The Athletic FC Presents...

Gordon Ramsay is one of the world's leading chefs and is cosy with with all corners of high society. He's friends with David Beckham, he's played soccer with Diego Maradona and he's cooked for Pele. In the latest episode of The Athletic's 'Why I Love The Beautiful Game' World Cup series, Ramsay opens up about how close he came to making it as a soccer professional and why his two biggest loves in...

You know Wagner Moura from his starring roles portraying Pablo Escobar in Narcos and and The Secret Agent. What you may not know is his love of soccer. The first Brazilian actor to win or be nominated in his category at the Golden Globes, Moura is a life-long soccer obsessive. In the latest episode from The Athletic's 'Why I Love The Beautiful Game' series, Moura tells us why his first memories ar...

Tom Hiddleston love for soccer has run alongside his acting career, but long since preceded it. It all started with watching England compete at the European Championship in 1996 and later turned into a love affair with Arsenal when he moved to North London to study acting more than 25 years ago. In the latest of The Athletic's 'Why I Love The Beautiful Game' World Cup series, the Marvel actor disc...

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani's personal love affair with soccer is well documented, but he wants the rest of New York City to fall in love with sport too. In the latest instalment of The Athletic's 'Why I Love The Beautiful Game' World Cup series, Mamdani talks about his own World Cup memories, how Arsenal can take the next step and how he fought for discounted ticket prices for New Yorkers....

Brandon Aubrey is best-known as the highest-paid kicker in NFL history, having signed a four-year $28 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys in April. Yet he entered the NFL as a 28-year-old rookie, having previously been a first-round pick as a center-back in the Major League Soccer Draft for Toronto FC. He sits down with The Athletic's Adam Crafton for the latest in the 'Why I Love The Beauti...

In the first of The Athletic's 'Why I Love The Beautiful Game' World Cup series in which some of the world’s most recognisable and talented people explain what football (or soccer) means to them, The Athletic's Adam Crafton sits down with iconic stage and screen actor Brian Cox. Cox is most known for his role as Logan Roy in HBO's Grammy award winning series Succession, but his roots - and love of...

This summer's World Cup in North America is the biggest in size and scale and now, arguably, the most controversial. The tournament kicks off in less than 40 days. Co-hosts USA remain at war with Iran, with fellow Middle East participants and historic allies drawn into the conflict - and FIFA caught in the middle. Travel bans, political protests and fears over ICE guarantee a turbulent countdown....

Exotic clauses, tapping up and how much agents really get paid. Your questions answered is the transfer special that you control. Adam Leventhal heads to Malaga and beyond to pose your enquiries to those operating in the transfer market right now. Contributions and insight comes from 15 representatives from multiple Premier League, European and global clubs — including takes from the U.S., Brazil,...

The global sports industry is booming — already worth an estimated $2.3 trillion a year, with projections suggesting it could almost triple by 2050. But according to a new report from the World Economic Forum, that growth is far from guaranteed. In this episode of The Athletic FC, Matt Slater digs into the findings of Sports for People and Planet, a report that warns climate change and rising phys...

Does the rise of illegal streaming pose an existential threat to football? To answer that question, Adam Leventhal has spent the last six months looking into the culture, crime and crisis associated with pirating live football matches. In this special episode of The Athletic FC Podcast you'll hear undercover reporting and behind the scenes access to police investigations, including how the world's...

Referees are integral to football. But with every decision scrutinised, why would anyone want to be a referee? The Athletic has been given insider access to the life of Premier League referees. From a gruelling pre-season training camp to matchday, join Adam Leventhal as he finds out what it takes to take command of the football pitch. We'll explain the new laws you'll see this season and the refs...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to July 2001, when Sol Campbell completed perhaps the most controversial move in Premier League history. More than 20 years on, why are feelings still so strong? And was Campbell vindicated in swapping Spurs for their bi...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to the summer of 2006, and a saga that saw rival lines crossed from the North to West of London as Ashley Cole traded boyhood club Arsenal for rising force Chelsea. So why was the acrimonious move considered such a betra...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to July 2009 when Carlos Tevez swapped the red half of Manchester for blue. So why was the move quite so controversial - and how symbolic was it in shifting the balance of power in the hunt for Premier League dominance?...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to August 2012, when Arsenal captain Robin van Persie crossed a divide that had defined a Premier League era… So why was van Persie determined to swap the Emirates for Old Trafford - and did the move ultimately prove to...

Welcome to Transfers that Shook the World, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to January 2011 when Chelsea broke the British transfer record to sign Liverpool’s No.9, Fernando Torres. So why was Torres’ move from Liverpool to Chelsea so controversial and was he a success at Stamford Bridge? Host:...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to July 2000 - when Luís Figo did the unthinkable and made the move from Barcelona to Real Madrid… It was a transfer that sent shockwaves through La Liga and went down in footballing folklore - but a quarter of a century...

There's been two football tournaments in the United States this summer, the Club World Cup and the Gold Cup. Both with an ostensible Saudi feel, all part of grand plan to invest heavily in sport backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Adam Leventhal has travelled to Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas to witness this soft power at play. Hear from Saudi players and fans who celebrate the exposur...

Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, is world football's most powerful man. His presidency has been marked by the controversial men's World Cups in Russia and Qatar, as well as the awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. But it is the newly-expanded Club World Cup that he hopes to leave as his legacy. So, who is Gianni Infantino, where did he come from, where is he taking the game, and has he...

In Los Angeles, California, four nations collided in a football tournament with an inescapable geopolitical backdrop. Canada, Mexico and Panama have all found themselves in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump within his first 100 days in office, and they all met, with the US, in the Nations League finals. Adam Leventhal has been looking into what happens when the sport and politics are thrust...

Online searches for fake football shirts have gone up by over 500% since 2021, with the Premier league counterfeit market worth over £180m. But what damage could they be causing you and others? Adam Leventhal has spent the last nine months investigating the illicit trade of counterfeits, and uncovered some shocking details along the way. Host: Adam Leventhal Mixing: Jay Beale Executive Producer: A...

In August 2023, on the pitch in Sydney, Australia, Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso's life changed. But not in the way it should have. In a moment that became more widely known as "The Kiss" former Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales, grabbed Hermoso's face and planted a kiss on her lips. It became front page news around the world. In February 2025, Rubiales went on trial for one coun...

Football fans are desperate for transfer news - and it's often bigger than the sport itself. Open twice a year - in January and the summer - the transfer window changes the game. But what actually goes on when deals are made? Join Adam Leventhal as he goes behind the scenes at training grounds, stadiums and offices to explain the anatomy of a transfer and to breakdown the complex process of what a...

On December 1, one of the world’s worst stadium disasters unfolded. At the Stade du 3 Avril in Nzerekore, Guinea, a devastating crush led to chaos and, according to officials, the deaths of 56 people. But domestic human rights organisations believe they have verified that at least 135 people lost their lives that day. The Athletic travelled to Nzerekore to visit the stadium, analyse what happened...

In April 2023, civil war broke out in Sudan. It continues to this day leaving in its wake the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations. Despite this, Sudan’s national football team has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025 and tops its World Cup qualification group. They are a source of hope to a nation left in ruins. In this special episode of The Athletic...