What if football is following the same path as social media: hook the users, lock them in, then squeeze them for everything they're worth? In this episode, we talk to Mark O'Neill, a doctoral researcher at Westminster University, about the “enshittification” of football—how the relentless pursuit of revenue is reshaping the game, from ticket prices and fan culture to player welfare and the never-ending expansion of competitions. As clubs chase global audiences and governing bodies create more matches, are loyal supporters being treated less as a community and more as a captive market? We explore whether football is slowly consuming the very authenticity that made it the world's most popular sport—and whether new regulation and supporter power can stop the rot before the game becomes little more than content.

The 2026 World Cup is already generating political heat long before kick-off. In this episode, Francesco is joined by Tamir Bar-On and Danyel Reiche, sport and politics experts and editors of a new special issue in Soccer & Society on the World Cup 2026 to unpack what the tournament reveals about global football and world politics. From the first-ever tri-nation hosting arrangement across the United States, Mexico and Canada to debates over security, migration and soaring ticket prices, from Trump's personal ambitions to the growing global reach of the tournament through its expanded 48-team format, this episode covers all the main Footpol themes!

With the 2026 World Cup just weeks away, France once again enters the tournament as one of football’s superpowers — but what does the French national team actually represent in modern France? In this gripping episode, co-hosts Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro sit down with Bangor University's Senior Lecturer in French (Studies), Jonathan Ervine, to unpack the explosive intersection of football, politics, identity, race, religion and nationalism in French society. From the myth of the 1998 “Black-Blanc-Beur” champions to the rise of the far right, the tensions of secularism, and the political symbolism of stars like Kylian Mbappé and Zinedine Zidane, this episode reveals why French football is about far more than what happens on the pitch.

The discussion explores immigration, the banlieues, anti-racism campaigns, homophobia in Ligue 1, the hijab controversy in women’s football, Ramadan debates and the growing pressure on players to speak out politically. The hosts also look ahead to France’s World Cup chances, Didier Deschamps’ expected departure and why Zidane’s likely appointment could become one of the most politically charged moments in recent French sporting history. Essential listening for anyone following the 2026 World Cup, European politics or the deeper forces shaping global football today.

Jonthan's various publications associated with French football include "Negotiating Breton Celtic identity on and off the pitch: contemporary football in Brittany" (with Paddy Hoey), "Football and antisemitism in France: visibility and invisibility," "France - Les Bleus and the Republic: Diversity, Difference and Discrimination" and "Nicolas Anelka and the Quenelle Gesture: A Study of the Complexities of Protest in Contemporary Football."