World Football

In the second part of our interview with Roy Hodgson, he reflects on troubled times at Liverpool and England. He also talks about retirement, the role of luck in football. and the joy of ending his career by going full circle and returning to Crystal Palace.

Brazilian journalist Ricardo Setyon reflects on Pele's funeral. The former USA international Heather O'Reilly gives her view on a shocking story involving the coach of the USA men's team. And we speak to the former Kenyan international Martin Imbalambala who went blind overnight.

Picture on website: Pelé jerseys on display at Vila Belmiro Stadium. (Leandro Bernardes/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Friends and former team-mates pay their respects to Pele. The former Brazil and Santos player Rildo tells us how Pele halted the Nigerian civil war, and the former New York Cosmos defender Werner Roth shares a story involving Pele, a baby shark and a bathtub. We also hear from Brazilian journalist Ricardo Setyon.

Picture on website: Pele in action during World Cup 1970 in a game against Czechoslovakia. (Photo by Monte Fresco/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)

The former Inter Milan, Liverpool and England coach Roy Hodgson remembers his early career.

In the first of two special programmes he recalls playing in South Africa during the Apartheid era, revolutionising the game in Sweden, finding success with the Swiss national team, and getting a dream move to Italy's Serie A.

Picture on website: Roy Hodgson applauds the fans after a match between Crystal Palace and Watford. (Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

Argentine journalist Francisco Canepa, and delirious Argentina fans, reflect on an incredible World Cup final.

We also hear from Ambet Yuson, General-Secretary of Building and Woodworkers International, who since 2016 has been working with FIFA and Qatar's Supreme Committee. He makes a heartfelt plea to football fans and players not to forget the migrant workers.

Plus, fans from various countries reflect on their experiences in Qatar.

Will Lionel Messi finally lift the World Cup trophy? We look ahead to France v Argentina and hear from Messi's former team-mate Pablo Zabaleta. Mani Djazmi and Pat Nevin are joined by L'Equipe journalist Loïc Tanzi and Argentinean broadcaster Francisco Cánepa ahead of the final. And, as a bonus for podcast listeners, World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas explains what it was like to get his hands on the most famous trophy in football.

Picture on website: Pyrotechnics explode around a giant FIFA World Cup trophy prior to the semi final match between France and Morocco. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Mani Djazmi is joined by Argentine journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo and Moroccan Amine El Amri to preview the World Cup semi-finals: Argentina v Croatia and Morocco v France.

We hear from Moroccan fans in Doha after they knocked out Portugal and discuss whether the post-colonial relationship will give the players extra incentive against the French.

We head inside the Croatia camp to get the lowdown on the brilliant midfield trio of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic.

And we hear from former Croatia player and coach Igor Stimac, who says Croatia’s spirit and character was forged during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

We look ahead to the quarter finals of Qatar 2022 focusing on Argentina and Morocco. We also go behind the scenes at the Netherlands training camp and get an insight into Dutch winger Cody Gakpo from his former coach Luc Nilis.

(Photo: Morocco supporters celebrate in the streets in Doha. Credit: Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty Images)

Morocco fans celebrate after their team made history by beating Spain. And we visit a specially created fan fest for migrant workers in a cricket ground on the edge of Doha.

We hear from Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima and former Swiss player Johan Djourou, plus some happy French fans after their team booked a place in the quarter-finals.