https://simplecast.com Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything Soccer extends far beyond the pitch. Throughout the 2026 men’s World Cup, Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, a new podcast from The Globe and Mail, looks at eight moments that changed soccer and rattled the wider world. Not just tactics and trophies, but politics, culture, and the moral climate of their day. Host Eoin O’Callaghan talks to pundits, writers, players, eyewitnesses and fans about the genius, joy, and heartache of the beautiful game. en Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:00:14 +0000 https://ahead-of-the-game.simplecast.com Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/3461c2e1-098d-4754-8385-97963cb2c504/0acc51eb-bca9-4d5c-85d0-416c1b450368/3000x3000/1.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://ahead-of-the-game.simplecast.com episodic Soccer extends far beyond the pitch. Throughout the 2026 men’s World Cup, Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, a new podcast from The Globe and Mail, looks at eight moments that changed soccer and rattled the wider world. Not just tactics and trophies, but politics, culture, and the moral climate of their day. Host Eoin O’Callaghan talks to pundits, writers, players, eyewitnesses and fans about the genius, joy, and heartache of the beautiful game. The Globe and Mail false https://feeds.simplecast.com/WDMHnSLE The Globe and Mail podcasts@globeandmail.com ace4dc42-5899-48fe-8d21-c773ca8330bf The ticker tape junta: How an Argentine dictatorship weaponized the 1978 World Cup In 1978, Argentina staged a World Cup beneath the shadow of a military dictatorship. Just beyond the cameras and ticker tape, the regime was disappearing thousands of dissenters, and the spectacle of the tournament was engineered to launder power: a triumphant nation on TV, a silenced nation offscreen. 

On this episode of Pitch and Power, we unpack how the 1978 World Cup became the junta’s stage. We hear from reporters, academics and witnesses about a victory tainted by terror, how regimes weaponize joy and pageantry, and the uneasy afterlife of glory when a country must reckon with trauma.

 

 


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]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000 podcasts@globeandmail.com (The Globe and Mail) https://ahead-of-the-game.simplecast.com/episodes/the-ticker-tape-junta-how-an-argentine-dictatorship-weaponized-the-1978-world-cup-JxOI_MXw In 1978, Argentina staged a World Cup beneath the shadow of a military dictatorship. Just beyond the cameras and ticker tape, the regime was disappearing thousands of dissenters, and the spectacle of the tournament was engineered to launder power: a triumphant nation on TV, a silenced nation offscreen. 

On this episode of Pitch and Power, we unpack how the 1978 World Cup became the junta’s stage. We hear from reporters, academics and witnesses about a victory tainted by terror, how regimes weaponize joy and pageantry, and the uneasy afterlife of glory when a country must reckon with trauma.

 

 


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]]> The ticker tape junta: How an Argentine dictatorship weaponized the 1978 World Cup The Globe and Mail 00:39:51 In 1978, Argentina staged a World Cup beneath the shadow of a military dictatorship. Just beyond the cameras and ticker tape, the regime was disappearing thousands of dissenters, and the spectacle of the tournament was engineered to launder power: a triumphant nation on TV, a silenced nation offscreen. On this episode of Pitch and Power, we unpack how the 1978 World Cup became the junta’s stage. We hear from reporters, academics and witnesses about a victory tainted by terror, how regimes weaponize joy and pageantry, and the uneasy afterlife of glory when a country must reckon with trauma. In 1978, Argentina staged a World Cup beneath the shadow of a military dictatorship. Just beyond the cameras and ticker tape, the regime was disappearing thousands of dissenters, and the spectacle of the tournament was engineered to launder power: a triumphant nation on TV, a silenced nation offscreen. On this episode of Pitch and Power, we unpack how the 1978 World Cup became the junta’s stage. We hear from reporters, academics and witnesses about a victory tainted by terror, how regimes weaponize joy and pageantry, and the uneasy afterlife of glory when a country must reckon with trauma. junta, 1978 world cup, football, argentina, peron, fifa, world cup, soccer false full 5 baaff99d-9f22-44ad-af7e-cc943e87761e The French revolution: Les Bleus and the battle over French identity In the summer of 1998, the French national team became a symbol of a diverse, confident nation—only for that dream to curdle twelve years later with the public shame of the Knysna mutiny in South Africa. Few teams have carried more complicated meaning: triumph sparked celebrations of a more expansive French identity, while failure unleashed arguments about loyalty, national character, and who gets to be called ‘French.’

On this episode of Pitch and Power, we explore why this team became a lightning rod for social debates in France, how far‑right voices and mainstream media shaped the story, and what the journey from 1998 to the Knysna mutiny reveals about race, belonging, and power. We hear from reporters who were there, examine the narratives that turned heroes into scapegoats, and unpack how a squad once hailed as the Republic’s emblem of progression came to be portrayed as a national embarrassment.


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]]> Thu, 18 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000 podcasts@globeandmail.com (Matt Spiro, Amy Lawrence) https://ahead-of-the-game.simplecast.com/episodes/the-french-revolution-les-bleus-and-the-battle-over-french-identity-4khb_y2Z In the summer of 1998, the French national team became a symbol of a diverse, confident nation—only for that dream to curdle twelve years later with the public shame of the Knysna mutiny in South Africa. Few teams have carried more complicated meaning: triumph sparked celebrations of a more expansive French identity, while failure unleashed arguments about loyalty, national character, and who gets to be called ‘French.’

On this episode of Pitch and Power, we explore why this team became a lightning rod for social debates in France, how far‑right voices and mainstream media shaped the story, and what the journey from 1998 to the Knysna mutiny reveals about race, belonging, and power. We hear from reporters who were there, examine the narratives that turned heroes into scapegoats, and unpack how a squad once hailed as the Republic’s emblem of progression came to be portrayed as a national embarrassment.


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]]> The French revolution: Les Bleus and the battle over French identity Matt Spiro, Amy Lawrence 00:43:59 In the summer of 1998, the French national team became a symbol of a diverse, confident nation—only for that dream to curdle twelve years later with the public shame of the Knysna mutiny in South Africa. Few teams have carried more complicated meaning: triumph sparked celebrations of a more expansive French identity, while failure unleashed arguments about loyalty, national character, and who gets to be called ‘French.’ On this episode of Pitch and Power, we explore why this team became a lightning rod for social debates in France, how far‑right voices and mainstream media shaped the story, and what the journey from 1998 to the Knysna mutiny reveals about race, belonging, and power. We hear from reporters who were there, examine the narratives that turned heroes into scapegoats, and unpack how a squad once hailed as the Republic’s emblem of progression came to be portrayed as a national embarrassment. In the summer of 1998, the French national team became a symbol of a diverse, confident nation—only for that dream to curdle twelve years later with the public shame of the Knysna mutiny in South Africa. Few teams have carried more complicated meaning: triumph sparked celebrations of a more expansive French identity, while failure unleashed arguments about loyalty, national character, and who gets to be called ‘French.’ On this episode of Pitch and Power, we explore why this team became a lightning rod for social debates in France, how far‑right voices and mainstream media shaped the story, and what the journey from 1998 to the Knysna mutiny reveals about race, belonging, and power. We hear from reporters who were there, examine the narratives that turned heroes into scapegoats, and unpack how a squad once hailed as the Republic’s emblem of progression came to be portrayed as a national embarrassment. france, les bleus, football, zidane, world cup, soccer false full 4 bd896cff-a063-4745-a09e-fe0f3e04c4ab The man who died standing: Roberto Baggio, Italian agony and the psychology of the penalty kick In the heat of USA ’94, Roberto Baggio carried the nation of Italy on his shoulders— and then saw it all slip away from twelve yards. This episode explores one of soccer’s most spellbinding talents and the penalty kick that turned his decorated legacy into a lingering question mark.

But this isn’t only about one miss. Host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests John Foot, Ben Lyttleton and Kevin Kilbane explore the strange hold penalty kicks have, and why that ritual reveals so much about pressure, identity, and the human condition.

 

 


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]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000 podcasts@globeandmail.com (john foot, Eoin O’Callaghan, ben lyttleton, kevin kilbane) https://ahead-of-the-game.simplecast.com/episodes/the-man-who-died-standing-roberto-baggio-italian-agony-and-the-psychology-of-the-penalty-kick-1nyvBbOX In the heat of USA ’94, Roberto Baggio carried the nation of Italy on his shoulders— and then saw it all slip away from twelve yards. This episode explores one of soccer’s most spellbinding talents and the penalty kick that turned his decorated legacy into a lingering question mark.

But this isn’t only about one miss. Host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests John Foot, Ben Lyttleton and Kevin Kilbane explore the strange hold penalty kicks have, and why that ritual reveals so much about pressure, identity, and the human condition.

 

 


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]]> The man who died standing: Roberto Baggio, Italian agony and the psychology of the penalty kick john foot, Eoin O’Callaghan, ben lyttleton, kevin kilbane 00:42:36 In the heat of USA ’94, Roberto Baggio carried the nation of Italy on his shoulders— and then saw it all slip away from twelve yards. This episode explores one of soccer’s most spellbinding talents and the penalty kick that turned his decorated legacy into a lingering question mark. But this isn’t only about one miss. Host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests John Foot, Ben Lyttleton and Kevin Kilbane explore the strange hold penalty kicks have, and why that ritual reveals so much about pressure, identity, and the human condition. In the heat of USA ’94, Roberto Baggio carried the nation of Italy on his shoulders— and then saw it all slip away from twelve yards. This episode explores one of soccer’s most spellbinding talents and the penalty kick that turned his decorated legacy into a lingering question mark. But this isn’t only about one miss. Host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests John Foot, Ben Lyttleton and Kevin Kilbane explore the strange hold penalty kicks have, and why that ritual reveals so much about pressure, identity, and the human condition. fifa world cup, roberto baggio, football, penalty kicks, world cup, soccer false full 3 0fb0722d-779a-4089-8f45-30ac4df85041 Oh no, Canada: How the 1986 World Cup explains the Canadian psyche It’s been forty years since a ragtag Canadian team made its unlikely World Cup debut. On this episode of Pitch and Power, host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests Jay Baruchel and 1986 team member Colin Miller unpack the public indifference and skepticism that greeted Canada’s soccer pioneers, who briefly stood on the world stage before vanishing from public memory. 

How have self-doubt, underfunding, and a series of inexplicable choices shaped Canada’s relationship with soccer? And can recent successes and the upcoming co-hosted World Cup break the cycle?

 

 


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]]> Thu, 4 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000 podcasts@globeandmail.com (The Globe and Mail) https://ahead-of-the-game.simplecast.com/episodes/oh-no-canada-how-the-1986-world-cup-explains-the-canadian-psyche-TLB8l8Lk It’s been forty years since a ragtag Canadian team made its unlikely World Cup debut. On this episode of Pitch and Power, host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests Jay Baruchel and 1986 team member Colin Miller unpack the public indifference and skepticism that greeted Canada’s soccer pioneers, who briefly stood on the world stage before vanishing from public memory. 

How have self-doubt, underfunding, and a series of inexplicable choices shaped Canada’s relationship with soccer? And can recent successes and the upcoming co-hosted World Cup break the cycle?

 

 


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Oh no, Canada: How the 1986 World Cup explains the Canadian psyche The Globe and Mail 00:38:05 It’s been forty years since a ragtag Canadian team made its unlikely World Cup debut. On this episode of Pitch and Power, host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests Jay Baruchel and 1986 team member Colin Miller unpack the public indifference and skepticism that greeted Canada’s soccer pioneers, who briefly stood on the world stage before vanishing from public memory. How have self-doubt, underfunding, and a series of inexplicable choices shaped Canada’s relationship with soccer? And can recent successes and the upcoming co-hosted World Cup break the cycle? It’s been forty years since a ragtag Canadian team made its unlikely World Cup debut. On this episode of Pitch and Power, host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests Jay Baruchel and 1986 team member Colin Miller unpack the public indifference and skepticism that greeted Canada’s soccer pioneers, who briefly stood on the world stage before vanishing from public memory. How have self-doubt, underfunding, and a series of inexplicable choices shaped Canada’s relationship with soccer? And can recent successes and the upcoming co-hosted World Cup break the cycle? jay baruchel, soccer canada, 1986 world cup, football, soccer, canada false full 2 577e3f66-73ee-4f98-93de-72166cde6e33 Beautiful losers: Johan Cruyff, Total Football and the 1974 World Cup In the summer of 1974, a bright-orange revolution swept the soccer pitch and the world. The first episode of Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything tells the story of Dutch football star Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands’ Total Football movement—the dazzling skill, sex appeal and cultural swagger that defined it—and the heartbreak of a World Cup final that turned genius into myth.

More than 50 years on, we explore why this team still captivates the soccer world, whether their idealism was doomed in a colder era, and how their brief reign reshaped the game—and a nation—forever.

 

 


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]]> Thu, 28 May 2026 08:00:00 +0000 podcasts@globeandmail.com (The Globe and Mail) https://ahead-of-the-game.simplecast.com/episodes/beautiful-losers-johan-cruyff-total-football-and-the-1974-world-cup-c8XPQu2O In the summer of 1974, a bright-orange revolution swept the soccer pitch and the world. The first episode of Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything tells the story of Dutch football star Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands’ Total Football movement—the dazzling skill, sex appeal and cultural swagger that defined it—and the heartbreak of a World Cup final that turned genius into myth.

More than 50 years on, we explore why this team still captivates the soccer world, whether their idealism was doomed in a colder era, and how their brief reign reshaped the game—and a nation—forever.

 

 


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]]> Beautiful losers: Johan Cruyff, Total Football and the 1974 World Cup The Globe and Mail 00:42:54 In the summer of 1974, a bright-orange revolution swept the soccer pitch and the world. The first episode of Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything tells the story of Dutch star Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands’ Total Football movement—the dazzling skill, sex appeal and cultural swagger that defined it—and the heartbreak of a World Cup final that turned genius into myth. More than 50 years on, we explore why this team still captivates the soccer world, whether their idealism was doomed in a colder era, and how their brief reign reshaped the game—and a nation—forever. In the summer of 1974, a bright-orange revolution swept the soccer pitch and the world. The first episode of Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything tells the story of Dutch star Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands’ Total Football movement—the dazzling skill, sex appeal and cultural swagger that defined it—and the heartbreak of a World Cup final that turned genius into myth. More than 50 years on, we explore why this team still captivates the soccer world, whether their idealism was doomed in a colder era, and how their brief reign reshaped the game—and a nation—forever. fifa world cup, total football, football, cruyff, soccer, dutch false full 1 8267032a-d9fd-4d22-a7f4-50b2774ecca2 Coming soon: Pitch and Power Behind every World Cup is a larger story — about national identity and the historical moment in which the games unfold. Eoin O’Callaghan hosts Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, a Globe and Mail series that rewinds the World Cup to eight moments when the game crossed into politics, culture, and the public consciousness. These are stories about ambition, rivalry, grief, and triumph. About the highest highs and the lowest lows.

The first episode of Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything arrives on May 28, 2026, from The Globe and Mail. Follow us now wherever you get your podcasts

 

 


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]]> Thu, 21 May 2026 14:15:15 +0000 podcasts@globeandmail.com (The Globe and Mail) https://ahead-of-the-game.simplecast.com/episodes/coming-soon-pitch-and-power-_Ggprr12 Behind every World Cup is a larger story — about national identity and the historical moment in which the games unfold. Eoin O’Callaghan hosts Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, a Globe and Mail series that rewinds the World Cup to eight moments when the game crossed into politics, culture, and the public consciousness. These are stories about ambition, rivalry, grief, and triumph. About the highest highs and the lowest lows.

The first episode of Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything arrives on May 28, 2026, from The Globe and Mail. Follow us now wherever you get your podcasts

 

 


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Coming soon: Pitch and Power The Globe and Mail 00:01:32 Behind every World Cup is a larger story — about national identity and the historical moment in which the games unfold. Eoin O’Callaghan hosts Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, a Globe and Mail series that rewinds the World Cup to eight moments when the game crossed into politics, culture, and the public consciousness. These are stories about ambition, rivalry, grief, and triumph. About the highest highs and the lowest lows. The first episode of Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything arrives on May 28, 2026, from The Globe and Mail. Follow us now wherever you get your podcasts Behind every World Cup is a larger story — about national identity and the historical moment in which the games unfold. Eoin O’Callaghan hosts Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, a Globe and Mail series that rewinds the World Cup to eight moments when the game crossed into politics, culture, and the public consciousness. These are stories about ambition, rivalry, grief, and triumph. About the highest highs and the lowest lows. The first episode of Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything arrives on May 28, 2026, from The Globe and Mail. Follow us now wherever you get your podcasts false trailer