World Cup Format

England had a lovely old time against Wales on Thursday. And they weren't half bad against Serbia in the game before that either! The catch? Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden didn't play in either of those games. Marcus, Jim & Vish are here to debate whether that's more than a coincidence. Plus, your thoughts on a straight-knockout World Cup, and is it time to abolish We Are the Champions? Please fill out Stak's listener survey! It'll help us learn more about the content you love so we can bring you even more - you'll also be entered into a competition to win one of five PlayStation 5's! Click here: https://bit.ly/staksurvey2025 Find us on Bluesky, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and email us here: [email protected]. Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows for just $5 per month: https://www.patreon.com/footballramble. ***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What actually happens when a senior player turns against the manager? Why did one of Bobby Robson’s phone calls have Gary and the team in fits of laughter? Who thinks the World Cup SHOULD be every two years? Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss which British football team they would each have loved to have played for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back with another packed show of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, and Canadian football chat.We're covering a lot of bases in this show, both on the domestic and international stage. The Whitecaps were in action in both and we look back at their midweek loss in Honduras that saw them advance in the Champions League, their draw at the LA Galaxy that still sees them searching for their first MLS win of the season, we hear from Vanni Sartini on trying to fix the team's defensive frailties, and we look at the injury to new DP striker Sergio Cordova.We also look around the rest of the action last weekend in MLS, including the late drama and controversy in Montreal, plus we talk Canadian national teams, and ponder what the new format for World Cup 2026 might mean for Canada and Vancouver in terms of hosting extra games.Here’s the rundown for the main segments from the episode:01.35: Intro05.22: Whitecaps move on in Champions League despite dire defending25.40: Whitecaps still looking for first MLS win after LA draw44.25: Sergio Cordova injury48.43: MLS round-up63.55: Vancouver FC - 4 weeks out from their first game83.10: New CPL playoff format93.00: Canadian national team news101.35: More games for Vancouver at 2026 World Cup under new format?117.20: Wavelength - Head Up - Stop Football Violence

Mark Chapman & The Athletic's Matt Slater are joined by Andy Anson, CEO of the British Olympic Association to discuss what the future holds for the Winter & Summer Games. Andy tells us why FIFA’s plan to stage the men’s World Cup every two years will threaten the Olympics and be “terrible” for football. Also on the pod, Andrew Zimbalist, an author and economist whose research has led him to raise questions about the value to cities of hosting the Olympics — and influenced some cities to back away from bidding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Antonio Conte seems open to scorching the earth on which decades of Manchester United's success has been built, after saying he'd "be open to understanding the project". We all would, I think. Kate, Jim and Andy run through the latest spins of the managerial merry-go-round, as Newcastle look to finalise Steve Bruce's replacement. We also scrutinise David Beckham's ambassadorial role for Qatar 2022 and hear the latest of Gianni Infantino's World Cup format proposals, both of which we'd rather just went away to be honest. Search ‘Football Ramble’ on social media to find us, and email us here: [email protected]. ***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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.