Mbappé, Messi and Magic - The World Cup comes alive. Malachy Clerkin on the healing power of sporting greatness, Keith Duggan's UFC detour

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

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

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

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

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

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

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

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

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

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.