium in Praia holds the literal baseline history for Cape Verde's independence. The Rotterdam Pipeline: The fascinating, under-reported demographic truth about where Cape Verde actually sources its top talent. The 1974 Zaire Strike: The tragic behind-the-scenes reality of the player who purposefully tried to get sent off against Brazil to avoid a dictator's wrath back in Kinshasa. A Curfew for the Leopards: How international matches completely suspend military operations and regional blockades in the conflict zones of Eastern Congo. Roster Dynamic Changes: How Premier League names like Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe adapted to a defensively stubborn system. 🔗 Follow Ali Howorth For Elite African Football Coverage: https://alasdairhoworth.substack.com/ Check out Ali's insights on Twitter/X: https://x.com/ahoworth97 On the Whistle podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@otw_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup continues! 🌍🏆 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! 👇 #WorldCup2026 #Ghana #IvoryCoast #BlackStars #Elephants #AfricanFootball #PremierLeague Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices