The Indy Football Podcast

Lawrence Ostler is joined by Miguel Delaney, Richard Jolly and Kieran Jackson to react to France’s 2-0 win over Morocco, with Kylian Mbappé central again to an imperious performance. After looking ahead to Friday's quarter final of Spain vs Belgium, they preview England v Norway in the Miami heat and humidity, debating Tuchel’s selection—especially John Stones and Reece James—how to limit Erling H...

In the cauldron of the Azteca Stadium, England got it done.  The Three Lions are through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup after a thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico. Against all the odds – altitude, the fans, Mexican momentum, VAR calls – Thomas Tuchel’s side overcame it all to progress to the next stage. And once again, it was the Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane double act.  Kieran Jack...

Lawrence Ostlere is joined by Miguel Delaney, Kieran Jackson and Jack Rathborn to preview Mexico v England at the Azteca and the impact of Mexico City’s altitude (about 7,200 feet) and heat on England, with Miguel describing a difficult 6K run and Jack comparing altitude effects to endurance sport and team performance. They assess Mexico’s momentum and home support, and Miguel reflects on the Azte...

It was a great escape from England against DR Congo – and it was their captain fantastic Harry Kane who got them out of jail in Atlanta. Kieran Jackson and Miguel Delaney discuss where Kane’s double ranks in all-time England World Cup moments? Can Djed Spence possibly start again against Mexico after his struggles? And what else does Thomas Tuchel have to think about ahead of an all-time occasion...

On the latest episode of Copa Independent, Kieran Jackson in Santa Clara and Miguel Delaney in Atlanta preview England’s last-32 clash against DR Congo – a team that should not be underestimated. Which way will Thomas Tuchel go with his wingers and full-backs? What and who do the Three Lions need to be wary of? And what lessons can England take from other giant-killings so far in the knockout stag...

Thomas Tuchel’s England side progressed to the knockout stage as Group L winners after a 2-0 victory over Panama – but are there more questions than answers for the Three Lions ahead of their last-32 clash against DR Congo on Wednesday?  Where does Tuchel go next with his unnecessary right-back conundrum? Who out of Rashford, Rogers and Saka took their opportunity from the start? And how much...

The newly bloated 48-team World Cup format has plenty of problems, but perhaps the biggest of all has shown itself over the past two days, and it was entirely in Fifa’s control.  The decision to decide group rankings by head-to-head record instead of goal difference has killed the action in a series of games at the end of this opening stage, with so little on the line and none of the same jeo...

In our latest episode of Copa Independent, chief football writer Miguel Delaney, on the ground in Boston, and sports editor Jack Rathborn in New York dissect England's underwhelming showing against Ghana. After so much optimism and positivity following the opening Croatia win, what went wrong for Thomas Tuchel's side this time around? What is it about 'second match syndrome' and England at tournam...

In the latest episode of  Copa Independent , Lawrence Ostlere and Miguel Delaney discuss a fascinating Golden Boot race as Lionel Messi scores twice against Austria to move onto five goals, while Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland also net braces to take their tallies to four. The pair reflect on Messi’s extraordinary longevity and revisit his long-running rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, asking...

Football writers Miguel Delaney, Richard Jolly and Lawrence Ostlere are in North America to discuss England’s statement 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas. Did Thomas Tuchel’s team-talk change the game? Was England’s display the performance of the tournament so far? Are Croatia really any good? The team also assess Cristiano Ronaldo’s woeful performance for Portugal, and run the rule over the first fu...

Lawrence Ostlere, Miguel Delaney and Richard Jolly look back on day 6 of the World Cup where Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe arrived on stage and set the tournament alight as well as igniting the race for the golden boot. Can Ronaldo and Harry Kane respond today?  We also preview England’s first game in the competition against Croatia this evening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

In the latest episode of Copa Independent, Miguel Delaney reports from the England camp after emerging from a tornado threat in Kansas City, Lawrence Ostlere reports from Houston after watching Germany dismantle Curacao, and Jack Rathborn tunes in from New Jersey after seeing Brazil held by an impressive Morocco. The guys discuss the latest World Cup results including Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Ja...

The World Cup finally started, with a comfortable win for Mexico, a wretched display from South Africa, a flurry of red cards and even more adverts featuring Christian Pulisic, many of them during the actual game. Chief football writer Miguel Delaney and senior football correspondent Richard Jolly discuss the ever greater commercialisation of the World Cup and the commercials in the new hydration...

After a controversial and seemingly never-ending build-up, today is finally the day the 23rd Fifa World Cup begins. Tonight, co-hosts Mexico face South Africa at the Azteca, the most famous stadium in World Cup history. And it was also in Mexico City where Gianni Infantino held his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday. Three-and-a-half years on from his infamous 'Today I feel...' monologue...

The World Cup is nearly here and this week on Copa Independent, the team discuss the tournament favourites, the dark horses and, erm, Scotland, as well as how politics and money have created a World Cup like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Will Carlo Ancelotti deliver a record sixth World Cup for Brazil? Is Spain’s midfield the best at the tournament? How far can England go? And could a side like...

The World Cup is nearly here, and we’re counting down the best of all time. This week a panel of Independent journalists have voted on their greatest stars. From Pele and Messi to Maradona and Beckenbauer, with a sprinkling of Zidane, Mbappe and Ronaldo in the mix, these are the players who have lit up the “greatest show on earth” over the past 96 years. Independent sports writers Lawrence Ostlere...

Miguel Delaney and Lawrence Ostlere were at Wembley to see Thomas Tuchel explain his England squad for the 2026 World Cup. They chew over the big-name omissions and why Tuchel didn’t pick Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold – and how Ivan Toney mysteriously returned to the conversation this week. Miguel also discusses his intimate briefing with the England manager. And, under severe...

As more big players struggle with injury, and there is now an expectation that set-pieces at the World Cup will be refereed in a completely different way to the Premier League, a few international managers are already adapting plans. Which begs a bigger question: what is the best way to win a World Cup? Are there set approaches? Can you "playbook" it, as Gareth Southgate tried? Do you need an ideo...

Fourteen men have managed the England men’s team since Sir Alf Ramsey won the World Cup in 1966, and none have come close to repeating the feat. Under high expectation, intense scrutiny and crippling pressure, a series of England managers have been hounded, humiliated, abused and, in Sam Allardyce’s case, stung by a ruthless media. No wonder Graham Taylor called it “the impossible job”. In this we...

We all know the ingredients that make a great World Cup, from moments to atmosphere, and 2010 had them all… but was it really a great tournament? Does that depend on age? And what of its champions? Were Spain boring or was it the opposition? Was this England’s worst World Cup? And would you have done what Luis Suarez did against Ghana? Lawrence Ostlere, Miguel Delaney and Richard Jolly get into a...

With 2026 set to be by far the most expensive World Cup ever to attend, we investigate how it's got to this - and what it means for the future. This isn't just from being in an expensive United States right now. Fifa have been significant drivers, mostly through ticket prices but also some of the deals struck for the tournament, raising further questions about their leadership of the sport. We als...

As the World Cup returns to America, it would not have been possible without the spectacular success of USA 94. That was actually a huge gamble at the time, but more than paid off - in multiple ways. A colourfully open tournament was the consequence of unique factors coming together at once, but also changed the World Cup for the future. A tournament full of soul had an immense commercial legacy -...

In the last 15 months alone, the build-up to this World Cup has brought more unprecedented developments than any previous tournament in history, above all a host nation bombing a participant through the Iran war. That raises many questions, right up to what influence Donald Trump is going to have on how this World Cup develops. But there's also another: if any other country was responsible, would...

Since England won the World Cup in 1966, they have not been back to another men’s final, appearing in only two semi-finals in 1990 and 2018 in their closest attempts at repeating the feat. So, as the 2026 World Cup approaches, on the 60th anniversary of that famous Wembley win, should England have won more tournaments with the talent and resources at their disposal? And can Thomas Tuchel finally e...

For the first edition of our weekly Copa Independent podcast, we are looking at the very meaning of the World Cup itself, and the two sides of the biggest cultural event in human history. But why has it got to that level? Why does it feel like nothing else in sport? Has it fulfilled the ideals of its creators? What would Jules Rimet, who envisioned a competition to bring mankind together, think of...