World Football

Olympique Lyonnais has won 6 of the last 9 Champions League titles and for years dominated women’s football in Europe. Only Barcelona have recently been able to compete. Lyon's success is the vision of club president Jean-Michel Aulas who wanted to create an iconic team, with the best players, but in the case of Aulas he also promised to ensure both male and female players were treated equally. Th...

Chelsea and Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson had a difficult start to life in English football but he's performing well this season and after an injury lay-off he's recently been described in the UK media as "indispensable" to Enzo Maresca's team. So as he returns to full fitness just in time for Chelsea's crucial end of season run-in, World Football's John Bennett, football journalist Rahman Osman...

Players will be punished if they stand on the ball during football matches in Brazil, but what led to this controversial law change? The decision by the Brazil Football Federation (CBF) came after Corinthians forward Memphis Depay performed the move in a game against Palmeiras which sparked a mass brawl between both teams. The CBF has announced that players should be shown a yellow card if they st...

PSG forward Ousmane Dembele has long had a big reputation, but is he now living up to his potential and could that lead to him winning football’s star prize? The France international was once the second-most expensive player in history when he signed for Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 in a deal worth £135.5m, before joining Paris St-Germain in 2023 for just £43.5m. After scoring 40 goals...

Southampton set the unwanted record of being the earliest team to be relegated in Premier League history after their relegation was confirmed in April 2025. So, what’s it like as a player to be relegated and is the gulf getting bigger between England’s top-flight and the second-tier? Former Premier League defender and current Sierra Leona captain Steven Caulker joins World Football’s Delyth Lloyd...

What do Australia, the US state of Wyoming and the German city of Bielefeld all have in common? They're all locations subject to satirical conspiracy theories that claim they don't exist. The 'Bielefeld conspiracy' remains one of the most popular Internet jokes originating in Germany, but their third-tier football team are well and truly putting them back on the map. Arminia Bielefeld have become...

As Thomas Muller and Kevin De Bruyne get ready to leave their clubs at the end of the season, how will they be remembered? Thomas Muller has played the most games in the history of Bayern Munich with 743, while he is third on their all-time scorer's list with 247 goals and has won two Champions Leagues and 12 Bundesliga titles among 33 trophies in total with the German giants. German football expe...

World Football’s Isaac Fanin finds out more about how "travel measures" introduced by US President Donald Trump led to Zambia's women's team withdrawing four United States-based players from their squad for a tournament in China. The Football Association of Zambia announced captain and BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year Barbra Banda, Racheal Kundananji, Prisca Chilufya and Grace Chanda would miss...

Imagine having to wait 50 years for your work to be officially recognised. That’s what happened to the women of St George Women's Soccer team, who represented Australia in the 1975 Asian Ladies Football Confederation tournament held in Hong Kong. For years, their efforts were overlooked by the football authorities in Australia. Now, Football Australia will recognise those players as the "First Mat...

Arminia Bielefeld captain Mael Corboz speaks to World Football’s Mike Williams after the German third-tier side stunned defending champions Bayer Leverkusen to reach the final of the German Cup. Bielefeld won 2-1 to become the first team outside the top two divisions to knock four Bundesliga sides out of the German Cup in one season. The club had already beaten Union Berlin, Freiburg and Werder Br...

It’s the battle of the best in the Copa Libertadores – as teams from across South America compete in their version of the Champions League. The past six editions have all been won by Brazilian clubs – and four of those finals have been all Brazilian affairs. So, can anyone stop Brazil’s domination? World Football’s John Bennett is joined by BBC football reporter George Addo and Brazilian football...

Marta is a Brazilian phenomenon. A six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, record goal scorer who’s even the hero of her opponents, but where did her love of football begin and what challenges has she faced in her incredible 20 year career? This is the story of Brazil’s global icon. Amongst others, you’ll hear from her former Brazil coach Pia Sundhage, Uefa’s head of women’s football Nadine Kessle...

This is the story of the day when the USA women’s national team, dubbed the 99ers, became instant stars and how one photograph of match winner Brandi Chastain went on to inspire a nation. 2015 World Cup winner Heather O’Reilly takes you back to the start of the decade to uncover the challenges the women’s game faced during the 1990s with journalist and long-time sport reporter Kelly Whiteside all...

Hear the untold story of how a science teacher from Oslo made a speech that would change the future of women’s football. In 1986, Ellen Wille became the first female to speak at a FIFA Congress and in a room full of men demanded women should have a FIFA World Cup and play football at the Olympics. Then FIFA President Joao Havelange and Vice President Sepp Blatter accepted the challenge, although i...

John Bennett presents reaction from outside the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan after a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations final between hosts Ivory Coast and Nigeria. John gets perspective from both nations as he’s joined by Ivorian football journalist Salia Dramé and Nigerian broadcaster Fisayo Dairo. Friend of the pod George Addo also drops by to give his view on the tournament.

John Bennett is joined by former Cameroon and Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong to look ahead to the Africa Cup of Nations final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria in Abidjan. We hear from former Arsenal defender Johan Djourou on his mentoring relationship with one of the Ivorian stars of the tournament, Brighton winger Simon Adingra. We also go behind the scenes in the Nigeria camp with their ex...

In a bonus episode, John Bennett is joined by a legend of Ivory Coast football and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winner Kolo Toure. The former Arsenal and Manchester City defender shares his Afcon memories, including lifting the trophy in 2015. He also assesses the current squad, and looks ahead to the final against Nigeria.

John Bennett is joined by a host of guests to react to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals in Ivory Coast. Ivorian football journalist Salia Dramé and Afcon broadcaster Patrick Juillard join John to assess the hosts' 1-0 win over DR Congo which sees them through to the final. We are also joined by former South African captain Dean Furman and Nigerian writer Fisayo Dairo after the Super Eagles be...

John Bennett is joined by former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani as they look ahead to the semi-finals at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. We hear how Gaby rates the chances of his nation against the hosts Ivory Coast, while the guys assess how Nigeria may manage without star striker Victor Osimhen should he not be fit to face South Africa. We also catch up with pod regular Sebastien Bas...

Host nation Ivory Coast produced another amazing escape act as Oumar Diakite's 122nd-minute winner sent the 10-man Elephants into the semi-finals at heartbroken Mali's expense. They’ll face DR Congo in the last four. South Africa will take on Nigeria after their penalty shoot-out win against Cape Verde. We hear from the South Africa keeper Ronwen Williams who saved four penalties. Get in touch wit...

John Bennett is joined by former South Africa captain Dean Furman to assess their 2-1 win on penalties over Cape Verde which saw goalkeeper Ronwen Williams save four spot kicks to see them through to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals. We also discuss a dramatic last gasp victory for hosts Ivory Coast who beat Mali 2-1 thanks to a goal in added time at the end of extra time with Patrick Juillar...

Join John Bennett in Abidjan as Nigeria and DR Congo reach the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Nigeria beat Angola 1-0, while DR Congo won 3-1 against Guinea. John is joined by African football expert Maher Mezahi to assess whether Nigeria have enough to go on and win it, while former DR Congo captain and friend of the pod Gabriel Zakuani drops by to celebrate his nations...

John Bennett is joined by Ghanaian broadcaster George Addo after arriving in Abidjan to preview the quarter-final matches at the Africa Cup of Nations in a bonus edition. In an unpredictable tournament, John and George do the unthinkable, and try and predict which way the matches will go. We hear who will progress between Nigeria and Angola and who between Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea w...

Mike McCarthy is joined by former South Africa captain Dean Furman and former Cameroon defender Sebastian Bassong to reflect on another big Afcon shock as South Africa eliminate World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in a 2-0 win. Meanwhile Mali see off Burkina Faso 2-1 as the quarter-final line-up is completed. We look ahead to the last eight and ask, who are the favourites now? Throughout the tourname...

John Bennett is joined by former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani as they react to a huge match in the last-16 at the Africa Cup of Nations as hosts Ivory Coast beat holders Senegal 5-4 on penalties after the game had finished 1-1 after extra-time. John and Gaby also discuss Cape Verde’s 1-0 win over Mauritania which sees them progress to a quarter-final match against Guinea. We also hear from for...