I am joined by Dr Pete Watson from the University of Leeds, and Karen Ariza Carranza, journalist, founder of Tribuna Krizol - a platform to promote social change in sports and the participation of Colombian women in sports - and she's also an International Olympic Committee young leader.

We're looking at the role of women's football within Colombia as an agent for change. In this episode, we cover:

• The Rise of Women's Football in Colombia: We look at the historical context of women's football in Colombia, and its growing significance both nationally and internationally.
• The Development of Women's Football in Colombia: We explore how women's football in Colombia has developed later than the men's game, with the first professional league only established in 2017.
• The Global Stage: We highlight the importance of international tournaments, particularly Colombia’s 2015 Women's World Cup victory over France, in boosting visibility and media attention for the sport.
• 'Critical Visibility Moments': We analyse the role of 'critical visibility moments', where women's football gains media traction, often when the men's team underperforms or is absent from major competitions.
• Club Structures in Colombia: We examine how club football remains structurally weak, with a lack of investment, limited teams, and dependence on men's clubs for survival.
• The Role of Linda Caicedo: We discuss the growing impact of key figures like Linda Caicedo, an Afro-Colombian player who overcame cancer to become a global star, now playing for Real Madrid.
• Growing Media Attention: We acknowledge that while women's football in Colombia has gained more mainstream media coverage, it still faces systemic challenges, including gender inequality, inadequate funding, and inconsistent broadcasting.
• How Does Colombian Women's Football Compare with its Latin American Peers?: We compare Colombia’s success in women’s football to Argentina’s struggles, positioning Colombia as the second-strongest team in South America behind Brazil.
• Activism is Making a Difference: We emphasise the role of grassroots activism, independent media, and journalists advocating for greater representation and support for the women’s game.
• What Does the Future Hold?: We conclude by considering the future of Colombian women's football, noting its potential to rival Brazil, provided the necessary structural and financial support is secured from the federation and clubs.

On St Patrick's Day - 17 March 2025 - I gave a talk about my new book, 'Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football' at Dulwich Hamlet FC, co-hosted by the Football and War Network with the support of Stanchion Books. Have a listen!

My new book, Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football, is out NOW! It's part-groundhop, part-history discovery of football on the island of Ireland as an outsider.

My thanks to author and journalist James Hendicott for standing in as host in this episode to interview me (!) 

My guest is Joseph O'Sullivan, better known as 'Football Travel Man' on Instagram. You can also find him on YouTube and writing about football for Forbes.

Joseph discusses his experiences following the South American club tournaments for Copa90, plus his other experiences groundhopping in lower league Buenos Aires football clubs, such as Nueva Chicago or Defensa y Justicia.

My guest is Will Wardrop, otherwise known as 'Will in Brazil' over on Instagram. He's based in the capita, Brasilia, and we're discussing groundhopping in Brazil *outside* of the two main cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. We discuss matches in Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Goiânia, and Bahia in the north of the country. Will gives us his groundhopping tips for foreign visitors to Brazil, plus a few anecdotes from his time out there.

I am joined for a third time by Dr Pete Watson from the University of Leeds to discuss the ultimate grudge match in World Cup history, certainly from one side, at least. We're discussing Argentina versus England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 22 June 1986. 

It was the first time the two countries had met since the acrimonious Malvinas/Falklands Conflict four years earlier. Argentina famously won it with two of the most famous goals in history from Diego Maradona in the space of five minutes early in the second half. England almost pegged it back after John Barnes' brilliant impact off the bench, but it finished 2-1 to the South Americans. 

There is so much to unpack in this match, from international diplomacy to conversations about colonialism. 

I welcome Christopher Hylland, author of 'Tears at the Bombonera', back onto the podcast to discuss his new book, 'Dame Bola: A Journey Through the Language of Argentinian Football'. We look at the origins of some of the key words in the Argentine game and explore the wider culture of the matchday ritual.

My guests are Sam Kelly and Daniel Edwards from the Hand of Pod podcast, which focusses on Argentine football. I met up with Sam and Daniel while I was down in Buenos Aires and asked them about their experiences as foreigners getting to know the Argentine game and what foreign visitors - especially those who don't speak any/much Spanish - need to know.

In this podcast, I speak to Fernando Romero Nuñez, a sports journalist with the Buenos Aires Herald, about the evolution of Argentinian national identity and where football fits into that. We look at the emergence of the sense of an 'Argentine identity' in the 19th century, the growth of football and local-founded clubs.

We also discuss the 'sibling rivalry' with Uruguay and how that differs from Argentina's clashes with Brazil. We look back at 'La Nuestra' ('Our Thing'), and the clashing styles of Cesar Menotti and Carlos Bilardo, both World Cup winning coaches. 

Also, what does the 2022 World Cup win say about Argentina today?

I was in Buenos Aires recently and visited a number of places that I had already written about in my first book, Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World. In this episode, I was priveleged to have access to the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires, the Buenos Aires English High School, where football was pioneered, and spoke to a historian at Quilmes Atlético Club, the oldest club in Argentina that is still playing.