Nearly 7,000 men have played in the World Cup since it began in 1930. To capture some of their extraordinary stories, The Times' football reporter James Gheerbrant set out on a quest to track down 48 players from the 48 countries playing in this year's tournament. We hear the remarkable memories of 3 of them: One of the old surviving players, another who trained under the shadow of gunfire in Vietnam, and a final player whose team endured death threats.
Guest: James Gheerbrant, football reporter, The Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Producer: Dave Creasey.
We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com
Read more: 48 countries, 48 players: World Cup through eyes of men who played in it.
Further listening: Who is the “king of soccer" Gianni Infantino?
Clips: ITN, BBC, CNN.
Photo: Getty Images.
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