The FootPol Podcast
The podcast that brings together football and politics. We'll be exploring the relationship between the two, both inside and outside the game.
The podcast covers "Big Politics" like politicians, clubs, international and national federations and other organised groups and how they use or abuse the game to "Small, Everyday Politics" in the form of community-level clubs, fan associations and the way that football reflects the political challenges of our day to day lives.
The FootPol Podcast is brought to you by co-hosts Drs Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton.
Podcasting since 2023 • 103 episodes
The FootPol Podcast
Latest Episodes
Insta‑FootPol. AFCON Fallout, Iran World Cup Participation and Iranian Women’s Asylum
In the FootPol Podcast's latest episode, Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton unpack the latest political storms that have shaken the football world in the past week. They start with the AFCON 2025 controversy, examining the dramatic reversal of ...
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Season 3
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27:40
Staples, Satire and Protest: The Politics of Football Fanzines ft. Paddy Hoey
Football fanzines were once the DIY voice of supporters in Britain — photocopied, stapled together, and sold outside stadiums by fans who wanted to challenge clubs, authorities, and the football establishment. In this episode, Guy Burton and Fr...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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45:54
Insta-FootPol. The US-Israel War with Iran and the 2026 World Cup
In this special FootPol Podcast episode, co-hosts Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton confront the explosive intersection of geopolitics and sport as the United States and Israel’s military attacks on Iran cast a shadow over the latter's partici...
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Season 3
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27:28
2026 World Cup Debutants: Uniting the Islands — Cabo Verde ft. Emmanuel Charles D’Oliveira & Nuno Domingos
The FootPol Podcast has reached 100 episodes! To mark this special occasion, we return to this season's World Cup debutants series, this time focusing on Cabo Verde’s historic qualification for the 2026 tournament. Co-hosts Guy Burt...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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47:44
Breaking Barriers: Women’s Football Across the Middle East ft. Assile Toufailly
Women’s football in the Middle East and North Africa is changing fast — but unevenly. In this 99th episode of the FootPol Podcast, co-hosts Francesco Becastro and Guy Burton speak with Assile Toufailly, a former Lebanon international a...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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48:15