The Footy Travelers Podcast

This week, Colin sits down with Ollie Jenks of Hold My Gear to talk through what might be the most ambitious World Cup 2026 road trip anyone has fathomed: a 39-day, 10,000-mile journey through all 16 World Cup host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, ending at the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19th. The vehicle of choice? A 1992 London black cab named Abby (the World Cup Cabby!...

This week, Colin sits down with Matt Walker—author of Europe United and the only person to attend a live football match in all 55 UEFA nations in a single season—to build the ultimate travel guide for the 16 European countries headed to World Cup 2026. Matt walks us through which European nations are most worth visiting, which to skip, where the football culture actually lives, and the best (and w...

What happens when a group of creative friends pile into a retro-fitted Soccer Bus, hit the American highways, and follow the heartbeat of U.S. soccer across the country?   I n this episode, the ClubEleven crew—Gabriel, Pablo, Tyler, and Justin—join The Footy Travelers to share stories from their cross-country journey during the 2025 U.S. soccer season, where they followed the US Open Cup, caught C...

Saudi Arabia has been a hot topic in the footy world the last several years. Big name signings. Premier League team ownership. World Cup 2034 hosting. But what is the football scene in Saudi Arabia actually like? In this episode, Colin sits down with Lee Galvin of Matchstay, who traveled to Jeddah and Riyadh to experience the Saudi Pro League for himself. From the myths and misconceptions to the w...

What if you built your own global football education—by leaving home, traveling across multiple continents, and going straight to the source? That's exactly what fellow footy traveler Andrew Baggaley, founder of Because Football Media did, as he spent more than a year exploring the globe, visiting football clubs, academies, and fan groups across Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. Whether you...

On September 11, 2001, American journalist and fellow footy traveler Ken McDonald was thousands of miles from home—at Anfield, watching Liverpool play Boa Vista in the Champions League. In this powerful conversation, Ken shares what it was like to learn about the 9/11 attacks while abroad, how Scousers responded, and the story behind an unforgettable, homemade tifo that made the highlight reels th...

The first sales window for tickets to the 2026 World Cup consists of an application period that opens on September 10th and closes on September 19th (2025), and there's a major change to the process this time around. In this episode, we'll break down the 5 biggest things you need to know to be prepared to score tickets to the world's greatest sporting event!   00:00 | Catcing up on 2025 09:15 | Qu...

When the dog bites, when the bee sti— Oooh! Eh ehm. Excuse us. Didn't see you there. Just warming up the vocal chords for our 2024 FAVORITE THINGS EPISODE!!! Comment on our recently pinned Instagram or X posts to let us know what you think about our picks, your favorites, or any footy travel suggestions you have for us in 2025! Foot(y)notes: Here are some of our favorite things worth checking out...

Think having your honeymoon covered by your favorite football club is nothing but a pipe dream? Well wake up and listen to this special BONUS episode, where we sit down with Matthew Eide from Far Away Football (check out Ep 73 if you missed his other incredible stories!) to reveal how he scored an all-expenses-paid getaway to the Seychelles, courtesy of Manchester City and their corporate powerhou...

Fellow footy travelers experience the game outside their hometowns all the time, but have you ever wondered what it's like to be a globe-trotting footy fan with multiple once-in-a-lifetime experiences? In this episode, Matthew Eide of Far Away Football takes us on an absolute journey! From a 10-goal spectacle in a Bhutanese stadium fit for a king, to two unforgettable footy moments in the Seychell...

Would you walk 500 miles just to be the man who walked 500 miles to see a footy match? Today's guest would. In fact, he did! Join us as we talk with Tom Stoker, a Three Lions fan who marched from Manchester to Gelsenkirchen this past summer to witness England's EURO 2024 opening match against Serbia at Arena AufSchalke (aka Veltins-Arena for sponsorship reasons). For more on Tom's journey, check o...

Forget Raygun, the FFTs are at Paris 2024 for the footy! Join guests Ronny of the Football Misfits Podcast, Jesse M, Mark C, Merritt H, & Barry J for an on-the-ground look at what it was like for American footy travelers who attended this summer's Olympic games. We'll talk about tickets, atmosphere, and some freaky deaky Dutch crowdsurfing at the biggest orgy of sports there is! 04:22 | The Footba...

We are back together in today's episode to talk all about our Intercontinental Summer Tour: our 18-day North American and European adventure that had us at both the Copa America and Euro 2024, attending a total of 7 tournament matches, 5 of which, between the two of us were in 5 different cities, on 5 consecutive days, and… as you can probably guess, across 2 different continents. Passionate? We a...

In a riveting episode we weren't necessarily planning on, we dive deep into the pandemonium that unfolded ahead of the Copa America Final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL on Sunday, July 14. We're joined by four FFTs who were there that evening, as well as one who attended the previous Colombia match (the Copa semi-final), each bringing a unique perspective on the chaotic events of that unforgett...

In a riveting episode we weren't necessarily planning on, we dive deep into the pandemonium that unfolded ahead of the Copa America Final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL on Sunday, July 14. We're joined by four FFTs who were there that evening, as well as one who attended the previous Colombia match (the Copa semi-final), each bringing a unique perspective on the chaotic events of that unforgett...

Euros and Copa America are finally both underway, and the Footy Travelers are about to take flight to games for both tournaments. So what better way to get into the mood than a conversation about European football, its American counterpart, and some fun Copa America events happening this summer with the Scuffed Podcast's Adam Belz? Tune in, get (even more) stoked for all the footy to be watched, a...

In this episode, join Colin and Mike as they prepare for their EURO 2024 journey! Chock full of hearty laughs as they make hilarious, but objectively terrible, attempts at pronouncing* German city names — who knew Gelsenkirchen could be such a tongue twister?! - this episode has everything you need to know (NTK) about inter-city travel and things to do 'beyond the grounds' in each of Germany's hos...

We don't encourage self-pity, but after this past Championship Sunday in the Premier League, Colin is looking for a little pick-me-up. Luckily, the Footy Travelers podcast isn't just informative, well-traveled stories, but ones that might warm your heart as well. And this week's episode is exactly that - a story of the 'invincible' kindness of one of Arsenal's medical staff in bringing a truly tra...

They say the clothes make the man. Although we would say, the clothes make the fan . Especially if that fan is heading into a stadium for a club match. Wearing away gear. And is not planning on sitting in the away supporters section. In which case, we say, the clothes make the fan… a target. In today's episode, our guest, FFT Rob Cervantes, shares an experience he had recently wearing Crystal Pala...

World Cup 2022 was a bizarre story that began in 2010, over a decade before the tournament even kicked off.  It was (still is we suppose) a story centered on corruption, human rights, and a gaudy display of power and wealth. It was also a bizarre experience on the ground, for fans, journalists, and even the teams playing (probably). It was made even more bizarre for American fans, and in particula...

...as in "In Real Life" (we know Wrexham isn't in Ireland - duh!). That's right! Today's guests went and lived out your favorite footy documentary (or Mike's at least) in person. Join us as we chat with return FTP guests Mark "Eagleman" Cranston and Lila "Wonder Woman" Asnani about their recent trip to Wales for Wrexham home and away matches, and, of course, some great travel tips - not the least...

One question we've been asked a lot recently is whether or not we're planning to attend and cover any Olympic soccer matches this summer in Paris. We will be in Europe for EURO 2024 in Germany after all. Sadly though, we can't do it all. So, we figured we'd deliver the next best thing.  In today's episode we're bringing you a recent conversation with French Football Superfans Pascal, Joris, & Lenn...

If you've attended or watched a major international soccer tournament recently, you've probably noticed an increasing prevalence of on-field and in-seat match hosts (and Coldplay), getting the crowd hyped for the game during the pre-game and half-time periods. In today's episode, we're joined, not simply by 'one of these in-game hosts', but perhaps by one of the most dynamic, positive-vibe energet...

If you've attended or watched a major international soccer tournament recently, you've probably noticed an increasing prevalence of on-field and in-seat match hosts (and Coldplay), getting the crowd hyped for the game during the pre-game and half-time periods. In today's episode, we're joined, not simply by 'one of these in-game hosts', but perhaps by one of the most dynamic, positive-vibe energet...

We're back with a debrief from Danny Navarro (@TravelFutbolFan; D.C. area) and Matt Marshall (@EatPrayBall; Los Angeles) following the CONMEBOL pre-sale window that opened on Thursday, February 22. Danny and Matt react to their experiences logging in and hunting for tickets, and share what to expect once tickets open up to the general public on February 28th. Colin also walks through his process a...