Season 3 Opener: Israel, Women’s Football, FIFA and Saudi Power Plays
FootPol is back for a brand new season — and we’re hitting the ground running. In this season opener, we recap the biggest political battles shaping the beautiful game and give you a taste of what’s to come.We start with Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and the mounting grassroots calls to expel Israel from world football — alongside the deafening silence from FIFA and UEFA. From there, we shift to the women’s game, exploring the politics laid bare in the Women’s Euros, the African Cup of Nations, and the Copa América Femenina.We also dive into the controversies around the Club World Cup: Gianni Infantino’s curious friendship with Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia’s expanding influence at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and what all this means for football’s future.This season, FootPol moves to a biweekly schedule — and we explain why. As ever, we want your input: like, share, and review the podcast, suggest future guests and topics, and connect with us on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or by email at footpolpodcast [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Full-Time Whistle: The Season 2 Finale!
In the last episode of the seasone, co-hosts Guy and Francesco reflect on a great second season of FootPol, and pick apart some of the main themes from the season. They include conversations about community clubs and inclusivity as well as the relationship between social class and football in the past and present. There's also a look at the number of Asia-related episodes that were produced and what could be in store for next season.But before that check out the back catalogue of episodes that you might have missed. And mark your calendars to join Guy and Francesco from September for season three. If you've got some thoughts and ideas of future episodes, topics and guests, then get in touch! You can do that via the FootPol Podcast's social media channels on BlueSky, Facebook and Instgram as well as Guy's and Francesco's LinkedIn profiles or via the podcast's email account, which is footpolpodcast AT gmail DOT com.
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Football in a Time of War: Gaza, Iran, Sudan & DR Congo
In this episode of The FootPol Podcast, Guy and Francesco explore how war is disrupting football in 2025, focusing on conflicts that are ongoing or escalated this year.They examine:Israel’s war on Palestine and Palestinians, especially in GazaThe 12-day Israel–US conflict with IranThe Sudanese civil warThe advance of Rwanda-backed M23 forces in eastern DR CongoThe discussion looks at how these wars affect domestic leagues, players, and fans—as well as the wider political repercussions for national teams. From FIFA’s silence on banning Israel to how a potential US travel ban under Donald Trump could affect Iranian and possibly Sudanese fans at the 2026 World Cup, this episode tackles the uncomfortable collision between politics and the pitch.Despite the devastation, Guy and Francesco also reflect on how football persists as a source of community, resilience, and hope in even the darkest corners of conflict.
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Class Act: Football and the English Working Class ft. Josh Bland
This week, Francesco and Guy are joined by Josh Bland, a research student at the University of Cambridge, to explore the enduring and evolving relationship between football and social class in England.Josh traces the historic connection between the working class and the beautiful game, and unpacks how today’s football—especially in its commercialised Premier League form—challenges ideas of “authentic” fandom and identity. Are traditional ties to the game only found further down the football pyramid? And how is class itself understood in contemporary Britain, through the lens of football culture?A thoughtful and timely conversation about heritage, identity, and how football reflects deeper shifts in British society.
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When Goals Don't Matter: Gals FC ft. Nora Beqaj
In this episode, Francesco and Guy speak to Nora Beqaj, co-founder of Gals FC, football's community of non-competitive football for women and non-binary people. Nora explains how the game looks like when goals don't count, and how Gals FC is bringing football to a lot of people who would otherwise not play the game.
The podcast that brings together football and politics. We'll be exploring the relationship between the two, both inside and outside the game.The podcast covers "Big Politics" like politicians, clubs, international and national federations and other organised groups and how they use or abuse the game to "Small, Everyday Politics" in the form of community-level clubs, fan associations and the way that football reflects the political challenges of our day to day lives.The FootPol Podcast is brought to you by co-hosts Drs Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton.
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