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First Touch ’26 - Iran
Episode 13
It’s hard to find a place where politics and football are more tightly intertwined than Iran.
In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces how Team M…
4 months, 2 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - Austria
Episode 12
Once home to the “Wunderteam” and the legendary Matthias Sindelar, Austria’s greatest football tales used to live in black and white.
In this World C…
4 months, 2 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - Ivory Coast
Episode 11
For many fans, Ivory Coast will always be the land of Drogba, the Touré brothers, and a golden generation that helped pause a civil war and made the …
4 months, 2 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - Panama
Episode 10
Panama’s World Cup history is short and brutal: one appearance, three losses, and a 32nd-place finish in 2018. But that’s only half the story. In thi…
4 months, 2 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - Qatar
Episode 9
No country is more polarizing in modern football than Qatar. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass examines how a tiny, oil-rich Gulf state went from…
4 months, 2 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - France
Episode 8
For most countries, just qualifying for the World Cup is a dream. For France, it’s World Cup trophy or failure. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass…
4 months, 3 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - Japan
Episode 7
No national team on earth has built their modern football project quite like Japan. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass breaks down how the Samurai…
4 months, 3 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - Senegal
Episode 6
Step into Senegal and you immediately feel teranga: the Wolof concept of warmth, welcome, and generosity and nowhere is that spirit more alive than w…
4 months, 3 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - New Zealand
Episode 5
The tiny island nation at the edge of the world, New Zealand is famous for the All Blacks, the second most dominant team in rugby history. But in 202…
4 months, 3 weeks ago
First Touch ’26 - Ecuador
Episode 4
For decades, Ecuadorian football has wrestled with belief, from being late to the World Cup party, short on trophies, but always rich in passion. In …
4 months, 3 weeks ago