The FootPol Podcast

With the 2026 World Cup just weeks away, France once again enters the tournament as one of football’s superpowers — but what does the French national team actually represent in modern France? In this gripping episode, co-hosts Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro sit down with Bangor University's Senior Lecturer in French (Studies), Jonathan Ervine, to unpack the explosive intersection of football, politics, identity, race, religion and nationalism in French society. From the myth of the 1998 “Black-Blanc-Beur” champions to the rise of the far right, the tensions of secularism, and the political symbolism of stars like Kylian Mbappé and Zinedine Zidane, this episode reveals why French football is about far more than what happens on the pitch. 
The discussion explores immigration, the banlieues, anti-racism campaigns, homophobia in Ligue 1, the hijab controversy in women’s football, Ramadan debates and the growing pressure on players to speak out politically. The hosts also look ahead to France’s World Cup chances, Didier Deschamps’ expected departure and why Zidane’s likely appointment could become one of the most politically charged moments in recent French sporting history. Essential listening for anyone following the 2026 World Cup, European politics or the deeper forces shaping global football today.
Jonthan's various publications associated with French football include "Negotiating Breton Celtic identity on and off the pitch: contemporary football in Brittany" (with Paddy Hoey), "Football and antisemitism in France: visibility and invisibility," "France - Les Bleus and the Republic: Diversity, Difference and Discrimination" and "Nicolas Anelka and the Quenelle Gesture: A Study of the Complexities of Protest in Contemporary Football."

As Curaçao prepares for its first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance, the latest episode of the FootPol podcast goes far beyond football. Host Guy Burton is joined by historians and researchers Karym Leito and Margo Groenewoud to unpack how a small Caribbean island with deep colonial ties to the Netherlands built a national team capable of reaching football’s biggest stage. The conversation explores Curaçao’s layered political status, stark social inequalities behind the tourist façade, and the decisive role of the diaspora in transforming the national side through players developed in Dutch academies. From missionary-founded clubs and fiercely local football identities to debates over women’s football, infrastructure and who truly benefits from World Cup success, the episode reveals how sport has become entangled with questions of migration, belonging and national identity. Against the backdrop of the island’s euphoric “Blue Wave” celebrations ahead of clashes with Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast, the discussion asks a larger question: what does World Cup qualification actually mean for Curaçao beyond the spectacle itself? This episode also concludes FootPol’s World Cup debutants mini-series, following previous episodes on Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde.

What does football really reveal about globalisation—and where does that neat theory start to fall apart? In this episode, hosts Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro are joined by historian and analyst Graham Cornwell (George Washington University; Box2Box) for a sharp, wide-ranging discussion that uses the global game as a lens on power, identity and money. Drawing on Cornwell’s recent Foreign Policy article, “Soccer Still Has Some Explaining to Do,” the conversation revisits Franklin Foer’s influential How Soccer Explains the World and tests its arguments against two decades of change—from the rise of global club brands and commercial tours to the persistence (and reinvention) of local identities, fan cultures and political tensions. 
The episode moves well beyond surface-level takes, tackling contradictions at the heart of modern football: hyper-global markets dressed up as “authentic” tradition, the uneasy coexistence of strict rules on the pitch with moral ambiguity off it and the geopolitical realities shaping everything from World Cups to player migration. With case studies ranging from Morocco’s World Cup ambitions to diaspora identities and the politics of fandom, this is a rigorous, accessible exploration of how football both reflects and distorts the forces shaping the modern world.

A compelling instalment in our in-season series on World Cup debutants, in this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to Middle East scholar Curtis Ryan of Appalachian State University about Jordan’s historic first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup. From the fierce rivalry between Al-Faisaly and Al-Wehdat—shaped by identity, history and social tensions—to the unifying force of the national team, this is a timely and insightful discussion on sport, identity and politics in the Middle East country. 
The episode also explores powerful stories from Syrian refugee camps and Jordan’s pioneering role in advancing women’s football globally, as well as the team’s World Cup prospects and the geopolitical challenges facing fans, particularly US visa restrictions.
 Curtis's chapter on identity politics in Jordan, which we referenced in the introduction, can be found here, if you would like to learn more.

This week's FootPol Podcast episode explores Indian football as a political and social phenomenon rather than simply a sport. Joining co-hosts Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro in conversation is Sandeep Menon, author of Sacred Grounds: A Journey Through People’s Football in India. It traces how the game is embedded in India’s uneven political geography—from the northeastern states, where football intersects with histories of marginalisation and identity, to traditional centres like West Bengal and Goa. The discussion makes clear that, while football lacks the national political leverage of cricket, it plays a far more immediate role at the local level, where it reflects and shapes relationships between communities, regions and the state.
At the grassroots, football operates as a political ecosystem: local tournaments are tied to patronage networks, clubs and players become vehicles for influence and football spaces double as sites of civic and political life. These dynamics also reshape what “success” means—less about national leagues and more about community status, economic mobility and access to opportunity. At the same time, weak governance and institutional neglect continue to limit the sport’s development, particularly in the women’s game. The episode offers a concise but revealing account of how football in India functions where it matters most—locally, politically and socially rather than on the global stage.
In addition to Sacred Grounds, Sandeep is also the author of Out of the Blue: Bengaluru FC’s 10-Year Odyssey.