World Football

From growing up on a trailer park to playing in the World Cup final, the former Ajax and Real Madrid player Rafael van der Vaart looks back on his career and life. Also on the show, the flamboyant Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos.

(Picture: Rafael van der Vaart courtesy of Getty images)

The former Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennent talks his wild lifestyle and difficult upbringing. We find out why the World Cup feel-good factor is fading fast in Croatia. And, we speak to one of South America's greatest players...Peru's Teofilo Cubillas.

(Picture: Peru footballer Teofilo Cubillas courtesy of Getty images)

Valencia's new signing Daniel Wass looks ahead to the new season. Frank de Boer talks about the struggles of Dutch football. And we visit the hometown of Manchester United's Serbian international Nemanja Mati to find out how his Premier League wages have been used to re-build a football stadium and a church. (Picture: Valencia's Daniel Wass by Getty images)

We're with 18 time Italian champions Inter Milan as they prepare for a return to the Champions League. John Bennett speaks to Ghana International Kwadwo Asamoah who joined from Serie A champions Juventus and Dutch former Lazio defender Stefan de Vrij as the club plays English second-tier side Sheffield United.

Across Yorkshire former Argentina and Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa is preparing for his first season with three time champions of England, Leeds United. Authors Thomas Goubain and Jed Davies outline what we can expect from "El Loco" at Elland Road.

And we catch up with footballing globetrotter Tom Saintfiet as he takes over as coach of Gambia, his tenth national team in ten years.

(Photo: Inter Milan's Kwadwo Asamoah controls the ball during the pre-season friendly match against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Credit: Claudio Villa - Inter via Getty Images)

Minnesota United forward Collin Martin opens up to Mani Djazmi about coming out and becoming the only openly gay man in America's five major sports leagues.

Following the end of Russia 2018, we shift our attention to the next World Cup with Hassan Abdullah Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 organising committee.

In the week that Juventus signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid in a deal worth more than 130 million dollars, we examine the fate of Serie B club F.C. Bari. They were forced to fold this week after 110 years of existence because they lacked the 8 million dollars needed to meet the registrations requirements for next season.

And we hear the story of Carlos “Kaiser”, the Brazilian who managed to trick footballers, managers and clubs into signing him as a professional footballer for 26 years. He was known as a “farce footballer” using injuries and other means to avoid actually playing.

(Image: Minnesota United's Captain wears a rainbow armband for their MLS pride night. Credit: Minnesota United FC)

Join us this week on the World Football show as Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić and former Croatian international Dario Simic look ahead to the World Cup final. We are also joined by a number of star-studded guests such as French World Cup winner Christian Karembeu, former German striker Kevin Keranyi and Russia’s Alexey Smertin.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

World Football comes from Nizhny Novgorod as we look ahead to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Within the show the former Russia international Andrei Kanchelskis criticises his country’s negative tactics, we ask if the president of the Spanish Football Federation faces some difficult questions after his team’s exit and finally Pontus Kamark remembers Sweden’s third place finish at the 1994 World Cup.

(Photo: Uruguay fans. Credit: Getty Images)

Oliver Bierhoff and Mats Hummels reflect on Germany’s exit from the World Cup, Maya Yoshida and Keisuke Honda talk about Japan’s Samurai Spirit and Pablo Zabaleta discusses Argentina’s poor performances.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

This week’s World Football comes from St Petersburg, and join us as we hear from the Iran coach Carlos Queiroz, Peru’s very own Nolberto Solano and the former French international Bixente Lizarazu.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Finally it is here, Russia 2018. So join us as this week's episode comes from the heart of the tournament, where we speak not only to Australian goalkeeper Maty Ryan and the former Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie, but from the fans who want their country to go all the way.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)