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The Athletic FC Podcast

The Athletic FC Podcast

The Athletic 1364 Episodes Jul 4, 2026

The Athletic's flagship football podcast, hosted by Ayo Akinwolere and featuring journalists like David Ornstein, Phil Hay, Adam Crafton, and Matt Slater. It provides in-depth coverage of the biggest stories in football, cutting through the noise to explain what's really happening and why it matters.

Episodes

How can England conquer the Azteca? Jul 4, 2026 42:25 It’s Day 24 and our focus is fully on England’s trip to the Azteca to take on Mexico.Adam Leventhal is joined by Cerys Jones and Liam Tharme to recap the World Cup action as Argentina edged past Cape Verde to secure their place in the Round of 16 - James Horncastle drops in from Miami for that one.In terms of England, there’s been plenty of drama in the build-up to this one. Kick-off is still 1AM
Portugal survive + why are Newcastle selling their best players? Jul 3, 2026 39:40 Newcastle United are set to receive £100m for midfielder Sandro Tonali, but where does that leave their aspirations?Adam Leventhal is joined by Cerys Jones and Art De Roche to discuss the latest at the World Cup and in the transfer window.David Ornstein reports on Tonali's imminent move to Spurs, before we look at the latest from the World Cup with Matt Slater recapping an enthralling 2-1 win for
Can Kane keep saving England? Jul 2, 2026 41:35 England left it late but got the job done, thanks to Harry Kane.Adam Leventhal is joined by The Athletic's Carl Anka and Liam Twomey after England's emotional come-from-behind win against DR Congo as our England correspondent Jack Pitt-Brooke poses the question; is Kane England's greatest player ever?Away from England's win, the USA and Belgium also progressed to face one another in the Round of 1
France look unstoppable + Spurs win Fernandes race Jul 1, 2026 39:47 France's superstars continue to sparkle, as Kylian Mbappe's brace helped to see off Sweden 3-0 in at the MetLife.Emma Paton is joined by Mark Critchley and Carl Anka to discuss France's free-flowing attack with Adam Crafton also posing the question: are France unstoppable? We also hear from Felipe Cardenas after Mexico's 2-0 win over Ecuador setting up a potential Round of 16 clash with England.Da
Germany hit new low + Ornstein transfer latest Jun 30, 2026 42:00 Four-time World Cup winners Germany are out. So too are the Netherlands and Japan after a dramatic day at the World Cup.Emma Paton is alongside Mark Critchley and Cerys Jones to look back on the action. Matt Slater shares his view from Boston after seeing Germany dumped out on penalties, losing their first-ever World Cup shootout to Paraguay.David Ornstein joins us to discuss the latest in the tra
Which dark horse will go furthest at the World Cup? Jun 29, 2026 33:02 Canada saw off South Africa as the knockout stages got underway at the World Cup, with some big games to come on Day 19.Emma Paton is joined by The Athletic's Liam Twomey and Liam Tharme as they assess Canada's win with Josh Kloke explaining the significance of a knockout victory for the co-hosts.There's then a look at the World Cup bracket with the panel making their predictions as to who will ma
Why are England struggling to convince? Jun 28, 2026 37:13 Despite a 2-0 win over Panama with Jude Bellingham playing a crucial role, Thomas Tuchel's England still lack conviction.Joining Adam Leventhal to get stuck into England's final group stage performance are Tim Spiers and Art De Roche, with Jack Pitt-Brooke sharing his thoughts from the MetLife Stadium.With the group stage now completed there's also discussion around some of the big talking points
How did Man City win the Elliot Anderson race? Jun 26, 2026 30:14 The transfer window is truly up and running as Manchester City have agreed a £116million deal to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest - the most ever paid for a British player.Adam Leventhal is joined in-studio by Cerys Jones and Tim Spiers to discuss the massive move for the England midfielder. Football correspondent David Ornstein drops in for the latest details on the deal, and Man City
Are Ancelotti's Brazil serious World Cup contenders? Jun 25, 2026 36:28 Brazil broke Scottish hearts on day 14 at the World Cup, running out 3-0 winners to leave the Scots' hopes of securing qualification hanging by a thread.Adam Leventhal is joined by Cerys Jones and Carl Anka to react to just how strong Brazil are, with James Horncastle highlighting the demeanour of boss Carlo Ancelotti.Canada saw their hopes of staying on home soil in the knockout phases slip throu
Why were England so flat against Ghana? Jun 24, 2026 39:56 The storylines keep on flowing at this summer’s World Cup, this time, the goals dried up for England in a 0-0 draw with Ghana in Group L.Emma Paton is joined in-studio by Carl Anka and Liam Twomey as we discuss the World Cup action on Day 14.Jack Pitt-Brooke drops by to try and explain why Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to break down Ghana. Plus, Nick Miller reports from Houston on the day Cristia
Ornstein transfer latest: Tonali, Bergvall, Balogun Jun 23, 2026 39:51 As the World Cup ticks over to Day 13, the summer transfer window is still making waves.Emma Paton is joined in-studio by Mark Critchley and Tim Spiers as we discuss the World Cup action as well as getting the latest from David Ornstein on the midfield merry-go-round.With Sandro Tonali, Lucas Bergvall, Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Alex Scott potentially on the move, the dominos are starti
Who is winning the World Cup so far? Jun 22, 2026 38:05 With 121 goals scored across 40 games, the excitement just keeps coming at this summer's World Cup.To dive into the latest action, Emma Paton is joined by The Athletic's Mark Critchley and Cerys Jones. Pol Ballus reports from Atlanta after seeing Spain secure their first win of the tournament.Attention also turns to both France and Argentina ahead of their second group matches with both having put

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