logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
51m 29s

Messi & Argentina: A Love Story (of sort...

Immaterial
About this episode
It's bizarre how long it took Argentinians to learn to love Leo Messi. His exile from his declining homeland always made him suspect. The comparison with Maradona hung over him from the start. And why was he hardly ever as good for Argentina as he was for Barcelona? We tell the story of the world's best player's complex relationship with his own country, and ... Show More
Up next
Jan 2025
Geoff Hurst: The Last Boy of '66 - Living with Glory's Shadow
What happens when your greatest moment becomes both a blessing and a burden? This is not just the story of Geoff Hurst's World Cup hat-trick but a deeper exploration of a vanishing era of English football and the often-challenging lives of the heroes of '66 after their moment of ... Show More
1h 34m
Jan 2025
The Super Agents: How Mino Raiola Changed Football's Transfer Market Forever
How did a pizza waiter from Haarlem become one of football's most influential figures? This is the story of Mino Raiola, the super-agent who transformed the football transfer market, and his successor, Rafaela Pimenta. In this episode, Simon and Mehreen explore the extraordinary ... Show More
1h 46m
Dec 2024
Football and the trenches: The 1914 Christmas truce
In 1914, 110 years ago exactly, British and German troops came up from the trenches to meet in no man’s land and play football. This remarkable event, known as the Christmas Truce, is the subject of today’s special episode. Instead of focusing on one hero, human, or villain, this ... Show More
49m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
3. In The Shadow Of God
Lionel Messi finally gets a chance to put on Argentina's national jersey, but something is off. His time abroad has fundamentally changed the way he plays. Things get even more complicated when the Argentine soccer legend, Diego Maradona, becomes coach of Messi's 2010 World Cup t ... Show More
32m 21s
Nov 2022
1. The Goal
As Lionel Messi rose up the ranks of the storied Barça football club in Spain, he dreamed of winning a World Cup for his home country. But up until recently, playing with Argentina's national team has proven to be this soccer superman's kryptonite. For most of his career, Messi h ... Show More
8m 6s
Nov 2022
4. The Curse
With the disappointment of the 2010 World Cup behind them, Argentines are hopeful that Lionel Messi might break their losing streak at the 2011 Copa America, the largest tournament in South America. Messi is prepared to give his all, looking for a way to deliver a victory for his ... Show More
35m 24s
Dec 2022
5. Team Añoranza
After a falling-out with the Argentine national team and a shaky reconciliation, Messi eventually finds his way back to play at the 2021 Copa America for yet another chance at redemption. And then it's on to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, his last shot at the most coveted trophy. ... Show More
39m 34s