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.
We're bringing you expert insight, authentic flavour and just the right amount of chaos as we count down to the biggest party in football history. Come and join the journey. Let's Make Football Great Again!
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Bellingham Shines Through the Rain and Tuchel's Selection Dilemmas | England 3-0 Costa Rica
Thursday, June 11, 2026 • Duration 23:27
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.
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"Saka is playing through PAIN": fitness concerns for Thomas Tuchel | England v Costa Rica preview
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 • Duration 43:28
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.
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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
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🏴 “We don’t want to be tourists, we want to make an IMPACT”: excitement builds for Scotland
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 • Duration 50:41
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/ @scottishdailyrecord
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
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Curacao 🇨🇼 No ENEMIES and a clean slate at World Cups | What can the boys in Blue deliver?
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 • Duration 40:21
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
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🇮🇶 "Much more than football": what underdogs Iraq want to show the world 🏆 2026 World Cup Preview
Monday, June 8, 2026 • Duration 35:29
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
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Why Everyone is WRONG About Canada at the 2026 World Cup 🇨🇦 2026 World Cup Preview
Monday, June 8, 2026 • Duration 39:58
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?
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Qatar: "We belong on this stage" 🇶🇦 Can the 2022 hosts surprise in Group B? 🏆 2026 World Cup Preview
Monday, June 8, 2026 • Duration 38:24
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
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Faking An Illness to Escape the Police?! 🇪🇨 The Insane Story of Enner Valencia!
Monday, June 8, 2026 • Duration 32:09
Can South America’s ultimate clean-sheet machine stun the global powerhouses and go deep into the 2026 World Cup? 🇪🇨🛡️
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.
🔥 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.
🔗 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
🔔 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
⏳ 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
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Can Salem Al-Dawsari Cement His Status as Saudi Arabia's GOAT? 🇸🇦🐐
Monday, June 8, 2026 • Duration 31:39
Can Saudi Arabia recreate the magic of Qatar 2022 and navigate past Spain and Uruguay? 🇸🇦
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:
⚽ The Mancini Walkout: The dramatic, unedited story behind Roberto Mancini abandoning his players during the 2023 Asian Cup shootout.
⚽ The GOAT Paradox: Why Asia's Player of the Year, Salem Al-Dawsari, faces internal club vs. country scrutiny.
⚽ The Cristiano Ronaldo Effect: How training alongside icons like Benzema and Ronaldo is physically shifting local training standards.
⚽ The Athletic Deficit: Why the traditional regional "family night" coffee culture poses a distinct physiological challenge to high-level sports development.
⚽ 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:
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4t1TlqXUhyRVExWcYVD88A - https://www.instagram.com/fayadzinho/
🔔 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
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TRAINING exercise? 💪 What England's win against New Zealand means for Thomas Tuchel
Saturday, June 6, 2026 • Duration 25:07
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.
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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
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