The World Cup Is Here: FIFA's Secret "Quarters," Empty Seats & USA + Mexico's Opening Wins

The World Cup Is Here: FIFA's Secret "Quarters," Empty Seats & USA + Mexico's Opening Wins

The World Cup is officially here, and the TEN21 Podcast is breaking down everything from the opening matchdays. Castro1021 and Konky get into the hydration-break controversy turning soccer into four quarters, the empty-seat debate at a sold-out tournament, USA and Mexico's opening wins, Brazil's scare against Morocco, and the anonymous European creator going viral for road-tripping across America. Plus Raúl Jiménez's emotional goal dedicated to his late father, Canada's first World Cup point in 40 years, a national-team captain's visa drama at the border, and why the three host nations are neighbors rather than rivals — capped off with a round of Guess the Player by the Emojis. New episodes every Tuesday on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and Pandora — now with video on the iHeart app. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Games with Names: Castro1021 on the Greatest World Cup Final Ever | Argentina vs. France 2022

Castro1021 is in studio! The streamer, influencer, and FIFA legend is with us to break down one of the greatest soccer matches of all time: The 2022 World Cup Final between Argentina and France.  (0:00) We kick things off. (1:00) Castro1021 joins us on the couch. (29:49) We go back to December 2022. (33:28) We breakdown these rosters. (49:10) We dive into the game. (59:48) We score the game.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

World Cup Hate Watching, Tim Payne's Overnight Fame, KSI Leaving the Sidemen & IShowSpeed's New World Cup Song.

Castro1021 and Konky react to the biggest stories around the 2026 World Cup: the viral “hate watching” trend, the New Zealand defender Tim Paine going from 4,700 to over 5 million followers overnight, KSI's rumored exit from the Sidemen, and IShowSpeed's new World Cup anthem landing on FIFA's official album. Plus an honest, heavier discussion on creators sharing deeply personal decisions online. New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeart. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Bateson87: The Truth About FIFA, Pack Addiction, and Weight Loss.

Castro sits down with Bateson87 (Jamie Bateson) — one of the founding fathers of FIFA Ultimate Team content and a 14-year veteran of the FIFA / EA FC creator scene — for one of the most candid conversations in TEN21 Podcast history. Bateson opens up about his 110-pound weight loss journey, the Christmas Eve coughing fit that fractured three of his vertebrae, and why he's been so vocal against weight loss injections like Ozempic and Mounjaro. He shares the unfiltered story of the EA coin sponsor era — how he made tens of thousands of dollars per month, why EA publicly singled him out as the face of the crackdown, and how he rebuilt that relationship to keep his career intact. The conversation moves into the dark side of FIFA Ultimate Team — the addiction of pack opening, who in the FIFA community actually spends six figures a year on FIFA points, and how the introduction of FUT Champions in FIFA 17 changed gaming culture forever. Bateson talks about the day he nearly walked away from content during a community boycott, what it's like being a parent now, and why he'd give up his YouTube channel before he'd give up his Twitch stream. Castro and Bateson trade stories from a decade of friendship — the legendary KSI vs Bateson pink slip pack challenges, their Fall Guys world championship run during COVID, the infamous Vegas roulette machine incident, and being detained at the US border for wearing an NFL jersey one too many times. The episode closes with 2026 FIFA World Cup predictions: Bateson's pick for the tournament winner, his England outlook under manager Thomas Tuchel, the dark horse pick, and an honest take on USA's chances at home — plus an emotional confession from Bateson about his Sunday night viewing habits during Castro's FUT Champions run. A must-listen for FIFA content creators, EA Sports FC players, fans of Sidemen-era YouTube, and anyone who grew up on the FIFA Ultimate Team community. Topics: FIFA, EA Sports FC, FUT, Ultimate Team, FIFA pack opening, FIFA coin sponsors, weight loss, content creator burnout, KSI, NepentheZ, Sidemen, Twitch streaming, YouTube gaming, World Cup 2026, England football, FIFA 17, FUT Champions, gaming addiction. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Is Social Media Good or Bad? The Algorithm, AI Influencers & the Night Castro Got SWATted | TEN21 Ep. 9

Is social media the greatest invention of our lifetime — or the new cigarettes? In Episode 9 of the TEN21 Podcast, Castro and the crew debate whether social media is good or bad, pulling from real experience building businesses, careers, and communities online — and from some of the wildest things social media has put them through. The conversation covers social media addiction and doom scrolling, the algorithm and how it shapes what we see, screen time and kids, parenting in the social media age, AI influencers like Lil Miquela, the high-profile case over whether platforms were designed to be addictive to young users, content creator careers versus pro-athlete careers, online privacy and "swatting," and where AI takes social media next. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.