Friend of the show Morgan Ofori returns to discuss whether Johnny Baby is knackered, why UEFA are not the good guys and why, as an Arsenal fan, he’s “scared of everyone”.

All Morgan's excellent Guardian stuff is here:

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/morgan-ofori

Juliet joins Tom to discuss two weeks in which it seemed two decades happened with regard to Gianni Infantino and FIFA and try to apply a materialist analysis to it all. There's also a quick preview of the new Football League season.

After 103 matches played by 48 teams in 16 different cities, over 40 days, Juliet joins Tom at the end of Pro Revolution Soccer World Cup project to discuss the action, the mix and sometimes clash of footballing cultures, and, of course, the politics of the tournament (Tom is now going for a long lie-down).

Tom previews the football and the politics of the biggest game in global sport.

David is back to talk to Tom about Thomas Tuchel, the enduring, unearthly brilliance of Messi, and why the Dunkirk spirit that England prize so highly may be what’s holding them back.

Tom and Juliet try to make sense of Argentina’s peculiar society, problematic history and unique football culture, delving into Peronism, Black erasure and space Trotskyism.

References:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2022/12/08/why-doesnt-argentina-have-more-black-players-world-cup/

Enduring Passions-n Football, Peronism and the politics of national identity in Argentina by Jim O’brien in Football, Politics and Identity (Routlidge 2021)

‘Jupiterian’ Thatcherite Emmanuel Macron’s parasitic relationship with Kyllian Mbappe has been a feature of every World Cup from 2018 onwards. Juliet joins Tom to discuss their dynamic and why Macron is so dislikable.

Juliet is back to talk about Spain, Norway, tonight's England game and Argentina-Switzerland.

Tom takes an off the cuff solo trip through the politically charged history of football in Spain.

Academic, author and great lad Mark Doidge joins Tom for a conversation that starts with climate then sprawls gloriously to cover everything from FIFA and globalisation to food banks and plastic fans.