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© 2026 The FootPol Podcast
Description
The podcast that brings together football and politics. We'll be exploring the relationship between the two, both inside and outside the game.
The podcast covers "Big Politics" like politicians, clubs, international and national federations and other organised groups and how they use or abuse the game to "Small, Everyday Politics" in the form of community-level clubs, fan associations and the way that football reflects the political challenges of our day to day lives.
The FootPol Podcast is brought to you by co-hosts Drs Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton.
105 Episodes
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A compelling instalment in our in-season series on World Cup debutants, in this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to Middle East scholar Curtis Ryan of Appalachian State University about Jordan’s historic first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup. From the fierce rivalry between Al-Faisaly and Al-Wehdat—shaped by identity, history and social tensions—to the unifying force of the national team, this is a timely and insightful discussion on sport, identity and politics in the Middle...
This week's FootPol Podcast episode explores Indian football as a political and social phenomenon rather than simply a sport. Joining co-hosts Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro in conversation is Sandeep Menon, author of Sacred Grounds: A Journey Through People’s Football in India. It traces how the game is embedded in India’s uneven political geography—from the northeastern states, where football intersects with histories of marginalisation and identity, to traditional centres like West Ben...
In the FootPol Podcast's latest episode, Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton unpack the latest political storms that have shaken the football world in the past week. They start with the AFCON 2025 controversy, examining the dramatic reversal of Senegal’s victory against Morocco, the refereeing disputes, CAF politics and the political fallout for fans and federations. The discussion then moves to the looming 2026 World Cup in the United States, where Iran’s men’s team faces unprecedented challe...
Football fanzines were once the DIY voice of supporters in Britain — photocopied, stapled together, and sold outside stadiums by fans who wanted to challenge clubs, authorities, and the football establishment. In this episode, Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro speak with Paddy Hoey, senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and author of influential research on football fan activism, including “The Future of Football Fanzines: Have They Lost Their Voice in this Digitalised and Dere...
In this special FootPol Podcast episode, co-hosts Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton confront the explosive intersection of geopolitics and sport as the United States and Israel’s military attacks on Iran cast a shadow over the latter's participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With Iran’s FA signalling a potential withdrawal and the US having already imposed visa bans on numerous countries, including Iran, the episode explores the political fallout for the tournament co-hosted by the US, Can...
The FootPol Podcast has reached 100 episodes! To mark this special occasion, we return to this season's World Cup debutants series, this time focusing on Cabo Verde’s historic qualification for the 2026 tournament. Co-hosts Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro are joined by Cape Verdean historian and writer Emmanuel Charles D’Oliveira and Nuno Domingos, senior researcher at the University of Lisbon, to analyse the country’s rise ahead of fixtures against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. H...
Women’s football in the Middle East and North Africa is changing fast — but unevenly. In this 99th episode of the FootPol Podcast, co-hosts Francesco Becastro and Guy Burton speak with Assile Toufailly, a former Lebanon international and recent sociology PhD graduate from the University of Lyon 1 in France, to unpack the real state of the women’s game across the MENA region. From Morocco’s rising professional league and Saudi Arabia’s rapid investment drive to grassroots struggles in Le...
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, how will geopolitics, migration policy and fan culture shape the tournament across the United States, Mexico and Canada? In this episode of FootPol, Guy Burton is joined by Pete Watson (University of Leeds) and Roger Magazine (Universidad Iberoamericana) to unpack the political fault lines running through the next World Cup, from US intervention in Venezuela and FIFA’s alignment with Donald Trump to visa regimes, immigration enforcement and security-heavy hos...
In this episode of FootPol, Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton are joined by CJ Price, Director of Football at Palmerston North Marist FC, for a deep dive into how football is evolving in New Zealand and across Oceania. Using Palmerston North Marist as a window onto the wider system, CJ unpacks life inside community-rooted clubs: how they are run, how leagues and youth pathways are structured and how the women’s game, futsal and volunteer-led governance fit together. With a restructured Natio...
What really happened when the FA took over women’s football in 1993 – and why does it still matter today? In this first episode of 2026, co-hosts Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton are joined by Rafaelle Nicholson of Bournemouth Media School to unpack the hidden history, politics and governance of women’s football in England – from the rise and fall of the Women’s Football Association (WFA) to today’s debates over WSL independence and the recent introduction of NewCo governance. Drawing on ar...
As the year comes to a close, FootPol examines what it really takes to build a career in women’s football — and how politics, policy and power shape pathways into the professional game. In this episode, co-hosts Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro are joined by Sydney Minarik, former Clemson University defender, to discuss elite NCAA Division I women’s soccer, professional opportunities, and her upcoming move to Australia’s National Premier League (NPL). Drawing on her experience in one of the...
Last Friday's 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC kicks off a new mini-series running on the FootPol Podcast this season, about debutant nations heading to next year’s tournament. In this first episode, we turn to Uzbekistan — one of the most intriguing first-timers on the global stage. Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro are joined by Donat Iskanderov, a Central Asian groundhopper from Tashkent, to unpack how Uzbekistan reached its first-ever men’s World Cup and what that achievement means f...
Historian and sociologist of football David Goldblatt is back on the podcast to talk to hosts Guy and Francesco about his latest book 'Injury Time. Football in a state of emergency'. David's excellent work discusses how football is an extraordinary tool to understand the recent past in Britain, from Brexit to covid and the various crises associated with the rising cost of living, growing inequality and climate change. As well as setting out the problems and challenges that society faces, Davi...
This week on The FootPol Podcast, we explore the booming world of football tourism, stadium tours, and club museums with expert Felipe Bertazzo Tobar of Clemson University. From the Camp Nou to the Maracanã, Felipe unpacks how football heritage has become a powerful mix of politics, identity, and global business to co-hosts Guy and Francesco. Why do clubs curate their histories the way they do? How are women’s football and fans reshaping the stories told in these spaces? And what happens when...
In the latest FootPol Podcast episode, Leslie Mabon, senior lecturer in environmental systems at The Open University discusses how football’s deep ties to industry reveal a bigger story about climate change, community identity, and the energy transition. From the coalfields of Fife to the steelworks of Dortmund and Japan’s industrial clubs, football’s roots run through carbon-intensive economies. Mabon explains how clubs are now reinterpreting their industrial heritage — through shirts, banne...
Why do millions of Africans passionately support European football clubs they’ve never seen in person? This episode addresses this question in Manase Chiweshe and Solomon Waliaula's recent book African Fans of European Football by exploring how fandom in Africa is reshaping global football culture. From Liverpool murals on Zimbabwean buses to Arsenal “tribes” in Kenya, we unpack how football fuels identity, community, masculinity, and even prayer. We also discuss sports betting, gender, and h...
This week on the FootPol Podcast, Rory Magrath of Southampton Solent University joins co-host Guy to unpack LGBTQ+ issues in football. From the late acceptance of LGBTQ+ players and fans in the men’s game to the more welcoming culture in women’s football, Rory explains why attitudes have shifted — and what challenges remain. We also dive into his new book, LGBT Football Fans (Routledge, 2025), exploring how fan communities are reshaping the sport.
FootPol is back for a brand new season — and we’re hitting the ground running. In this season opener, we recap the biggest political battles shaping the beautiful game and give you a taste of what’s to come. We start with Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and the mounting grassroots calls to expel Israel from world football — alongside the deafening silence from FIFA and UEFA. From there, we shift to the women’s game, exploring the politics laid bare in the Women’s Euros, the African Cup of Nation...
In the last episode of the seasone, co-hosts Guy and Francesco reflect on a great second season of FootPol, and pick apart some of the main themes from the season. They include conversations about community clubs and inclusivity as well as the relationship between social class and football in the past and present. There's also a look at the number of Asia-related episodes that were produced and what could be in store for next season. But before that check out the back catalogue of episodes th...
In this episode of The FootPol Podcast, Guy and Francesco explore how war is disrupting football in 2025, focusing on conflicts that are ongoing or escalated this year. They examine: Israel’s war on Palestine and Palestinians, especially in GazaThe 12-day Israel–US conflict with IranThe Sudanese civil warThe advance of Rwanda-backed M23 forces in eastern DR CongoThe discussion looks at how these wars affect domestic leagues, players, and fans—as well as the wider political repercussions for n...
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Who knew the origins of Ultras was a kit man in Uruguay!
Great pod! Have an AC Milan long sleeve away top circa 1992. Was my favourite
Another fascinating episode. I'd be interested to know what the lasting effects are on the players. Do they return to their lives as they were, or have some become involved in the game or the community as a result.
An excellent start to this topical podcast. I look forward to future episodes.