The last friendly before the World Cup is another stinker, pretty much. We talk about some hopeful reasons that these games aren't predictive of how we'll perform in Qatar, but also give full-throated voice to the doomsday sentiments, and then work our way through the action of this game, mostly the first half.

Ian Irving is joined by the Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke and Oli Kay to reflect on Monday night's 3-3 draw at Wembley between England and Germany. It was a spirited comeback for Gareth Southgate's side but big question marks remain over the inclusion of Harry Maguire, whether Foden fits into this system, whether Bellingham has nailed down a starting berth, whether Saka should start, and why Trent Alexander-Arnold is seemingly out in the cold, to name but a few. All these issues and more discussed, plus JPB and Oli pick their starting XIs for England's opening world cup encounter against Iran. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimbo is back for another international break pod in the company of Joey D’Urso, Nick Miller and Tom Williams. England are timid and disappointing in defeat to Italy that sees them relegated from the top tier of the Nations League. And to make matters worse, their first World Cup opponents Iran might just be resurgent. Bassil Mikdadi tells us why we shouldn’t underestimate Carlos Queiroz’s side. Wales are relegated too while France just about survive. But is another full-scale meltdown amongst Les Bleus on the horizon? Plus having been to Qatar and back, Joey gives us the lowdown on the infrastructure of the first World Cup to be hosted in a Muslim country but one that comes with a lot of baggage. RUNNING ORDER: • PART 1: Italy 1-0 England (03.00) • PART 2a: Bassil Mikdadi on Iran’s World Cup prospects (18.00) • PART 2b: The Qatar conundrum (25.00) • PART 3: Wales relegated, France on the verge of meltdown (38.00) SIGN UP TO THE ATHLETIC TODAY FOR £1 A MONTH FOR THE FIRST 6 MONTHS • theathletic.com/totally Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hoo boy. Feels a little like 2019. Berhalter says we need centerbacks who can hold a high line but we couldn't establish a high line because we couldn't possess the ball in part because one of our centerbacks isn't a good passer. Add in a brutal performance from the midfield and this was a bad one. Mixed zone audio courtesy Sanjay Sujanthakumar.

Marcus, Luke, Pete and Andy revel in more Nations League nonsense, as Kevin de Bruyne remains bored out of his mind and John McGinn’s memory foam mattress grabs a great win for Scotland. We also toast the departures of Charlie Adam and the FIFA game (Ted Lasso’s idiotic appearance not withstanding) and we wonder how Gareth Southgate can turn the barge around - starting with tonight's clash against Italy. Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: [email protected]. Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble. ***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** The Football Ramble, the original and best football podcast. Brand new podcasts every single weekday throughout the Premier League season and every day throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This past summer, I was running around Gdańsk, Poland desperately looking for a bar showing the Women’s Euro Cup match between Sweden and Portugal, all while thinking, in the words of the Talking Heads, “Well, how did I get here?” I used to be a traditional American sports fan. I would watch an ungodly amount…

The USMNT has two final friendlies in the next few days before they get on the plane to Qatar. Alexi Lalas and David Mosse preview the matches against Japan and Saudi Arabia. What does the rotation at keeper and striker look like? The UEFA Nations League is underway this weekend and two of the USMNT Group B opponents have massive matches. We dive into the England and Wales games as well as Iran's two friendlies. In our #AskAlexi segment, we chat about our perception of Jesus Ferreira and the possibility of taking four strikers to Qatar. Alexi caps the show by giving his take on the recent excerpts released from Christian Pulsic's book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahead of England’s final games ahead of November’s World Cup opener, Essential Football looks forward to the Three Lions taking on Italy and Germany as they look to avoid relegation from the top tier of the Nations League. Ron Walker and Peter Smith are joined by Sky Sports News’ Rob Dorsett to discuss how much the pressure has risen on Gareth Southgate in 14 short months since the Euro 2022 final, where his biggest squad headaches are and how he approaches the two Nations League matches, with a number of his first-choice players not featuring for their clubs. Sky Sports digital football writers Adam Bate and Sam Blitz then join the party with their England XIs as we debate who should be in Southgate’s line-up to face Iran in two months time. Listen to every episode of the Sky Sports Premier League Podcast here: skysports.com/sky-sports-premier-league-podcast You can listen to the Sky Sports Premier League Podcast on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play the Sky Sports Premier League Podcast". For all the latest football news, head to skysports.com/premier-league For advertising opportunities email: [email protected]

Union Berlin sit top of the Bundesliga and last week, Andy travelled there to witness European football history in their first Europa League game against Belgium's history-makers, Union Saint-Gilloise. After UEFA announced a trial for safe standing, Union Berlin were at last able to bring European football home – just three years after securing their first ever promotion to the Bundesliga. Andy takes in Union’s legendary atmosphere and speaks to fans on both sides on what was a truly special night for two clubs championing the little guy. Where should Andy head to next? Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: [email protected]. Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble. ***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** The Football Ramble, the original and best football podcast. Brand new podcasts every single weekday throughout the Premier League season and every day throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Heath Pearce put their heads together to draw up the list of names Gregg Berhalter should call up for the USMNT's upcoming friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Plus, reaction to Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry's thoughts on Christian Pulisic's lack of minutes at Chelsea. (01:08) -- Berhalter's 22 roster locks for September (13:11) -- Can Aaronson, Pulisic & Reyna play together? (20:40) -- Who is Jedi's backup at LB? (25:20) -- Center back pairings: Are Richards and Zimmermann the best duo? (36:20) -- Henry dismisses "Free Pulisic" talk (44:40) -- Americans abroad weekend preview (48:30) -- Group B talk: Iran reappoint Quieroz In Soccer We Trust is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Castbox and wherever else you listen to podcasts. Follow the In Soccer We Trust team on Twitter: @ISWTPod, @JimmyConrad, @heathpearce, @CharlieDavies9, @PartidoPooper Watch In Soccer We Trust on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh4tni-ICN9z0eMIPcf2r2g Subscribe to the In Soccer We Trust podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/InSoccerWeTrust For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, CONCACAF, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, the Brasileiro, Argentine Primera División by subscribing Paramount Plus: https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ Get 20% off In Soccer We Trust merch, using the code SOCCER20: https://store.cbssports.com/collections/que-golazo?utm_source=youtube-description&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=buy-our-merch&utm_content=que-golazo To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices