Cape Verde Stun Spain 0 - 0, Belgium Draw Egypt and Iran takes the field in LA with John Green: Night Cup 6/15/26

23:59Rog:play cape verd in the final well i mean i did i said earlier i found it very moving the audacity the tenacity the spirit um and watching the fans dance in the stands now they didn't come to expect this they came to see their their nation on a world stage not to thrive and soar and you realize You were looking at people, John, who will remember this moment for their whole lives, the day they looked at Luminium al Spain in the eye and held them like a 16 seed during number one seed. And you also know that story is going to get bigger and bigger with every telling. Yeah, no, absolutely. It's going to be a story that everybody who watched that game is going to get to tell for a long time.

24:44Rog:Mike Pacello in chat says, I love soccer. You score zero goals and have the best day in the history of your nation. Enjoy it, Cape Verde fans. FIFA, what you said earlier were the real winners in this, John. We were told smaller teams will get mauled, mashed by the superpowers. FIFA are going to be emboldened. I bet you this tournament is going to be 256 teams. Well, I have to say, even Curaçao, Curacao, which, you know, was really obviously hugely outclassed in their game. And that did look like one of those third round FA Cup matchups where it's a sixth tier team against West Ham or something.

25:24It just it was not competitive. But from perspective, they're going to remember scoring that goal in the story of Curacao football for generations. You know, it only takes one goal to really transform the feeling in a nation. And I think, you know, I think it's great. And I think everybody who's been saying that, you know, even 32 teams is too many. Why would we do 48? Well, the answer is because so many people don't get to experience the World Cup. And like, what's it like to be Chris Allen today, you know, to wake up knowing that you scored a goal against Germany? Yeah, you gave up seven, but you scored one.

26:02It's an astonishing accomplishment on some level. And so I think I'm all for it. Bring on 64.

26:10Rog:Yeah, I mean, I believe in about four, eight years, we'll be looking back at a 48 World Cup with nostalgia. Do you remember when it was just tiny? At Cal Gaudet in the chat says, Jamal should have to buy Cape Verde, Super Walmart. I'll die on this hill. You and me both, baby.

26:30Rog:We are delighted to bring you the Men in Blazers City Guides presented by Visa. A joyously assembled guide to the best places to eat, drink and explore and watch the beautiful game across the country. It's a guide aimed at helping fans experience the city as a local. It's built by you, our listeners, recommending some of the best small businesses in your communities. like the finest Viet Cajun in Houston. Yes. The best burrito in San Francisco. Yes. Where to save a lemon pepper wet in Atlanta. Yes, yes, yes. A massive shout out to our sponsor Visa who's made this guide possible. Visa gives local business owners the tools and support to be ready for moments exactly like this one, welcoming you to enjoy the games this summer.

27:19Rog:Start planning your journey at meninblazers.com backslash cityguides. Ladies, an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is also the official sponsor of all bandwagon fans during this euphoric summer of footballing wonder. And this summer, they're inviting all of us to jump on because come kick off, hope springs eternal. My cold dark heart grows three sizes every FIFA World Cup. The ebullient Moroccans, the splime Spanish, you can't help but fall in love again and again. So ask grandma if perhaps you'll won 16th French, Brazilian or Japanese, adopt a new anthem. Borrow a new flag. Embrace that bandwagon.

27:57Rog:Because when your team goes home, the party doesn't have to. Grab a bag of leis, gather some friends and cheer for whoever you damn well like. A word from our friends at 1440. The 2022 World Cup final drew 1.5 billion viewers. It's 11 times this year's Super Bowl. To understand how football became the world's game and what drove it, listen to 1440 Explores with Financial Times journalist Simon Kuiper. It will give you the inside scoop into the depths of the tournament. Listen to 1440 Explores wherever you get your podcasts.

28:52Rog:and Ryan Gravenberg doing the assist thing. Do you like it? Or does it make you feel like you're seeing your ex with their new family and they're having a blast? Oh, no, I like it. I think it's great. I think the better World Cup all those players have, the better season they'll have next year. You know, it brings confidence. It brings a feeling that you can accomplish a lot together. And, you know, we're going to, Liverpool are going to need that going into next season. And I, you know, watching Egypt is both joy and heartbreak for me. It's like watching Bobby Firmino in Saudi Arabia or something.

29:28Like you're just, you know, you love seeing it because you love seeing him play. I've always loved watching him play. I love watching Mo play. Knowing he'll never play again for Liverpool is a little bit heartbreaking.

29:40Rog:You feel like you're Matthew McConaughey behind the bookshelves. you're really into matthew mcconaughey tonight roch i'm always into matthew mcconaughey but i love that where you sounded like bobby farminio in saudi arabia just like bobby no no bobby i was today not a national holiday everyone knows it's mo seller's 34th birthday wow greatest gift he could have had was the first ever win for egypt would have been the best gift he's ever given himself since his second hair transplant. By the way, I felt for Mo, everyone hates working on their birthday, but he's not announced where he's going to play next season.

30:18Rog:We do know it's not going to be at Liverpool. So I need to ask you, John, how are you coping, realising you're never going to see that man pick up a yellow card for taking off your shirt after scoring for your team ever again? I just feel grateful. I think when a great player leaves your football club, You just have to feel grateful for the time that you had with them. I mean, you know, a player like Mo Salah didn't just give a lot to Liverpool. He transformed what was possible for Liverpool Football Club, the way that we think about ourselves, the way that fans think about the club, the set of expectations around the club.

30:59You know, I mean, 10 years ago, you remember this, Raj, like if Liverpool had qualified for the Champions League by the skin of their teeth, there's no way they would have fired the coach. They would have given him a raise. And, you know, now things are just different at the football club. The standards are different.

31:15Rog:And I always say Captain. He's one of my favorite Liverpool managers. I bet you I bet you liked him. I've never Roy Hodgson. It's hard. Yeah. Roy Hodgson. A legendary appointment. exactly those are the days that we came from and then Mo delivered us from now of course lots of other people helped in that process Mo was a big part of it and I'm just always going to be grateful to him and he'll always be a true Liverpool legend I think that we throw that term around a lot but he's someone who you know despite the circumstances in which he left the club I think will be remembered as a as a real legend of it god I mean it's fascinating I was going to have you on at the end of the Liverpool season to pay tribute to Mo.

32:00Rog:But the way the season ended, the darkness, the castle intrigue, the subtweeting, the defenestration of Slott, essentially, just felt so dark. And the contrast to 12 months earlier when he was taking the selfies against the Kop after scoring and everything felt delirious and possible. Just too cruel. That just, woof, I mean, it's about life as well as about football. Yeah, I think it's really hard to leave an institution you love and to feel like you're being on some level pushed out or you're not getting to leave in exactly the way you would want. I can understand why that's hard. I, of course, wish that it had been a little more.

32:49there'd been a little more mutual generosity in it but in the end you know Mo Salah gave us nine years of his career and those are very special years and mostly I think we should just feel grateful.

33:03Rog:Anyway in this one still effective and then some Mo Salah found M.M.A. show in the 19th minute the pass silkier than a 500 thread count hotel sheet he turned and unleashed just in stunning driver. If you've not seen this goal, find it. It was please, Hammer, don't hurt him. To beat Courtois from there is just an incredible testament to your own destructive power. Egypt, oh, so close to that 1-0 victory. But then Belgium did the wild thing. They brought on Romelu Lukaku, who played like 64 minutes a season. Even Gio Reyna was like, oh my God, that's nothing, bro. Before the tournament, his manager, Rudy Garcia, said, Lukaku's out of shape, but he's our best striker, which is like one of those old pickup artists you take classes from to learn how to neg like that and it worked full 22 seconds after coming on.

33:55Rog:He brought Belgium level. It was a own goal ultimately, but it was all Rom steaming between the centre-backs, like a put-back dunk. I think Mohamed Hamid ended up popping it back and pressure. What a life for Rom. Sub in, force a goal, immediately have a water break, all within 22 seconds and look absolutely shattered when you're walking back. It looked like you'd run a marathon. He says Lukaku is built like me. Oh, mate. Still take him. Still take him back at everything. I would absolutely take him. He is a goal scorer. As fans of lower league football like to say, he may not be fit, but he knows where the goal is.

34:38Oh, my God.

34:39Rog:And he wants to eat it. John, I'm going to ask you two more questions before we separate. and I'm going to bring Rory Smith on in the aftermath of that Iran, New Zealand. We love draws now. It's just a steady die of draws and we revel in each of them. I'm going to say a couple of words, John, and I'd love your just instant reaction. What's the first word that comes to mind when you hear these World Cup words? Are you ready for this? Ready. Totten Army. Oh, magic. Vazenia.

35:13Ageless.

35:15Rog:Freddie LA7.

35:22Honorary American.

35:23Rog:Get that man with a green card. Dr. Joe Matchnick. Yes, man. I'm still trying to work out exactly what he's a doctor of. Mauricio Pochettino. Genius? Pochettino's haircut. up uh russell crowey yes yes finally var officials pre-match pose choices uh questionable so many questions what why how did you not think we were going to notice I don't know what to do with my hands anymore. Last question. There have been so many moments of wonder. International fans have descended on our shores. We've talked about the Scotland Tartan Army. God bless Boston. The Norwegians are arriving about to welcome another larger loving beauty and human wonder into the loving arms.

36:28Rog:Lawrence, Kansas. even Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau are spreading love what do you hope these visitors and those watching from home take with them when they leave from this whole experience John Green what do you hope America shows them you know when you I travel a lot internationally and people may have monolithic ideas about the United States the way that I have monolithic ideas about other countries and I hope what people see when they visit the US what these football fans see is a really complex, diverse nation that is trying to find its way and sometimes failing to do so. But with people who, like people in other nations, love their families and are welcoming to strangers and want to be kind and generous when they can.

37:22And I think that's most of what people are seeing. And that's really encouraging. It's also reminded me that America is a lot more complex than sometimes I would portray it as. So that's what I hope people take away is a feeling that this is a place where they felt welcome and a place that was maybe a little more complex than they initially imagined.

37:41Rog:I just think all of goodness is like somehow located in the J.J. Watt Freddie LA 7 connect that's going down in Houston, which is just so beautiful and mind boggling to me in every regard. I also want to thank the world for reminding us American restaurant staff that Europeans don't tip which is also a joy at Surrey220 says in the chat thank you Roger Bennett and John Green for a recap of my day it's reassuring I'm not the only one suffering from four matches in a day it's a lot people you know what isn't a lot? the mind of John Green a genius, a creator really an inspirer before you go tell us about Hollywood ending, which I've not had sent to me yet.

38:26Rog:And I'm very eager to get my hands on. It's a novel. I know it's an adult novel. I know it's your first novel in nine years. And I think the world couldn't be more excited that this exists. Well, thanks, Raj. I'm excited to give it to you here in the next couple of weeks, hopefully, as it gets actually finished. But it's a novel about it's a Hollywood novel. It's a story of two young people who are in a movie together. and as the movie starts to blow up, their lives also start to blow up in ways that are intoxicating, but also really challenging. And all of my experiences making movies and seeing my books turned into movies kind of float into this novel.

39:04And it's been fun to work on for the last eight years. I'm really excited to share it with people.

39:10Rog:Well, just the exposure, the excitement, the big time, the spotlight changing lives. Yeah, and changing lives in ways that are obviously thrilling and intoxicating, but also really destabilizing. And I think, you know, in trying to write about fame and celebrity culture in the 21st century in the United States, I've thought a lot about figures like Andy Warhol, the movie that they're in is about Andy Warhol, and how there's this complicated exchange of our private lives for public attention. And that used to be something that mostly movie stars did, but now it's something that lots of us do on Instagram, on Facebook, on Twitter, Shout out for the LA7.

39:51Exactly. And so it's a, these days it's almost a universal human problem. How do you exchange your private life for public attention?

40:01Rog:I did honestly think this, this book of yours, Two World Cup Cycles in the Making. Speaking of Zinnia tonight, we just interviewed James Rodriguez and he talked honestly about, there was the before my goal in 2014 in my life and my life after the goal. two different realities completely. Vizinha is going to, I mean, I was speaking to him tonight, you know, I did say to him, what does it feel like that every kid in the world tonight is playing football, just screaming your name? And he just like laughed. And it was as if I'd hit him over the head with a hammer. His life will never be the same. You're right.

40:35I mean, he will live a different life because of today. And that's such a strange, wonderful thing. But at the same time, you know, the great journalist Simon Cooper likes to say that those 1966 England players thought that they were going to be living their life forward you know that they were going to be living their life into the future but in fact they ended up living much of their life into the past because they are remembered for something that happened in 1966.

41:02Rog:Oh my god I mean that's just an amazing way to end I was actually on ESPN this morning and they asked me how why don't Scottish people what do Scottish people do with hangovers and I just was like they don't get hangovers they've not been invented yet in Scotland just like electricity just like electricity has not been invented in England John we will see you in Seattle on Friday I can't wait to be with you with Marshawn Lynch with DeAndre Yadlin we were just blessed with Ken Griffey Jr going to be joining us it's going to be quite it's going to be a Star Wars cantina of Seattle footballing wonder just be safe oh mate i can't wait to give you a hug big are you how much more of the book have you got right baby oh i'm done i'm done i just like it's just making sure all the commas are in the right place sign of the book plates the hardest part for you big love just right now rog look at that that is uh 3 000 sheets of paper that i signed today oh god that is it no wonder you're knackered four games 3 000 sheets of paper you're putting in the calorie burning.

42:07Rog:Who's going to win? England. It's coming home. Oh, God. 250th anniversary of America and England are going to be back here winning it all. God bless, John Green. You're an amazing human being. See you Friday. All right, Rog. Great to see you. Take care. Courage. What an incredible human being. What a life lived in singular style. That's Seattle's show. Come be with us. I'm Waterfront. And P.A. 58, we start 8.30ish. It's free. Come down, bring your signs, come and vibe with us for a day of American glory. Before we move on, Rory Smith is about to join me. Just a reminder, you can get a quick recap of all of today's games and the lightning preview of tomorrow's matches and storylines with my favourite show in the Men in Blazers universe.

43:01Rog:It's morning cut date with a very talented Betty Glover right here on the Men in Blazers YouTube. 50 minutes, joyfully crafted download that sets you up for the day with just a mirth and a wonder. Check it out tomorrow morning, 8 a.m. Eastern on the Men in Blazers. Ah, YouTube page. It's time to bring back my old duffer. Man has just watched the miracle that was Iran won, New Zealand won. Oh, how much do you miss the most? It's Mr. Rory Smith. How you doing, Rog? Oh, how you doing? Ian, I'm jealous. You're at a World Cup game. I mean, magic you've just witnessed. Yeah, a really, really good game.

43:39A really kind of enthralling game. Not necessarily the highest quality, but maybe two of the best goals of the tournament for New Zealand. And I'm a sucker for a header right into the corner as well. So Iran's second was pretty special too.

43:49Rog:They were all great. And I do want to quickly touch, because this was some wheels-of-in-wheels game. I mean, it says Iran, the geopolitics, really overwhelming the preparation for this tournament to become darlings in Mexico, where they were forced to last minute relocate to Tijuana. It was quite moving, however you think about the current geopolitical situation, to see hundreds of Mexican fans gather to give the Iranian team a really profound send-off today. Signs that read, football is a universal language of love. Iranian players were clearly visibly moved by the gesture. Then they arrived in Los Angeles and were greeted by protesters, There's real heavy police presence, security presence with drones, sniffer dogs, mobile surveillance.

44:37Rog:We've talked about it. Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian population outside of Iran, at least half a million in Southern California, which is now Westwood has 138 ,000. It's an area named Tarangeles, which is mind-blowing America. What was it like outside the stadium before the game? There was a protest, Rog. I would say a few hundred people carrying the flag of the Shah, the kind of pre-revolutionary flag, playing music, listening to speeches, lots of kind of placards and banners. But to be honest, it wasn't a hostile atmosphere. I mean, without wanting to show my battle stars too much.

45:17You know, I've been to lots of games in Europe where you feel that there is an edge in the air. And I didn't really feel that today. The protest was really good-natured. I think a lot of people were worried about being able to get into the stadium whilst wearing or carrying the pre-revolutionary flag, which is technically a prohibited symbol. FIFA have a ban on political symbols and that counts as a political symbol in FIFA's view. So they come up with kind of plans about how to smuddle it into the stadium. They're going to wear it on T-shirts under Iranian national team shirts and then take the national team shirt off and have the symbol.

45:51That didn't turn out to be necessary. There were hundreds of those flags and T-shirts in the stands, people with it painted on their faces. But outside, it felt like a World Cup match, to be honest. There were fans in all sorts of different shirts, a lot of people in Mexico shirts, who were here to have a good time. Quite a few Kiwis, not too many Kiwis. They were a little bit outnumbered. It felt celebratory, as all World Cup matches do, because people are ultimately the vast majority of the 70 ,000 at the Los Angeles Stadium, as we have to call it, Rog. They were excited to be here, and as much as everyone would have been aware of the geopolitical kind of context, the fraught nature of Iran's journey to this World Cup, the vast majority of people wanted to come to a World Cup match.

46:34So although we were all aware of the politics, you could feel the politics, it didn't, I've got to say, it didn't really dominate the occasion.

46:40Rog:I was surprised on television, the noise whenever Iran surged forward, the stadium really crackled. Who was doing the cheering? That is an amazing question, Rog, because that's what's been most interesting, kind of being at the game and experiencing it is I kind of thought that the Iranian national anthem would be booed it's the the anthem of the Islamic Republic the uh the kind of the diaspora community as a whole not not probably not universally but the majority don't like it um and there was some booing but there was also some people singing it and there was some kind of general football stadium din which is the kind of the background noise of everything um and then when Iran got the ball attack there was that kind of roar it was quite a kind of guttural roar of excitement of them going forward they were being I saw with my own eyes kind of what you know people in Mexico shirts actively supporting Iran I saw people in Iranian shirts actively supporting Iran I saw lots of people kind of generally supporting attacking football I think that's probably fair to say um but it definitely wasn't the case that that Iran were the bad guys in the stadium that that isn't how it manifested at all.

47:47There were obviously cheers when New Zealand started, there were cheers when New Zealand attacked, but there were also lots of people clearly who wanted to see Iran win. And having spoken to people, you know, there were lots of kind of Iranian diaspora, members of the Iranian diaspora here who wanted to see the team lose because they feel that the team represents the regime or that any glory for the team accrues to the Iranian regime to which they are opposed. But there were also people who were carrying, you know, the symbols of pre-revolutionary Iran. I met one guy who had an image of the Shah on his smartwatch who was supporting Iran and wanted them to win.

48:21People are complicated, politics are complicated, and those two people kind of find their own way to be comfortable with what they want to happen. I think we are all generally, whether we're Iranian or not, quite good at getting ourselves to a position where we can be comfortable with something that is very complicated.

48:37Rog:I like people who can compartmentalise and just keep their political protests within the confines of their Apple Watch. That's just like huge, huge respect. Yeah, I'm cheering. Look at that. General Football Din, by the way, great name for a band. Get on it. I want to touch quickly on the goals because I thought they were exquisite. New Zealand, lowest ranked team in the tour and opened the screen on their very first attack. Seventh minute, a goal that was end to end. New Zealand goalkeeper, my new favourite player, Max Crocombe, best mullet outside of WrestleMania 3. Found Chris Wood. my god this man watching him chest twist roast surrounded by defenders um and he fencing who kept then kept running did flip passes with elijah just who's my new favorite footballer come to everton elijah hit that ball with murderous intent raw be honest i'm gonna text you this if brazil scored that goal we would all have pissed our pants just a little bit wouldn't we absolutely No, it was a genuinely brilliant goal, a really, as you say, a really flowing move.

49:44And Iran had been the kind of more threatening side until that point. And then New Zealand kind of just break free with this reckless abandon, this wonderful kind of interplay. And I don't, you know me, Rog, I don't like to stereotype Antipodeans, that I'm not in that business.

49:57Rog:I do think of you as an Antipodean stereotype. With people asking, what's Rory Smith like? I'm like, he's an Antipodean stereotype. I just can't stop. But it's not, I think it's probably fair to say it's not the sort of goal we would expect New Zealand to score. I was expecting if New Zealand scored, it would be a Chris Wood header. That's what, that's what we were all, you know, we were in business for that. Shane Smeltz exhumed from the grave. Exactly. No, it was a genuinely kind of brilliant piece of football, a really flowing move. And it did, it got an amazing reaction within the stadium.

50:28Rog:And then they ran. God bless them. I was blown away that they had the immense composure to keep their focus. after all they've been through. This is not a political statement. It's just a human one. They summon the equaliser, a resilient, that little flick, really stunning stab home. Second half, New Zealand scored another goal. But again, if you squint and someone tells you this was netted by Spain 2010, you would believe them. This move from left to right, Chris passes into space to feet, ending with Chris Wood again. and Eli just come to Everton Elijah just deliciously exchanging passes at high speed it was like big man little man 56 minutes little Shaq sorry little Kobe and big Shaq style it was electric it really was cushioning that ball I could watch it all day what Wood did this modern iteration of international football which has always been lesser than club football the players don't train as much, so the teams are broken and can't be fixed because there's no transfers you can do.

51:39Rog:But it's like all of these players, not even at the high level anymore, but everyone in the midst of football are now so highly coached. The quality of international football at this World Cup has been higher than ever. Yeah, I think I've coined a word for it, Rog. Please. Do you want to hear it? I think it's the Brightonification of international football. I think that's what we're seeing. That's it. that they all have access to so much of the stuff that goes into making a great team. So whether that's nutrition or conditioning or strength work or coaching plans or methodologies or training sessions, they are all well coached.

52:15They are all kind of they've all basically everyone at this tournament has come through an academy, a professionalised academy where they will have had really high quality training from from the age of like seven or whatever. No one here is about is a bad player. And what you're seeing is that even the so-called smaller teams, the teams that we would traditionally see maybe as minnows, they're not weak. They are able to put together a game plan. They can frustrate, as Cape Verde did today. They can attack, as New Zealand did today. And, you know, we've seen one blowout in Germany and Curacao. And I think John said earlier, didn't he, that even Curacao had their moments.

52:51For the first half hour, they were in that game. They were level in that game. And I think maybe fitness or whatever told a little bit towards the end. But that didn't feel like a total mismatch for 90 minutes. It felt like a mismatch for a bit, but not for 90 minutes. And I really think that will emerge as one of the themes of this World Cup. I think to an extent we sort of look at a country's population and think that correlates to how good they must be at football. It doesn't really work like that anymore because you can put together a good squad of high-quality professionals, maybe not elite Champions League players but high quality professionals from a relatively small population and New Zealand have done that alright many of them don't play in Europe Elijah Just is at Motherwell Rog yet another triumph for Scottish football the world now revolves around Scotland we've established this he will not be in Scotland for long he has scored two goals at a World Cup someone will take a punt on Elijah Just and John was saying earlier that the Xenia's life has changed today Elijah Just's bank balance will have changed today

53:52Rog:God is good God is good. Iran roared back, raking pass out to Amon Godos, found the attacking midfielder in so much space in the right. That early cross to Mohamed Mohaby, just inch perfect. Had that angled exquisitely, archly, and kissed the post even on its way home, should count double. Really almost deserves its own UNESCO heritage status. Yeah, perfect goal. There's something really satisfying about a header like that, You can see from the arc of the ball what's going to happen. A little bit of movement from the striker to make space right into the side netting. It's blissful, Rog. As a Brit, that's what football should look like.

54:39Rog:It is. It is Plato's cave version of football that we all want to see. Shattered minds down the stretch. What a game. All in. Both sides. Everything Iran's been through to focus on the football, I think it's an amazing mental achievement. What did it feel like at the end, the atmosphere, the final whistle? And Jack O 'Lantern984 in the chat wants to know, what stadium food is we're eating tonight? I have not sampled the stadium food. I went down to get a drink for myself and for my beloved Tariq Panduraj, who was sacked. Oh, TP. And TP wanted some water. I wanted some electrolytes. And there was quite a long queue.

55:21and as we got to the front, a very harassed-looking man came out and said... I wasn't going to get any food anyway. But he came out and said to this disappointed Q, we can't service food orders anymore. There's been a very sensitive incident in the kitchen.

55:40And I'm desperate to know what it is. Somebody Scott McTominay, do you think? I mean, that was where my mind went, Rog. And that's the only thing I can think. But I don't think I've ever used the phrase, there's been a sensitive incident in the kitchen.

55:58Rog:By the way, why did he not just BS you all? He wanted you to know. He wanted you to know. You know when you've got some gossip, you just want to tell people. I think he was caught in that trap. I think he knew many of you were journalists. He's trying to spin you. You're all there for the geopolitical story. What did I want? Do they want to know about the protesters outside? Do they want to know about this fraught situation with America and Iran and Los Angeles? Or do they want you to leave thinking, should I write about the sensitive issue in the kitchen story? And now I'm really, wow, I'm interested.

56:38Calling up and saying, look, I know we were talking about the politics of it, but I think someone might have pooed themselves in the kitchen. Let's do that instead.

56:47Rog:This is how we heal the world. with more sensitive than you in the kitchen and less than that political stuff. What was it like very quickly at the end? Yeah, it was... Other than... By the way, if it was you in the kitchen and you're watching now, we wish you better. We do, darlings. There's no judgment here. It was... To be honest... Tell us what happened. Because it had been such a kind of breathless game, I think there was a kind of an overall sense of we've enjoyed ourselves. It was, you know, it was what you'd expect and the crowd disperses. There's still quite a lot of people in the stadium, I think, because obviously it's a massive facility.

57:24It's hard to find your way out. But it felt like we had all seen a really good World Cup game. I suspect for Iran, it's a relief to get it out of the way. Obviously, they've had so much doubt about whether they'd even play. Right up until yesterday, I was surprised that they landed in L.A., apparently without any kind of controversy or doubt or scandal or anxiety, they just kind of flew from Tijuana and they were here. They will have wondered, I think, right up until the very last moment, whether they will be able to take to the field. So for them, I think it will be a relief. For New Zealand, it will be a point of enormous pride.

58:02But the thing is, Roger, we do know that New Zealand love drawing games at World Cups. This is what they do. They turn up, they face whoever they want, and they draw. They're not going to beat you, but they won't lose. That's what New Zealand do. So I think for them, a huge amount of pride to take a point. Elijah Just, I think, will sleep well tonight. Maybe he won't sleep at all, actually. But for Iran, it'll be a relief more than anything.

58:28Rog:And as the world arrives in the United States for the biggest spectacle in sports, we're going coast to coast, host city to host city to meet the world with the Men in Blazers Matchday Live Tour. These are free college game day style live events taking place just before kickoff at some of the biggest games of the summer. But we'll be taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans. It's going to be amazing. Come and be with us in person or from afar on YouTube. And let's celebrate this summer the way it's meant to be celebrated. Head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details.

59:05Rog:To the football, to more together courage. In the other game, another draw, three draws on the four draws on the day. But I don't think there have been three draws since 1994. So this is history. Not really the most intriguing kind. Saudi Arabia won, Uruguay won, 87 degrees, sticky, soupy Miami. Leaves all the teams in Group H level on one point. Common Bowl teams, not so hot so far. Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay all fail to win their first game. Over to you tomorrow. Argentina and Colombia. So much for home hemisphere advantage, if that's a thing. So let's look at tomorrow very quickly before we go.

59:46Rog:We begin with an epic rumble. France against Senegal. Asterisk, the people's AFCON champions. Facing a former coloniser in a repeat of your opening game from the 2002 World Cup, back when coach Pape Chau was on the team as manager. He's lost, I think, three times since taking over in 2024, including one of the more formidable teams to match the ferocity of their nickname. I love it, the Lions of Taranga. We know all about France. They've made the last two finals. Didier Deschamps, last riders coach after 14 years. They are the team many expect to win it. They could potentially do so. Honestly, with their third string.

1:00:29Rog:But the truth is, Roar, this is going to be a banger. and what's fascinating, the Ivorians' hopes are as high as Sadio Mane's hairline. Senegalese hopes are as high as Sadio Mane's hairline. Yeah, they are. I think, as you say, it's not been a great start for CONNBOL. It's not actually been a brilliant start for Europe, to be honest. This so far has been CONCACAF and AFRON territory, as well as obviously the AFC in Asia. It does feel as though those middle-class nations, Brightonification, they have stepped up to the plate and Senegal won't go in with any fear. we saw what Morocco did against Brazil and France got better depth.

1:01:05They've got a better spread of talent than Brazil. But Senegal will have looked at that and thought, okay, we, you know, this is our chance to lay down a marker as well, that those two teams are by far the best in Africa. They are the two great powerhouses of African football and have been for about 10 years. They will, Senegal have not come to play. They are here to, they are here to win or at least, you know, get deep into the tournament. They won't go in with any fear against France. I'm absolutely certain of that. They, they might be African champions. It's very hard to tell who's African champions.

1:01:32It's sort of both of them.

1:01:34Rog:We all are. We're everybody's African champions. If you look at Senegal's squad, they've got a huge amount of talent, a huge amount of experience. They are not to be taken lightly. And the match in that group, somehow even better nicknamed the Lions of Mesopotamia. Iraq had the longest journey to this tournament. 40-year hiatus, 28 grueling months of qualifying, which their players described in one word, hell, for the 10-hour bus ride to get out from under the closed airspace of the conflict. Many of their fans were turned away by visa issues this summer. But instead of dreading the group of death, their coach, the Aussie, Graham Arnold, really embraced it.

1:02:13Rog:He called it the group of excitement, which I think he's trying to get to catch on. And it's not really catching on, but I just love the idea. Just no sweat. Just like, you know, the Viking crew in Norway, last seen taking in the Stanley Cup finals to face with all that talent. for them. First World Cup appearance since 1998. Haaland, more goals than games for Norway. I do believe, Ru, is America about to fall in love with the Viking road chant as yet another lager-loving, joyful fanbase takes over Boston? Yeah, the Viking road chant is kind of the next iteration of the Icelandic thunderclap, isn't it?

1:02:50I think that there will be a lot of joy about Norway being back for the first time since 1998. The other thing, Roger, is I think that America might fall in love with Erling Haaland, that this feels like a tournament where he could... There's something unique about him, and he's such a singular character, that I think he's the sort of person who might emerge from the shadow of Christian Pulisic and his many commercial obligations to be the real star of this World Cup. He will score goals. He's so distinctive. He will stand out. Erling Haaland, that's the one thing you can say about Erling Haaland.

1:03:23He stands out. It could well be that what we see tomorrow is the star of the player who comes to define the tournament.

1:03:29Rog:It's very interesting. A number of the players are obsessed with becoming the face of this World Cup because of the commercial opportunity in America. Mbappe is one. He really wants to be in the legacy of this tournament. The man. Haaland, I think, also, as someone who's an American sports fan, really, really, really intrigued. No one's going to knock off Christian Pulisic, let's be honest. The acting chops alone, man. The big game, probably the biggest. I don't like to be hyperbolic in the whole history of Lawrence, Kansas. Their beloved Algeria take on really champions Argentina. Little Messi makes history.

1:04:09Rog:It's the first bloke to play in six men's World Cups. Ronaldo will probably join him. He's just bringing the gang back together for one last tournament. The other, Lionel Scaloni, the manager, has said this game is, I love this, important but not critical. pointing out they lost their first game in 2022. It didn't end up so shabby. So they'll have time to recover from having their brains blown by burnt ends, I think, in Kansas City. No matter what happens, in Algeria, their Bayer Leverkusen midfielder, Iberahim Mazza, nicknamed Mazadona. Just love that. That is so unbelievably... He told the press that they plan.

1:04:49Rog:He was asked, what's your plan? He said, beat Messi. Wrong. That's a pretty solid tactical plan, isn't it? He's got to the number of the issue, Rog, you can't deny it. I think backed by the passion of Lawrence, Kansas, which has been such a wonderful story in this World Cup, to see how that city has embraced Algeria, and Algeria has embraced the city, has been really heartwarming. Second only to the Tartan Army's conquest of Boston. Algeria shouldn't be taken lightly either. They've got some real talent in that team. Riyad Mahrez, it's part of the game, innit? in it. It's part of the game, isn't it?

1:05:25It'll be interesting to see how good Argentina are, because they've not... They qualified really easily. They look great in Comma Ball. They are a side based around a man who's nearly 40. Traditionally not ideal, but that man is Lionel Messi, so you never know.

1:05:39Rog:Those are the two great 40-year-olds, Lionel Messi and... the Cape Verde keeper. That's right. They're the two great sort of quadrennial superstars. Yeah, I think... It's the World Cup of Unks, rule but the the world cup of books the um the other thing i think that's really interesting is that we've seen various like ignition points of this world cup the u.s winning on on friday of course being the main one does feel a little bit like messi's messi kind of making his bow is another kind of high point for saying the world cup is here this is why messi's been in the states for the last three years this is what fox are kind of advertising as a kind of right this is when it properly starts there's real anticipation about seeing messi i'm going to Kansas to watch him.

1:06:20I'm very excited. I don't know whether I'm more excited about that or going to Joe's. It's one of the two. It's about even. It will be another kind of red-letter day for the World Cup when Messi is back on a World Cup pitch.

1:06:33Rog:The day will end with Ralf Rangnick's lawn ball, his Austrian team largely having come through his Red Bull system. They're playing against Jordan, sadly not the air variety in their first ever World Cup. We'll break all of this down tomorrow night with the actor Diego Luna. I can't wait to be with him, get his bit. I love that human being. At Noah Spurs 125 in the chat says, if only Rory were a paparazzo, he would have bribed his way into the kitchen story. I mean, the generalistic ethics of that are appalling, but I won't lie to you. I might go and see if the man's still there and ask him what happened.

1:07:08Rog:You'd have to be a craparazzo, I think, to get to the bottom of this story. That would be my father's joke. You're going to get to the bottom of the story, Rory. stick the vids on our YouTube man, they'll do some numbers we're going to close with a letter, as always we invite you, dear listeners, share your World Cup moments, your memories, your feelings, your journeys with us, we want to hear from you, tell us the best of your World Cup days, the memories you're making, you can hear, oh, them close our very show, drop us a line in the Men in Blazers Discord, which I am in all day, in the games, with hundreds of you, send us an email, meninblazersgmail.com tag us on social.

1:07:48Rog:Let's make memories together. I'm going to read it, Rourke, because you're in the stadium. Today, we're going to message from Discord user at TNC, Offee Life, who writes, a few weeks ago, my mum and stepdad said they wanted to go to a World Cup game. They tasked me with making the selection. After much deliberation, I settled on a round of 16 game in my ancestral haunt of Philly, 4th of July. My stepdad is undergoing surgery to remove a cancer on July 9th, all signs from the doctors point to good news it can be taken care of but it rings true in the words let's never take a moment of watching football together for granted it's beautiful rule yeah and it is i think the one thing you see at games and it's reminded me this is my first game of this tournament is is how much it means to people to be here and look i i i think people have paid too much for tickets if i'm completely honest i think that some of the prices are a bit steep but there's no question that 70 ,000 here to watch Iran against New Zealand which is not, I said this to a friend of mine who's a Kiwi earlier and he looked slightly offended but got over it pretty quickly it's not the most attractive game on paper, Iran versus New Zealand but there was a little kid sat not too far from me who was just wide-eyed throughout the game and you realise what it is to see not just an amazing stadium but to see the World Cup, this event that brings people together is a real privilege so enjoy it Yeah, I'd say for your stepdad we're praying for his health, speedy recovery.

1:09:15Rog:I love football for so many reasons, but the one I truly cherish the most is that connection, cross-generation, that memory-making with the ones that we love. Savour it, enjoy it, Godspeed to you and your family. It's big of you to have a New Zealand friend role when you're such an antipodean stereotyper. No, but my antipodean stereotype is that I like Kiwis. Hey! Oh, that is it for the night. At P-Bot 33 says, oh, the story of the kitchen, something smells funny about that story. Stop it at P-Bot. Note about this Saturday. June the 20th. Is that this Saturday? Holy crap. We're going up to Seattle for a Matchday Live show on the 19th with John Green, with Marshawn Lynch, with DeAndre Yedlin, with Ken Griffey Jr., with King Roar.

1:10:01Rog:We're coming back to LA. We'll be back on the Santa Monica Pier to break ourselves out of the studio and record Night Cup in person. Come and be with us if you're in LA in front of the Michelob Ultra Pitchside Club audience. We've got Jürgen Klinsmann joining us as our guest. It's actually a day Germany play on. I think it will be so beautiful to hear him hold court on that and also on the US games to come as we work through the insanity of all of it. RSVP in the show notes below. Ru, you're an amazing man. Get out of there. Get yourself some food. Get yourself some electrolytes. Thank you for being with us, you gorgeous human being.

1:10:39It's always a pleasure, Roger. Because unfortunately, this background, this is exactly how I've decorated my house at home, so I feel very comfortable.

1:10:45Rog:And to all of you, savor every second watching this World Cup. We'll be back tomorrow night with Diego Luna, the actor. Big love. Courage.

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