First Touch '26 World Cup Podcast

This week host David Gass explores the characters that make a World Cup Special—the journeymen coaches, the big personalities, the cult heroes. To do so, Gass is joined by Eric Krakauer to discuss the winding and crazy coaching career of Carlos Queiroz, the newly appointed manager of Ghana. We are then joined by our friend Musa Okwonga from the Stadio podcast to define what it means to be a World...

Let’s hear it for the fans—or not. Host David Gass breaks down the good, bad, and ugly of the World Cup 2026 fan experience as we meet Hazel and Gregor, two long-standing members of Scotland’s famed Tartan Army (the good), breakdown how FIFA ticketing continues to make it impossible to afford (or experience) the upcoming World Cup (the bad), to commuting logistics that may potentially stealing the...

We have a World Cup. With the completion of the UEFA and intercontinental playoffs, all 48 nations are now confirmed—the countdown is officially on. Hosts David and Susannah cover all the action, from the jubilation of Iraq, Sweden, DR Congo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina qualifying, to the heartbreak of Kosovo, Ukraine, Denmark, and Italy falling short. We also hear from Michele Giannone on how he r...

We move ever closer to the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup and the hottest name on everyone’s lips is Norway. It has been 26 years since Norway has made any senior tournament. But they come into this World Cup flying as the highest scorer in UEFA. Our host David gets to the genius of this huge turnaround with two key members of the change former Norwegian international Pa-Modou Kah & current you...

Host David Gass is joined by soccer friend Musa Okwonga—co-host of Stadio , an exciting new partner of Kickback Soccer Media—to break down the biggest World Cup playoff storylines. They dive into why Italy and Turkey have the most to lose, while Kosovo and Ireland are playing with house money, before revisiting iconic playoff moments like Australia’s 2005 win over Uruguay and Ronaldo vs. Zlatan in...

Host David Gass breaks down Iraq’s crucial World Cup playoff match, and why it could be in jeopardy, joined by journalist Valair Shabilla. Then, ahead of the upcoming France vs. Brazil March friendly, Gass and Susannah Fuller look back one of the most iconic matches in World Cup history, the 1998 World Cup final. We close with the story of Egyptian legend Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the greatest pla...

Host Susannah Fuller is back for Episode 2 of the first 2026 World Cup 2026 focused podcast. First she is joined by journalist Jon Arnold as he breaks down what Dick Advocaat's absence means for The Blue Wave of Curacao ahead of this summer's World Cup. Next, we discuss what makes the Canadian city of Brampton such a soccer powerhouse with former head of development at famed Sigma FC and current F...

Susannah Fuller hosts the premiere episode of First Touch Weekly as dive into the biggest questions surrounding the road to the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Guardian’s Senior Sports Editor Alexander Abnos breaks down whether a World Cup boycott is truly possible and what it would mean for fans, players, and national teams. Then, we look back at the U.S.’s failed bid to host the 1986 World Cup with vet...

We're entering a new era at Kickback Soccer Media. David Gass and Susannah Fuller sit down to talk about two incredible new shows, and to meet our HUGE winter window signing...Matt Doyle! It's Kickback Soccer Media 2.0, and we can't wait to share this momentous soccer year for American soccer with you! Listen to our shows, subscribe our newsletter on: https://kickbacksoccer.com/ Subscribe to Tacti...

2026 could be the biggest year in the history of American soccer. As co-hosts of the largest World Cup ever, the U.S. men’s national team enters the tournament with real expectations—and a familiar question hanging over everything: is this finally the tipping point where the sport stops disappearing for four years at a time? In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass breaks down the full story of the R...

There are plenty of countries with rich soccer history, but you don’t get more “original power” than Uruguay. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass dives into La Celeste. The first true giant of the sport, built on garra charrúa, the national mindset of grit, fight, and doing whatever it takes to win. We trace Uruguay’s roots from British influence and the earliest clubs, to the oldest internation...

Mexico has been the backdrop for some of the World Cup’s most iconic moments—and in 2026, El Tri host the tournament for a record third time, hoping home soil can spark another magical run. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass explores Mexico’s deep football identity, its huge domestic league culture, and the enormous pressure of being a host nation—even if expectations for the current squad are...

There is so much to love about South Africa’s national team—Bafana Bafana—from the energy on the pitch to the color and spirit in the stands. In this World Cup Capsule, Kiyan Singh, Kickback Committee's resident South African, takes you inside his home country’s long-awaited return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting in 2010, and explains why this moment feels bigger than soccer itse...

In the land of cheese, chocolate, and army knives, soccer is king—and Switzerland has deeper roots in the sport than most people realize. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass breaks down the story of The Nati : a founding FIFA member, a crossroads in football’s spread across Europe, and the quiet host nation that’s literally home to FIFA’s headquarters. We trace Switzerland’s early flashes of tou...

The land of the Vikings is back on the World Cup stage for the first time since 1998—and Norway arrive as one of the tournament’s must-watch darlings, led by their modern-day “Jarl”: Erling Haaland. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass breaks down how the Norwegians turned a generation of talent into a true golden age, built around Haaland’s ruthless finishing and robot-like intensity, and Martin...

A country of just 10 million people, Portugal has produced three Ballon d’Or winners—and in 2026 they might be the best bet to become the next new nation to lift the World Cup. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass breaks down how the Seleção went from late bloomers (just two World Cup appearances before 2002) to genuine “sharks” on the international stage, with insight from Portuguese-born commen...

Brazil. Five World Cups. One bright yellow jersey that means everything . In this World Cup Capsules episode, David Gass dives into The Seleção —the most decorated nation in World Cup history—and asks the question every fan is thinking: can Brazil finally win a sixth star in 2026? We rewind through the myth and the magic (including the unforgettable 2002 final in Yokohama ) and reckon with the mod...

No country rides the emotional roller coaster of the World Cup quite like Colombia. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass tells the story of Los Cafeteros—a team of dazzling highs and devastating lows, back on the biggest stage after an eight-year absence. We go from the game’s beginnings in Barranquilla and the wild “El Dorado” era, when Colombia briefly hosted the world’s best league, through th...

There is no national team program hotter than Morocco right now. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass dives into how the Atlas Lions went from perennial underdogs to the new center of the soccer universe—a fourth-place finish at Qatar 2022, a women’s team in the World Cup knockouts, Olympic bronze, a U-20 world title, and now a run of hosting almost every major tournament on the calendar. We trac...

Algeria might be best known to casual U.S. fans as the team on the wrong end of Landon Donovan’s “Go Go USA” moment in 2010—but the Fennec Foxes have one of the richest, most political football histories on the planet. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces how the game arrived under French occupation in the late 1800s, how European settler clubs gave way to Algerian-run teams that doubled a...

The Dutch have perfected and even revolutionized the game—yet somehow, the Netherlands are still the greatest nation never to win a World Cup. Will 2026 finally be their time? In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass breaks down the story of the Oranje, from Pim Mulier’s first club in the 1870s through the birth of Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV, to the rise of Total Football under Rinus Michels and Johan...

Ghana is one of the World Cup’s true cult favorites: bright colors in the stands, big moments on the pitch, and a history of punching above their weight when it matters most. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass tells the story of the Black Stars—from the game’s arrival with European merchants and the early AFCON glory years, to their late but spectacular World Cup debut in 2006 as the youngest s...

When you close your eyes and picture the World Cup, chances are you see Argentina—the blue and white shirts, Maradona’s bouncing curls, Messi’s smile with the trophy in his hands. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass dives into La Albiceleste: three-time champions, ever-present contenders, and the emotional heartbeat of the sport. We trace how immigrants and British (especially Scottish) workers...

In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass celebrates the return of a nation that helped invent modern football, exported the passing game around the globe, and produced managerial legends from Bill Shankly to Sir Alex Ferguson. We walk through Scotland’s long, chaotic history: the first ever international match in 1872, early World Cups, and two decades of “glorious failure” where qualification heartb...

Australian football has always been defined by a “never say die” mentality—and the 2026 Socceroos will need every bit of it. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces how a sport brought by British immigrants in the late 1800s became a lifeline for migrant communities, producing ethnic clubs, a unique football culture, and eventually a national team known for its grit. We revisit the golden gen...