Quarterfinal Showdowns: France-Morocco, Norway-England & the Upsets Brewing

Quarterfinal Showdowns: France-Morocco, Norway-England & the Upsets Brewing

The hosts are gone, and the heavyweights are left. On the eve of the quarterfinals, Gary Striker and The Qooligan first hold a post-mortem on a chastening round of 16: the USA's flat exit to Belgium — capped by a nightmare goalkeeping error and a record US audience — as all three host nations bowed out in the same round, two fighting and one, sadly, with a whimper. Cue some honest soul-searching about American soccer. Then to the main event: four quarterfinal showdowns. France vs. Morocco is a fiery, French-tinged derby and a rematch of last tournament's semifinal — with a lethal French attack against a spirited, physical Morocco. Spain, still yet to concede, meet a resurgent Belgium riding a super-sub Lukaku, and The Qooligan makes a genuine case for the upset. Argentina face The Qooligan's dark horses, a grinding Switzerland, with a tired Messi to manage. And the pick of the lot: Norway vs. England, the toughest to call, as Haaland's Vikings target a familiar problem area — England's makeshift right side. Plus more refereeing controversy after Argentina's win over Egypt, the Golden Boot race, and why this weekend could serve up two upsets. New episodes of Summer '26 every day of the tournament at hooligan-soccer.com [hooligan-soccer.com]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

England's Heroics & FIFA Is Corrupt, Shockingly

What a night at the Azteca. On this round-of-16 recap, Gary Striker and The Qooligan relive England's heroics — a late-night, weather-delayed classic in which the Three Lions stunned Mexico despite going down to ten men, with Jude Bellingham at another level and Harry Kane playing both hero and villain. Add in Jordan Pickford's saves, Gilberto Mora announcing himself at seventeen, and eleven nerve-shredding minutes of stoppage time. Elsewhere, a young, relentless Norway dominated an underwhelming, Europeanized Brazil behind a Haaland brace and a goalkeeping masterclass from Ørjan Nyland — ending the Seleção's tournament and, in tears, perhaps Neymar's. France ground past a maddening, ultra-defensive Paraguay, and Morocco's ruthless class ended a brave Canada's run. The quarterfinals are set: England vs. Norway and France vs. Morocco. Then the guys turn to the story hanging over the whole tournament: FIFA's rare decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension ahead of USA vs. Belgium. As two referees, they dig into the letter of the law, why they believe outside pressure and money have compromised the game's integrity, why an aggrieved Belgium are appealing, and what it means if the USA now go deep with an asterisk hanging over them. Plus a preview of Ronaldo's likely World Cup farewell against an impenetrable Spain. New episodes of Summer '26 every day of the tournament at hooligan-soccer.com [hooligan-soccer.com]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Round of 16 Upsets on the Cards — Mexico to Beat England?

Gary's back from the road, and the knockouts are heating up. Reunited with The Qooligan, the guys preview a round of 16 they think is ripe for upsets — starting with the big one: Mexico to beat England. Between the altitude, the Azteca, a home side that hasn't conceded all tournament, and an England team that looked like a deer in headlights against DR Congo, both hosts land on the same bold call — this could be where England's tournament ends. First, the round of 32's refereeing storylines get a proper going-over from two officials' eyes: the "shocker" of a red card that could wreck Folarin Balogun's World Cup (and might just galvanize the USA), the chip-in-the-ball offside that ended Croatia's fightback and Luka Modrić's career in a "spirit of the game" debate, and the six-minute VAR call that decided Belgium–Senegal. Then the previews. France look frightening — maybe one of the greatest international sides ever — as Paraguay's spoilers brace for the worst. Canada fancy a genuine upset of an underwhelming Morocco. Spain have become an immovable object behind a brilliant Pau Cubarsí. Brazil labor on in a strangely European guise against a young, vibrant Norway carried by Haaland. And Argentina cruise toward the final as Cape Verde's fairytale meets Messi — with a word on why Switzerland might be the one team nobody wants to face. New episodes of Summer '26 every day of the tournament at hooligan-soccer.com [hooligan-soccer.com]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

USMNT Deep Dive: Can They Beat Bosnia? — with special guest Ben Jacobs

The real test starts now. With Gary away, The Qooligan sits down with journalist Ben Jacobs — who's been following the US men's national team all tournament — for a proper deep dive into Pochettino's side ahead of their win-or-go-home round-of-32 tie with Bosnia. It's a chance to end a drought of more than two decades since the USMNT last won a World Cup knockout game. Ben lays out exactly what the US must do to get past a physical, streetwise Bosnia: make a fast start, win the midfield battle through Tillman and Adams, stretch them in wide areas, and get quick service to Balogun. They dig into Pochettino's settled XI, why the Türkiye loss is being wildly overrated (Paraguay dumped out Germany; the US dismantled the same Australia side that demolished Türkiye), and the luxury of a bench holding Pepi, Gio Reyna, Aaronson and Trusty. Plus the one Bosnian who terrifies The Qooligan — teenage super-sub Amar Memić — and a potential full-circle round-of-16 date with Belgium. Then Ben runs the rest of the bracket: Germany's shock exit, Canada and Brazil laboring through, France and Argentina as the favorites, and why Colombia have quietly become his dark horse. A huge thanks to Ben Jacobs. New episodes of Summer '26 every day of the tournament at hooligan-soccer.com. [https://hooligan-soccer.com/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Real World Cup Starts Now: Round of 32 — with special guest Nick Britten of Road to World Cup 26

The group stage is in the books — and the real World Cup starts now. With Gary away, The Qooligan welcomes back fellow referee and Hooligan contributor Nick Britten of the Road to World Cup 26 podcast for a wide-ranging look back at a record-breaking opening act and ahead to a mouthwatering round of 32. Did 48 teams water the tournament down? Not a chance, the guys argue — the expanded format kept jeopardy alive right to the final whistle, none more cruelly than for Iran, in the knockouts at 93 minutes and out by 97. They toast the shock of the summer in unbeaten Cape Verde, relive an Algeria–Austria thriller with echoes of 1982, and marvel at a group stage that produced 212 goals and a glut of world-class strikers — while Ronaldo's struggles leave Portugal sabotaging themselves. Then it's the knockouts. The Qooligan and Nick break down the two ties everyone's circling — Netherlands vs. Morocco and Brazil vs. Japan, both with quarterfinal weight — debate whether Bosnia is a banana peel for the USA or a comfortable win, weigh Canada's winnable date with South Africa, and dig into Mexico's flawless, fortress-at-altitude run. Plus, two referees on the Almirón red card and the new hand-over-mouth rule. A huge thanks to Nick Britten. New episodes of Summer '26 every day of the tournament at hooligan-soccer.com [hooligan-soccer.com]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]