A new show from Gimlet Media that tells stories behind the games that soccer fans can never forget—and that rest of the world couldn’t ignore. Premiers April 25th.
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Every four years, people all over the world turn their eyes, ears, and hearts toward the most exciting sports competition on the planet: The World Cup. We Came to Win tells the stories behind the tournament’s most memorable moments. Like, how did one player become a God, and a villain, after breaking the rules? How did the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup save English soccer from falling apart? And how did one player turn a free-kick into an act of protest? This series from Gimlet Media is an homage to the triumph and heartbreak, victory and defeat that we all experience from soccer (or football, or futbol, or whatever you call it). And it reminds us that so much of what we love about the beautiful game happens off the pitch.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

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Documentary

When Atalanta defeated Valencia 4-1 in the Champions League, their fans celebrated the biggest result in the club’s history. But in the weeks after this match, the narrative quickly switched. The game that night appeared to be at the center of an outbreak of the coronavirus, an outbreak so severe that one scientist called the match a “biological bomb.” On this episode of We Came to Win we track how the virus spread through the stadium, and beyond.
For this episode, we teamed up with the GIANT podcast team and you can hear their story after ours. It’s a documentary about how one lower league team in England had their season turned upside down by the coronavirus.

The Biological Bomb

We Came to Win brings you WIthout Fail, a new podcast from Gimlet Media where host Alex Blumberg asks people who have pursued incredible things: what worked? What didn't? And why? On this episode, Alex talks with NBA player Andre Iguodala who plays for one of the most dominant teams in the league, the Golden State Warriors. Before that, Andre was the number one option for the Philadelphia 76ers. Andre talks with Alex about playing for a team where everyone loves you ... and what it’s like when they don’t. He says what he really thinks about teammate Steph Curry, and Andre answers an age-old question: are sports really a metaphor for life?

Introducing Without Fail

It’s World Cup time! And if you want a cheat sheet for this year’s competition, we’ve got you covered with a special episode from the gang at The Totally Football Show. Host James Richardson is joined by Michael Cox, Tom Williams, Sasha Goryunov, and more, as they break down the first three groups of the 2018 World Cup. Learn who is favored, who might play spoiler, and who thinks Russia’s home field advantage could tip the scales.

Introducing The Totally Football Show

Today, the English Premier League is the richest and most watched league in the world. But rewind to the end of the eighties, and English football was in the doldrums. The national team were crap, the stadiums were crumbling, and there was the threat of violence from football hooligans. This is the story of how one summer, and one World Cup, changed English football forever.
CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emma Morgenstern, Emily Ulbricht, and Ngofeen Mputubwele with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.
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1. How the 1990 World Cup Saved English Soccer

The year is 1989. The United States is a soccer desert, but it just won a bid to host the 1994 World Cup. If the U.S. is going to prove it deserves the honor, it’ll need to get its team to qualify for the 1990 World Cup—and they haven’t made it in nearly four decades. A coach named Bob Gansler and his gang of mulleted misfits are America's only hope. This is the story of their last-ditch attempt to put U.S. soccer on the map.
CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emma Morgenstern, Emily Ulbricht, and Ngofeen Mputubwele with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

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