The Path to World Cup Glory LIVE in Boston with Noah Kahan, Zdeno Chara, Clint Dempsey, Sam Mewis and more: Men in Blazers 12/06/25

26:28We had to get a German to do it for us yeah Rory doesn't want it to happen anyway but he wouldn't count it no I would the only circumstances in which it's possibly acceptable is if it's actually a German that would be then the England World Cup win will have an asterisk against it when Liverpool won the league the last two times but I am digressing because I do want to say the classic group of death probably group I not to go Sesame Street on your arse France placed with that magical collective Senegal oh my god misplaced in pot 3 meat grinder Norway James who gets out alive there? I think Senegal and Norway I think Didier Deschamps he's been in the job too long yes there are lots of new French players coming through bright young things But this job should have been Zinedine Zidane's job two, four years ago So I think there's more freshness about Norway, more freshness about Senegal I think that's going to be the big shock France going through is a third place team There's a lot of ghosts there for France They played Senegal as holders in 2002 in the first game and lost This great shame that the rest of Europe really enjoyed That will bring back a lot of bad memories for the French England winning even when they're not playing It's the only time we win But let's move to happier joy Haaland versus Mbappe June 26th right here In Gillette Sorry Boston Stadium By the way you Bostonians are going to get so unbelievably confused Having to explain to like 500 ,000 Norwegians When they're like where is Boston Stadium and you're like, I have no idea what you're talking about.

28:29But talking about epic clashes, defending champion Argentina with 63-year-old Lionel Messi, fresh off, fulfilling today his childhood dream that he grew up with as a boy in Rosario of winning MLS Cup. He's finally fulfilled. Yeah. He's like, and now I can retire. I've done it. No, hang on a minute. I need to get another supporters shield. The commentators on Fox, I'm pretty sure, I watched the last half hour, and at one point they flashed up Bustiets and Alba and Messi and said, these players who've won everything that's worth winning, and I thought, as opposed to this, is that what's happening?

29:08But Messi looked really happy. He didn't run around for the last 20 minutes, but he looked really happy. I mean, do you know how many pairs of George you can buy with a bonus check that you get when you win the MLS Cup? I mean this is a gentleman that is so happy in the United States of America whether he plays in the World Cup or doesn't narrator's voice he will they've had a kind draw defending champions Algeria, Austria and Jordan the best Jordan since Pickford

29:40is this the real life? is this just fantasy? in the defending champions quarterfinal journey they could play Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo. It's like a daytime soap opera now. I guess I'm asking, is this the closest World Cup football has ever come to the Zoolander walk-off scene between Derek and Hansel? Yeah, I mean, is it Orange Mochaccino Day? Orange Frappuccino Day? I mean, for me, what's most intriguing about Argentina is they play two of the three games in Kansas City now. And for those Argentines, they're very proud barbecuers. Yeah. I think they're going to show people from Kansas how to barbecue.

30:30I think that's what they're going to come for. They're going to be distracted by that. And we're not even going to get Messi Ronaldo. The Argentines are going to be out. I think the opposite is true. I think the Argentinian fans, when I was in the Brazil World Cup, there were 100 ,000, I talked about this at the draw, 100 ,000 Argentinians slept on the Copacabana beach. I thought that beach was named after, I thought Brazilians loved Barry Manolet so much, they named the beach after one of his songs. But they all slept there. They're going to descend upon Argentina. They're going to go to Oklahoma Joe's.

30:59They're going to taste the Big Z. And they're going to be like, sod this barbecue that we've done for hundreds of years. They're going to go back and take the Kansas City barbecue back with them. Just like every team that plays in Atlanta is going to take lemon pepper wet, whether they win or lose. These are the real victories of the World Cup. By the way, the boss, any team in Norway in about five generations' time, when genuinely, they're like, grandfather, why do we drive a duck boat around our fjords? They're like, oh. I do want to get some quick reactions to you, but I want to know, the fact that the eighth place, eight third place teams go through in this tournament, which means kind of like the three points and a not terrible goal difference should get you through.

31:50We're going to have 72 games in the opening round just to knock out 16 teams. France amongst them probably. Does that dent the sense of intrigue and jeopardy in the opening stages? I guess it'll be more of a slow burn to an extent, but you always get stories. In 94, it was 24 teams, so the third place teams went through as well. and you still get drama in those games. You'll still have teams who are going into that last round of games who need to win to qualify. And there'll be teams that need to win, even if they've already qualified, that want to finish first. So I think you still get drama.

32:23It will kind of build through the tournament, but I think that might make what comes at the end better. God, I love that answer. By the way, there is a future in diplomacy for you if football punditry and the Renovation Media Network does not work out. It's time for our speed round. We're going to pivot through these so bloody quickly. There's a lot of middleweights in this. I mean, a lot of middleweights who pack a bloody great punch. This is a lot of great coaches coaching a lot of these teams as well, which is going to be a game changer. Can you name one outsider who's going to break through into the clear blue water of the knockout round?

33:00Who's going to be the Morocco of 2026? I think it could be a team that's not already qualified. so I'm going to say Turkey who will be in the group with the US. They don't like that. People don't like the truth. Ecuador. Ecuador are amazing. Ecuador think they can get to the semifinals. Ecuador do not regard themselves as outsiders. They're the second best team in South America. Ecuador would be really good. God bless. Look at that. Making a mental note to have the American team to start eating guinea pig immediately. When you look at this draw, can you pick one individual that we're not talking about right now who will shine?

33:42And during the months of June and July 2026, every kid on every schoolyard across the planet will be screaming their name after the opening round. Who will that be? So I'm going to go for Desiree Douay of France, man of the match in the Champions League final. Someone that Wayne Gretzky would call Desire Dou.

34:06And by the way, if anyone from Dunkin' Donuts' marketing department is here tonight, I think he's your man to do a deal with ahead of the World Cup. Double D. I'm going to go for Nico Williams, the other winner for Spain. Lamin, everyone who watched Lamin, it could well be Lamin's tournament. The birth of a global star. You think Haaland's going to conquer America with a big Norse warrior. Lamin is a star in the making. But Nico Williams is the counterpart. part. It would be a big tournament for him. I think the answer is Riccardo Pepe, if I'm being candid. That's not me just playing to the crowd in any way.

34:45I love that man. I love his tenacity. I love his story and he is primed in every way. But history tells us. I don't like negativity, but one of these teams will crash and burn in the group stage. France did it in 2010. Spain 2014. Which football superpower will have their end. Look at that. I take no pleasure in that. We'll have their run end in the group stage even in the format in which pretty well everybody gets to go to the next round. In the group stage? Yeah, you're asking a lot there, Rog. Yeah. You don't want to say the word England. I think Germany. The Germans have qualified weirdly.

35:25Turns out Florian Virts isn't very good. I'm not cross about it. It's fine. Have you been looking for your receipt? Yeah, the no they're kind of something weird has happened You know I think we all get that sensation these days that we're living in kind of the upside down to an extent England is now Germany and Germany is now England So they're having a massive national existential crisis about their team being terrible. I can see the dot got a tricky group With Ecuador and the Ivory Coast. I can see them actually going out I'm gonna say Italy If they're there Italy actually have a higher percentage To qualify from their group Than the US do at the moment Because of the group that they would go into And they're not even in the bloody world cup How Italian is that?

36:14How are we so disrespected That the Vatican City Has a better chance of winning the world cup Than the United States does But go on, make your case beautiful Well I mean for Italy I mean, that is my case. They will, I mean, they haven't got out of a group stage since they won the damn thing in 2006. So, you know, even if they do make it, it's going to be tough. It's going to be like a terrible episode of the old Ashton Kutcher punked. You made it. You're out of here, baby. Major tournaments. Fans will become a huge part of the culture. I mean, more and more, to be candid, the joy of the World Cup is off the field.

36:55It really is. It's like 80 ,000 Dutch fans bouncing down. Links, rechts, links, rechts. They'll be doing that incredibly in the United States. Probably looking the wrong way at the traffic that's about to plough through them in America, which is faintly terrifying. There'll be German saxophonists in our cities bouncing around with thousands of fans following them. The Totten Army will be right here. Yes. Which is the fan base you believe that we are overlooking, that we don't know yet, who will be the champions of vibes of the next world. Are we overlooking the Irish, given that they're not here yet?

37:32I think if the Irish get in, Troy Parrott and everything, I mean, yeah. The Irish have to make it. The Irish will be fun, but the Scots, the Scots are going to be amazing. As long as they're not anywhere too sunny, they'll be fine. Don't put the Scots in Texas, that would be... I can't remember where their games are, but that is not in anybody's interest. Are they here? Two games right here. That's great, because the Scots hate the English as well. By the way, if you guys want to get on Shark Tank, you could take onto Shark Tank the idea of sun lotion and sell it to Scottish people. Someone in this room is going to make an absolute bloody killing.

38:16To be fair, Rog, there is an argument that the real star of the World Cup will be John McGinn's arse. That is a phenomenon that is about to hit America. I would be shocked if there was not a sculpture of John McGinn's arse in Boston after this World Cup in every regard, and its truth will be a beauty that will teach generations. By the way, yesterday FIFA gave our president a sculpture that included Christian Pulisic's testicle being grabbed by hands. Yeah. So I think it's time that America had a sculpture of John McGinn's arse as one of our civic wonders. Let's talk about the winners. Opta, believe after yesterday, Spain, favourites to win the World Cup, 70 % chance.

39:00France, 14.1%. England, 11.8%, which still leaves a lot of room to break a nation's hearts. By the way, the US, according to Opta, have just 0.9 % chance of winning the bloody thing. which I was a bit annoyed about but I was also like, are you telling me there's a chance? Who will win this bloody thing and why? I think Argentina might retain it. There we go. Was there a boo out there? There was a boo over there, yeah. Okay, interesting. No, because when they won the World Cup four years ago they did it with players who broke into the team during the tournament. So your Julian Alvarez's, your Enzo Fernandez's, your Alexis McAllister's.

39:42They've now got Franco Mastro Antonio, Nico Paz. They're not so Messi dependent. So I'm going to go with Argentina to retain it. Just so you know how convinced James is of that argument, he said Brazil yesterday. I did. In fact, in the notes I made for this answer, I put Brazil. Sorry. Oh, it's trying to be England, isn't it? It's trying to be England, and I'm going to have to go home. Make the case. They've got a really good manager who's German. They have Harry Kane, who I think is the best English player of all time. He is now German. as well. He looks increasingly German. Maybe that's why Tucker likes them so much.

40:21They've got a squad that's probably as good as anybody apart from France. They've got all of that talent. Elliot Anderson is going to be an absolute world beater for England. To people who watch a lot of the Premier League, that won't be a surprise but there's an entire planet that is about to discover how good Elliot Anderson is. The one thing that gives me hope might cost them is they will be so tired at the end of the season. So I send this to James on the way. I have a small theory that the countries that are going to do really well are the ones with lots of players in Saudi. Like Saudi Arabia.

40:56Except for Saudi Arabia. Because those guys aren't running around. They're just sort of wandering about. They're not tracking back. No one's pressing in the Saudi pro league. So I think this could be Darwin Nunez's World Cup. He got out when he could. Yeah. Yep. God bless. Imagine America kind of embracing football through the medium of Darwin Nunez. That's what people want. It would be an incredible thing. Like, genuinely, Pele came here, played in the NASL, and then was on every single lunchbox for two generations. If Darwin Nunez is on every child's lunchbox after this World Cup for the next 30 years, I'm going to actually...

41:36I may not see the US men win a World Cup in my lifetime. but I want to say name one team that no one's talking about that you just both adore their narrative, their story ultimately we're all talking bollocks no one knows about the draw taught us one dimension of football we don't know anything there's the heat, there's the journey there's injuries, there's bonuses not paid which will take out about a third of the team everything is just speculation but there is narrative the sweet, wonderful national journeying. Which team, when you think about it, are the teams that we know and love and breathe about that no one's talking about, you just adore, and cannot wait to see play out live at this World Cup?

42:25I love the Dutch. For a lot of reasons. Clogs, cheese, football. But I think they've got the best midfield in the tournament with Reinders, Gravenberg and De Jong. And it's just great to be around Dutch people. I don't know what it is. Let me just move this back to the PG. It's Strew Waffles. It's Strew Waffles, James. The Dutch. I mean, some of the stories like Lower Down are amazing. Curacao is incredible. Curaco. Curaco. Wayne Gretzky's beloved Curaco. And Jordan. Jordan. Yeah. Jordan's amazing. Uzbekistan is amazing. Haiti is incredible. By the way. Like it's... Obviously, like being British, like the view in Europe is they shouldn't have expanded the World Cup.

43:19It's too big. The quality is not there. But then you think that Haiti gets to be there. Partly does obviously the three hosts qualify automatically. It's that's such an amazing story for a country that's been through so much. And it's that that makes the World Cup special. It's not always the teams that win it. It's the teams that take part. by the way I do want to end on that I am totally smitten with this Haiti team I mean the other team in Boston in that Scotland, Brazil Morocco key party in that group but what a story Le Grenadiers are 84th in the nation overall this is a once in a lifetime story of wonder we're saying they have not been in the World Cup since 1974 most Haitians were not alive when their team last played They live for like watching Brazil in the World Cup.

44:06They are now going to see their team face Brazil. I mean, it's magic. It is utterly magic. There's a humanitarian crisis in Haiti. This team has still risen up and qualified for this team. And if they can win one game and make us scream Haiti's name, what a narrative changing thing that would be for this nation. that Haiti to Scotland 1 scoreline is going to be just I mean by the way if you're in the room punch business whoop by the way this to me and I agree is all that's good about football you are both all that's good about football I adore being with you both it's joyous that you've come through the I mean it's crazy that you've come through all of this I'm on Zoom with both of you on the regs to be with you both in person to walk around Boston with you.

45:00I mean, generally, we have eaten well. We have drunken great. Even you, the great ice creams, like genuinely. This man is an ice cream snob. He went to get ice cream in Boston. I quaked when I ran into him on the streets of Cambridge today. I said, how was the ice cream in Boston? And he said... It was amazing. Toscanini's. Do you know what? To be fair, Horncastle is a much more sophisticated man than me and even he was impressed. Yeah, it was incredible. Tried the bourbon and Viennese fingers at Bostonini. Met my wife for the first time. The first thing he said to us, try the bourbon ice cream at Tannini's.

45:40I do want to say, Boston, you've wrapped these human beings in your arms. You've shown them incredible love. It's a joy to be with you. We will be back for the World Cup in your city. Please be upstanding for the two most thoughtful footballing beings I know, James Horncastle and Terry's chocolate orange in human form, Mr. Rory Smith.

46:07Rory Smith and James Horncastle. Are you ready to talk about the USA? Are there any American fans here? So let's go from the general to the specific and delve into the host nation narrative with a heavy emphasis on the US of A. As Kenny Powers used to say, America's the best country, the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism. By the way, when I became an American citizen, I want you to know when I swore in, that was the mental picture that I did have in my heart and in my mind. So to delve into our dreams, our yearnings, it's an incredible joy to bring to this stage two human beings who I adore, two humans I've learned so bloody much from, two human beings I have loved watching on the football field wearing the shirt of our nation, two giants of the game who played World Cups that we have marveled at and now broadcast with us here at the Men in Blazers Media Network.

47:15Boston, please be upstanding for the quite magical Mr. Hurt Gomez and the one-time New England Rev, Mr. Clint Dempsey!

47:50This guy's gassing us up. You guys know who this is?

47:59Why are you booing him? What's up? Oh, Deuce. Oh, okay, there we go. Did you think they were booing? Why are you booing him? This man's a national treasure. I know. They were just shouting, Mr. Boo-urns. Mr. Mike Burns. Mike Burns. You don't boo Clint Dempsey, do you, Boston? What's up? Good crowd tonight. By the way, genuinely, I'm a man of peace, but were you booing him, I would be pulling nunchuckers out of my anus. That's a proper crowd. That's a proper crowd. It is a proper crowd, and we are here to talk at an incredible time. It's incredible to share the stage with you. In Boston, you spent three seasons here as a rev.

48:41Look at him. Look at that. Yes, sir. long hair don't care. Clint, I'll say the same that I said when I saw myself in a Dunkin' Donuts. My life achievement was getting a Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee. Clint was playing professional football. Neither of us have changed. Does Clint look the same as he did then, right? Nah. When you look at that, what do you think, Clint? Man, I'm just lucky to come to a great city like Boston to play with the revolution, to play with some great players, but also some great coaches. I'm just, for Steve Nickel, Paul Mariner, may he rest in peace, just did a lot for me.

49:23And, yeah, thanks for welcoming me with open arms and kind of my, you know, second home from Texas. How would you sum up the sporting spirit of this city, Clint? I mean, I would just say it's a city that gets behind their team. You know, whatever sport it is, it's a passionate city. It's a city that the people work really hard for what they got. You have to endure the cold winters. And you got to endure the crazy driving on the road. People are on the shoulders. You got to get used to all that. Got to get that ice scraper. First gift you get. Did you think that was a weapon when they first put that in your hand?

49:58I didn't know what it was. How do I go hunting with this? Hey, all I know is if you're running around in January or February, you're going to get brain freeze. So you got to be careful. It's cold. But the summers were nice, man. That's what I remember about this place. Summers was where it's at. Without further ado, let's drive into the US draw. We will face, let me remind you, the lowest ranked side in Pot 2, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizards, Australia. Any Australians here tonight? Okay, we can talk honestly. We then face Paraguay. they finished six out of ten teams in common ball qualifying.

50:39Then a playoff team to be named from Europe. It could be Romania. It could be Slovakia. It could be Kosovo. It could be Turkey. Please God, don't let it be Turkey. We played them in Los Angeles June 25th. Herc, can you sum up the reaction to the U.S. draw in three words?

51:01It's a difficult one. Let me explain. I think the The overall consensus is positive. Let me explain what's three words. Let me explain. That's it. I think it's let me explain because that's what I would say. I think the overall consensus is positive from a lot of people. I'm a pessimist by trade. It's a very difficult path to navigate if you're the U.S. men's national team because I can guarantee you every team in that group is like, oh, this is the pot one we wanted. This is one of the pot ones we wanted. So they also see this as an accessible pathway to the next round. It's fair. I mean, we see the world.

51:41They're looking at us. Yeah. And they're looking at us and they're like, could have been Canada. Well, but this is. Could have been Portugal. Could have been Argentina. Yeah, yeah. Could have been Brazil. But for us also, Clint, this is like best case scenario. That's how it's been kind of talked about in the media. You know, it's been talked about as a group of life. I can tell, and I love you, because you've lived a life. You've played football. You've played World Cups. You know how few easy games there are in a World Cup journey. We've got pragmatic, low-block Australia, pot two. By the way, pot two could have given us, in the way you were talking about, we could have played Colombia.

52:22We could have played Japan. We could have played Korea. We could have played Croatia. Australia. Morocco. Yeah. Australia are organized. Australia are resolute. they're star starved so we don't you know we're not wow Australia we beat them in October Hadji Wright scored twice and Australia 11, pot 3 also relatively kind in that it gave us a deeply organised but bluntish Paraguay they've not qualified since 2010 again we beat them last month in a friendly which is always a caveat Don't read too much into Friendly's America on goals from someone called Gio Reyna. Oh, and I love Flo Balogun. Turkey A, who could come out of that group.

53:11They did clip us 2-1. Herc, you and I had to live stream that game. It was the first thing we ever did together. It was, we scored first. I was like, Clint! And then we kind of crapped the bed. And it was a bit dark. Scored too quick, huh? It was the Jack McGlynn Wonder Strike. That was a ridiculous goal. I was like, why are we even playing a World Cup? Just give us a trophy now. But this is a weird new experience for the U.S. at a World Cup. We will be expected to win a number of these games, Clint. I mean, first off, I'd start off by saying I don't really like the new format with having more teams.

53:48I think it makes the quality go down. I don't like the format in the sense of you have eight third-place teams now that are going to get out of the group. When I think back to the World Cup groups that I was a part of, you know, in two of the World Cups that I played in, the team we played in the group won the World Cup. Italy, Germany in 2014, Italy in 2006. You had a true group of death, I feel like, in 2014 with Portugal, Ghana, and Germany. But I agree with her. It's not going to be as easy as what you think. I think friendlies are not the same as what you're going to see in this competition.

54:28The lifeline there is that you can still get third place potentially and be one of those eight teams that get out of the group. But if you look at the friendlies that they had, they weren't really that friendly versus Paraguay versus Australia. It was a scrappy game, a lot of kicking, a lot of fighting. And if we get Turquie, like you said, I mean, I don't think it's as easy as everybody thinks. But I still am excited about the group that they got, and I still think that they can get out of this group, and hopefully they can continue this run of form that we've seen from them in the last five or six games being unbeaten and creating more goals, so I'm excited about that.

55:04I mean, we look at this group, and I've got to say, the thing that terrifies me, and I didn't sleep last night after the draw, because I am fully aware that Paraguay are out for revenge, right? I mean, in the 1930 World Cup, we beat them 3-0. That one still stings. They're going to be like, in the locker room. Semifinal appearance. Yeah, yeah. I mean, by the way, Americans do not talk enough about the fact that we got into a semifinal in 1930. I mean, genuinely, we talk about putting a man on the moon all the time. Talking about inventing a cronut. But, like, we got into a World Cup semifinal.

55:45and we are a proper football nation. But I fear, and I do fear Paraguay looking for ancestral revenge. But there's been a number of articles today talking about let's look ahead, which is never anything you should do in a World Cup. Genuinely, if there's one rule, only fools look ahead in a World Cup into the knockout round. But let's look ahead, because I am a fool. And if we top the group, we play a third-place team from one of the groups, BFIJ. I have no idea who the hell that is. That's like 87 % of the tournament. So let's drink in the Kool-Aid, Boston. If we get into the round of 16, we could play Egypt, Iran, New Zealand, or Belgium.

56:35How excited should we be, Herc? I'm trying to get hyped here, baby. Well, if you get out of the group as first place and do your job to face another first place, what would be, let's say, Belgium, I think you should be as excited as you can be. This isn't the Belgium of, you know, old 2018 that was in their prime, or the Belgium that was on its maybe last leg with some of those very prime players like Kevin De Bruyne, Lukaku, Martins, all these type of players. Right now, maybe you have, I would say, as good a chance as any of playing Belgium and getting a good result on home soil. I don't see why not, but you got to get there.

57:10I love you. Hercules Gomez predicts semifinal for the United States as the headliner. And after Belgium, it's Spain, by the way. What kind of, to Spain, like, you know, I mean, they all. Hey, Confederations come, bro. That's right. Come on, man. No. It don't matter. No, this is true. So, Mauricio Pochettino, he referenced Miracle on Ice. Well, if you want your Miracle on Ice moment, it's versus Spain. Bob Bradley's Spain, Clint was part of that, ended a 35-game unbeaten run by the Spanish Nationals. That Spanish national team that won two Euro championships and a World Cup sandwich in between, that was Clint and Bob Bradley's U.S.

57:46men's national team. So it could be done. What does that take, Clint? What does that take, other than Michael Bradley swearing on national television after the final whistle? Nah, I mean, it just takes people fighting for each other. You're fighting for your teammates next to you. You've got to stay compact defensively. But you can't be scared to take your moments and get forward and take the game to your opponents. You can't just sit back all game and just try to absorb pressure. You've got to believe in yourself and attack and take risks. So I think we have the quality in our side that we can upset some teams.

58:18And what we've seen from them in the last five or six games has gotten me excited again about this national team. So I know we've got some big friendlies still to come, and I'm looking forward to seeing those tests and how we do. But this team has all the quality that they need to do something special, that's for sure. Mauricio Pochettino can we just hear it for that by the way because Mauricio Pochettino just needs to bring Michael Bradley back into the US men's national team by the way Michael Bradley is very ready but at previous World Cups the US events were much tougher groups you played for them both of you the Ghana Portugal Germany group that you mentioned that was a group of death in 2014 you laughed at that I mean this group this is a weird question as someone that loves the American team.

59:04It's complacency almost like a new challenge for this team. Every team that we played, you played in the 2010 World Cup, we feared them. But we've been playing friendlies, often without our best players. This is what is so brain-scrambling about this moment against teams that have also brought experimental squads. Like, if you were to say what weight class we're in, I was chatting to Clint about that before, where are we weight class wise? How do we even make sense of where we are? We whacked Uruguay, a Uruguay, without our best players. How do we make sense of where we are right now? Mauricio Pochettino will tell you those weren't the best players, the ones who weren't there.

59:47There are no regulars, and I actually enjoy that. I think it's, you talk about culture, you talk about mentality, those are the national teams of old. Maybe the players that we had didn't play in some of the leagues and teams that this pool has played in, but the mentality, the fight, that was there. He's brought that back. So when we talk about weight class, I think everybody's in flux. And you look at a team like Morocco last World Cup, the U.S. Men's National Team beat them 3-1 right before the World Cup. They fired their coach. They were in turmoil. And they go on and run where they had to beat Portugal, beat Spain, and ultimately bowed out to France.

1:00:23But it shows you how if you have the right mentality and fight, you can make a run in a World Cup. So I think that's the avenue if you're the U.S. men's national team is understand that everybody's got their own problems and about you worrying about yours. Let me ask you both the same question because I love what you've just said. I do. I sit here as someone that loves this team, loves the U.S. men, loves the U.S. women. Our women kick ass and take names. And our men, we've won, in the modern period, one knockout game in a World Cup wonder. And I do, I look at Morocco and I'm like, why never us?

1:00:58genuinely why never us so I'm going to put you both crystal ball in this moment how far can this US men's national team go and what should we consider as a barometer of success I mean they can go as far as they want a dream to go and as far as these fans believe in them and get behind them to try to do something special look back at the 94 World Cup and how the US team performed no one would give them a chance to have done as well as they did beating teams like Colombia who dominated in South American qualifying and being able to, you know, they only lost 1-0 to Brazil who ended up winning that tournament.

1:01:37So you look at things like what South Korea was able to do when they had a World Cup in their country. And I'm not going to set a limit in terms of how high that we can go and what we can accomplish, but for me, with the parameters that are now in this World Cup with having more teams and more third-place teams being able to get out of the group, I think it'll be a failure not to get out of the group. So I'll set a bottom limit. You've got to get out of the group. Anything less is a failure. But I'm not going to put a cap on the top because it's as far as they want to dream and go.

1:02:14Yeah, they're getting out of the group. You've got to be terrible not to get out of the group. And I say this only because I watched the U-17 World Cup, and it's the same format. Mexico's U-17s, they won one game, and they advanced to the next round because they had less yellow cards than the next team. So you're going to get out of the group. It's going to be that way. But it's what you do once you're out of the group. And I firmly believe, I mean, there's two sides of this. The pessimist in me says if everybody plays to their level, plays to their ceiling, they can maybe get past Belgium and they're going to hit Spain and they're done in the quarterfinals.

1:02:47But then I ask myself, when has every team played to their level in a World Cup? And it doesn't happen. That's why you see teams like Costa Rica make a run because you spoke about the group of death. There was another group of death in 2014. Costa Rica, Uruguay, England, Italy. They got out. They made a run and ultimately bowed out to the Netherlands and penalty kicks. South Korea in 2002. The U.S. men's national team in 2002. So you can make these runs because it's the World Cup. So there is an avenue for you to upset. And listen, we see the United States, when it comes to representing your country in international competition, We see it at the Olympics.

1:03:23Fans who know nothing about a sport, if the U.S. is making a run, I'm a Batman fan. I'm on board now. So it's going to be the same thing. You're going to get people on board if you can inspire them, if you can give them a reason to be on board. I mean, this is the... This is the joy of this moment. It really is. It just takes one second that can unlock genuinely just a tidal wave of support around the game we love in the nation we adore. So just for a moment, let's add a third great American to this party. We're in Boston, home of your New England revolution, adopted home of one of my favourite men in American football, New England.

1:04:04Please be upstanding for Mr. Matt Turner.

1:04:20though. And you'll go find me. I love it. I love it.

1:04:33Matt Turner, it's bloody good to see you. It's good to be here. It's good to be here.

1:04:41Can I say, genuinely, one of the most joy, I find this man's journey, is footballing reality one of the most inspirational storylines our nation has produced in the modern period. I know that you were in New York City yesterday for the draw. I know this city, Boston, is one that gave you a chance to prove yourself as a footballer. A world is about to descend upon New England. We've talked about it. England, Scotland, France, Norway, Haiti, Morocco. How happy are you knowing that the world is about to explore, discover, experience what is, I think, objectively, the pinnacle of global football? Boston.

1:05:28It's unbelievable, and it's something that I think that this city deserves. You know, we always try to represent the region the best way we can, all of New England. You look around right now, not only Boston, but all of New England. You got a team in Rhode Island, Bryant University doing well, Portland, Hearts of Pine doing well. You got to also give a shout out to the Vermont Green team, yep, and the university. I mean, you see the jerseys all around. The region is ready to explode for soccer and it's ready for the World Cup in 2026. Can I just tell you, there are people all over this place wearing Hearts of Pines jerseys.

1:06:10Wearing Vermont Green jerseys. Also wearing New England Revolution jerseys. It is incredible to see. It's like genuinely entering a Star Wars cantina of New England football. But you were in New York yesterday with some of your teammates. What's it like? I mean, you've all lived it, by the way. Experiencing the draw as players who are actually going to live it out on the field. Do you actually sweat the prospect of the group of death, like giving a silent fist bump when things go your way? Or is it just like, we'll play whoever we'll play. It's out of our control. I think, you know, in your mind, you want to have that messaging in your mind.

1:06:56Whoever we play, we have to play. If we want to achieve what we dream to achieve, we're going to have to beat everybody that we come up against. So the group is just – it's nice to have the group done and dusted, and now the pathway is clear, and that's kind of the way I was looking at it. It was cool. I was in Times Square, but it just felt – for the busiest place maybe in the world, it just felt still. for like 30 minutes. I was locked in. It was super, super cool. Clem, when you drew the group of death, where were you and how did that feel? Shoot, I don't know where we were. I knew Lexi Lawless was hating because he was saying we wouldn't get out of the group.

1:07:33I remember that. Boo! Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Can't be talking like that. But I agree with you. It's like the reason why you're in the World Cup is you want to play against the best. and how can you test yourself if you don't get that opportunity. But the most important thing is you just want to know who you're going to play and then how you prepare for that, right? So that was the most important thing. Know who's in your group and then know what you've got to do to get out of it because you can't control who's going to be in your group, right? All you can do is try your best to make sure that you're ready to represent your country and try to do something special.

1:08:09That's what I dreamed about as a kid is representing my country. There was no bigger thing. And when there wasn't that national team carrot to play for anymore, that's when I knew it was time for hang up the boots. So what was the mood for you yesterday, really? You can tell us. No one's listening. It's just us in this room. When you drew that group, what was the mood really like amongst you boys? I'd say, like, if you look at the games that we had, the familiarity with some of the people and the opponents that we have, I think that's probably the – it's a good thing and a bad thing. I mean, you have history.

1:08:42Now, you know, the teams that we're coming up against, we have had some bloodbathy games against. So it'll be really interesting to play them in a World Cup when it's all on the line at home. We do not have to wait long. The World Cup is now just 187 days away. So last question for all of you. What's your one wish that all of you harbor in your heart? The World Cup is coming to North America. And 1994 was meant to change the game in this nation, put it over the top, make it a major sport. It's become that. It's taken time. 2026 is going to finish the job and make the United States a normal football-loving nation like every other country in the world.

1:09:31So what is the dream that you have that you harbor in your hearts for the impact and the legacy of 2026, Herc? Well, if 1994 spawned Major League Soccer, birthed a new league and a new generation of footballers like Clint, myself, and what we see today in Major League Soccer, it's got to take it to the next level. And I always hear that the U.S. isn't a soccer nation, and I push back on that. There's a reason the Club World Cup comes to the United States. There's a reason all these friendlies from all these English Premier League teams. There's a reason Cup of America wants to play for the third time in this last 12 years here in the United States because this is a soccer-loving country.

1:10:10And I hope that Matt and the U.S. Men's National Team get on a run, inspire the next generation, just as once the 2010 team inspired you and inspires the rest of America to support the U.S. Men's National Team because this World Cup, everybody's going to be paying attention. When they say the Yanks don't know, we've got to show them how much we know. I mean, Hurt hit the nail on the head, inspire the next generation that are going to go do something even more special than the current players are doing now and not have to wait every World Cup for all of America to sit still and have soccer move the needle.

1:10:47The needle will move every year. So that's the next step is having more excitement in non-World Cup years. And I think that's what this World Cup will do. It will get more people on board and you'll see more fans attending tournaments like Soccer, America and packing our stadiums more consistently in the States. From your mouth to God's name, Clint Dempsey. Yeah, it's tough to follow over these guys, but I think my heart feels two things. It feels the fan side, you know, for all of us in this room that love the game so much. You wouldn't be here if you didn't love the game. And I just think that on top of the team, you know, supporting the team, supporting the countries that you came from, but also being good hosts, you know, accepting the people that are coming into the country, showing them a good time, you know, showing them what soccer is all about in this country.

1:11:42And I think that'll help to build the culture and build, you know, bridge the gap. So, you know, to create that excitement. And that's the fan side of me. And then on the playing side, the legacy, you know, I want our team to be able to represent this country in a way that everybody can look at it and say you know that is a good representation of United States not only as a soccer team but as people as well and that's what I really want it to be.

1:12:13All-time all-time leading World Cup shout outs right there yeah? From the United States of America one of the greatest goals scum this is amazing this man has shut out more teams this man has scored against more I think in multiple World Cups than anybody else. That's right. It is a joy to be with all of you. I will say, like, what I hope the legacy... Yesterday, one of the things that pissed me off about the draw was a number of jokes that there were about soccer and our use of the word soccer. And it pisses me off. What country started that word? England. By the way, I will tell you, in England, two of the biggest television series of the past 20 years are Soccer AM.

1:12:53Soccer Sunday. Yeah, Soccer Saturday. Soccer Saturday. Like they have these TV shows. This is a bloody thing. It wasn't that big. In England, they use the word soccer quite freely. But they, like the rest of the world, know we have an inferiority complex about our men and how poor we are at football. And they know that we know that they know that we know how insecure we are. So when they laugh at us using the word soccer, even though they use the bloody word soccer, we need to get beyond this. You can call it whatever you want. You can love the game in whatever way you want to do. What only matters is the way you make memories together.

1:13:33Savor every single second how much the game makes your heart sore. And I want to thank all of these three gentlemen. I've got to tell you, watching each of you in your own way in this tournament has made my heart sore. May the next generation make this most inconsequential debate in football, in soccer. go away all three of you are magical human beings we stand on all of your shoulders thank you for being with us tonight Boston, it's here for incredible Herd Gomez, Matt Turner and the legendary icon that is Mr. Clint Dempsey

1:14:23to

1:14:27you.

1:14:48Clint Hurt, Mac Turner. Oh, God, it's time. Should we bring on someone who's actually won a World Cup onto the stage? because our next guest is the pride of handsome Massachusetts, the editor-in-chief of the women's game on the Men in Blazers media network, and is genuinely someone who saw, defined herself, made the world fear her wonder in a World Cup. I'm so happy that she's here, mostly because her mum and dad are in the audience tonight. and I do believe one of the great joys of football is the cross-generational memories it makes and they must have some of the greatest cross-generational memories of any of us in the room tonight let's bring to the stage a human whose shows I listen to when I need a lift for my good vibes hailing from handsome mass Boston be upstanding for one of your own it's Sam Mewis

1:15:54Hands up and touch the sky Hands up and touch the sky Hands up and touch the sky Hands up and touch the sky Hands up and touch the sky Let's do it one more time Starships were meant to fly Hands up and touch the sky Melissa and Bob, you've got a good one here. Where are Melissa and Bob Mewis? They're right in the middle. Hi, Mom and Dad. Oh, there she is.

1:16:32Can you see your Mom and Dad? Yeah, I can. When my family are here, I always make sure they're not in my eye line. And we put Bob and your beautiful mother right there, right where you can see them the whole time. This is going to be a very different kind of interview. Can we just hear it for Sam Mewis' parents?

1:16:52May all of us in life experience an end to the joy that Sam has no doubt given you. Sam, we're here in your hometown. I know. How does it feel? It's amazing to be back. I came back. I got dinner with my parents today. I've loved listening to the show and seeing all of you be so excited about the World Cup coming here next year. I love Boston and I'm psyched to be here. It is a magical city. You grew up in handsome Massachusetts. Can we hear it for the South Shore? Thank you. When you look at your own identity, what do you consider to be your most New England traits, Sam? I mean, when I think of Boston and the area I grew up, the people I grew up with, blue collar is one of the first things that comes to mind.

1:17:41I heard Zidano say that at the beginning of the show. And hearing his view of Boston was actually really inspiring. I grew up here. He didn't grow up here, but he's become such an incredible part of the city. My community was so hardworking, but I think the thing that I embody that I think represents Boston is actually being reliable. I feel like I show up on time. I pride myself on that. I pride myself on the commitments that I've made, and that's something my parents taught me growing up, and it's something I think the people of Boston have is this loyalty to each other, to our families, to our city.

1:18:18and so that reliability and loyalty is something I hope I have picked up from all of you. Can I just tell you, I covered the last Women's World Cup with Sam. I loved every single second. I learned so much from listening to you. And then we talked about you had a vision for what you wanted to build and I came up here to the South Shore. There's a restaurant that Sam's family used to go to a lot. Tell us the name. We should be sponsored by... Poopsies! Can we hear it for Poopsies? Poopsies is like bar pizza in Marshfield's Pembroke line. Bar pizza on the South Shore is my favorite food in the whole world.

1:19:04And yeah, Poopsies is a Mewis family regular spot. And I took my future boss there only to impress. And it worked. It did. Got a job. I gave it five stars. But I want to be clear, I work for Sam in every regard. But Poopsies, I do want to say it's like bar pizza, 10-inch. If pizza was a Ralph Waldo Emerson poem, it would be Poopsies pepperoni pizza. And genuinely, if you've not been there, and this is the only thing you remember from tonight, shout out to the great Poopsies. I can't say that word enough on stage. and I'm grateful to you Boston for giving me that opportunity but when I went out there I asked you what is New England about yourself you you said one of those words you said loyalty that was the first thing that came out of your mouth you then said being impervious to the cold and then you thought for a moment and you said loving dunking coffee yeah I know I think Duncan to me is like when you drive back into Massachusetts you just know because you start seeing more and more Dunkin's everywhere and I think it's like uh you know if you're passionate about Dunkin Donuts that you had to like have this nostalgic memory and connection to it because you know it's it's okay coffee but it is like my heart and soul and my lifeblood and so I love Dunkin's so much and I know you all do too so thank you for cheering for that by the way that's an incredible advertising campaign.

1:20:41You might want to workshop a little bit. It's okay coffee but it is my lifeblood. And these are the kind of stories you tell in my favourite show that we put out the incredible Mewis Squared podcast with you and your quite remarkable Christy Mewis who I do think is going to win a Pulitzer Prize for poetry. But it's you two talking about your earliest memories growing up in this area. and you and Christy are not alone. This Boston area is proper football here. Some of the earliest football in our nation was birthed and won and just competed here in Boston. Bert Paternod, let's hear it for him.

1:21:29Pochettino is considering him still, I believe, to play up front for us in 2026. That's the score of the World Cup's first ever hat-trick in 1930, born here in the Boston area. Christine Lilly, a legend, first captain of the Boston Breakers, most capped player in U.S. women's national team history. And now, I mean, it goes on. It's biblical because young Kansas City current star, Ali Senna, also hails. From Hanson, Massachusetts. From Hanson, Massachusetts. it. Whatever is in the water in Hanson, I want some. But Sam, how can you tell a player is from Mass just by watching them play? What's distinct about them?

1:22:14I mean, obviously hardworking. I think about, I'll give it to myself. I think about my sister as a player. I think about the NWSL player as we're watching now, Ali Sentinel or Lily Real, who's from Hingham, Massachusetts. Thank you, everybody. I think about Alyssa Nair, who's not from Boston, but, you know, she's from New England and she played for the Breakers for a long time and she embodies that Boston blue-collar, hardworking, scrappy mentality. All of these players that I think of, of all the sports and athletes who come from Boston just have that, again, blue-collar. You know you can count on them.

1:22:51When the chips are down, they're going to go in studs up on somebody and they're going to do their best to get the ball back or get a red card. Turn the tide. Alyssa there, she eats nails for breakfast. and that segues to the fact that boston was also at the vanguard of the women's game in this country it is it was it will be the boston breakers one of eight teams founding members of woosa how did that league not work with a branding genius behind that name first professional women's league in this country back in 2000 there were stops there were starts and the breakers ended up heartbreakingly ceasing operations 2018 but some eight years later this march nwsl announced they're coming back into your enchanted town with the boston legacy backed by a pretty incredible ownership group that includes the likes of boston's own the great Elizabeth Banks.

1:23:56Sam, I know you're involved. I know you've loved it. And I do want to know, how meaningful is it for you to be involved as women's football at the elite level return to the city, your city that you love? Yeah, I mean, I didn't get to play, you know, professional or even really international soccer here in the Boston area. I went away for college to UCLA in California, and then I never played for any iteration of the Breakers. My sister got to for a few years, so I played like a handful of professional games here, but to be a part of it now, to be, you know, on the advisory board of the Boston Legacy, and to get to see women's soccer coming back here to a city that I know embraced it and loved it so much, a city that loves their sports so much.

1:24:44I'm so excited. I'm really, really proud of everything that the group has done so far. I think it's going to be really incredible and I think for, you know, we know Boston fans and how committed, dedicated loyal that they'll be to the club and so to get to just be a very small part of it and witness it coming back and happening is really, really special. Imagining myself and how much I admired the US Women's National Team growing up, the Boston Breakers growing up knowing that other kids in this area and other adults who love soccer get to go and watch these incredible athletes play is really cool.

1:25:19I've got to say, I love this team. I love this city. I'm still proud of the Boss Nation tattoo that I got. I'm not going to get it lasered off. But the legacy aren't the only reason 2026 will be a massive year for football in Boston. I don't know if you've heard, there's a lesser World Cup, the Men's World Cup, that's coming here. Boston's going to host seven games, one round of 32 match, one quarter final. I don't know why the final's not here, to be quite candid. But for any fans lucky enough to travel from around the world to this magical place, can you give them Sam Mewis' top three spots that they should eat, drink, imbibe, wonder, other than Poopsies, when they're in Boston?

1:26:09Can you imagine genuinely English football fans just, like, crashing Poopsies? I mean, they should. Poopsies is definitely number one on my list. I did just stop for lunch today at Source in Cambridge, which I love. It has incredible pizza, wood-fired oven. I love it at Source so much. My next place would be Grey's Hall in Southie. Good taste over there. Grey's Hall is so good. They have natural wine. They're, like, chef-driven. I know Southie is maybe known for, like, day drinking, which you should also go and do that. Can we just hear it for day drinking? Thank you, Boston. Can I tell you? My parents are so proud of me.

1:26:50And by the way, your dad's whipped his shirt off and is like currently waving it over his head. I do, I always think when people are like, why is football, Premier League football, finally taken off in the United States? You know, I'll say like, you know, the game, the FIFA franchise has sensitized an entire generation to the game. The rise of like streaming has allowed us to watch so much live football at an elite level in a way. And then I'm just like, you know, an excuse to daytime drink at 7.30 in the morning. If you're in a bar and you're watching a football game, no, if you're in a bar at 7.30 having a beer, it's like society frowns upon that.

1:27:27If you're in that same bar with that same beer and Liverpool are getting beat by Arsenal, you're a Premier League football fan and it's magnificent. So God bless the daytime drinking. It's genuinely given the US men the best chance they've had in generations to win the World Cup. But Sam, we need a third place, baby. I do have a third place. I feel like, you know, all the lists of all the places for next summer will be mostly in Boston. And I don't know, maybe on the way to Foxborough, I'm not really sure. But if you are willing to venture out, some people here, the South Shore people are definitely going to know, Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury is one of my favorite places.

1:28:06It's like the best vibe. Island Creek Oysters are like, I assume, world-renowned, but I don't know that much about oysters. It's like my favorite place to go in the summer, so next summer that's definitely a destination. Quick one. Can we get a local's take on how the world should order Dunkin' without revealing themselves as a tourist? You say size, temperature, and then what you want in it. Medium hot with milk only. It's so much simpler than I think people know. I think all these people here are like, yes, Sam, like we know. Large ice, extra, extra. God bless. Life can never be. Right?

1:28:43Norwegians listen to Sam Mewis Sam last question last time the World Cup was here 1994 Foxborough Stadium hosted six games was anybody at any of these beauties God bless God bless three hands went up I believe I believe you were not quite two years old in that moment this time around Gillette masquerading as Boston Stadium will host seven games. How do you hope, Sam, 2026, you've been part of women's teams that have inspired this entire nation, changed the way we've seen the game of football. How do you hope the legacy of this World Cup, the Men's World Cup, can transform football in the United States and genuinely transform this city?

1:29:36Yeah, I mean, again, I think Boston sports fans are unlike people anywhere else in the world. And I think the way that we will embrace the world cup coming here is going to be so much fun. I do think that soccer in America is, you know, a few steps below some of our other sports in terms of popularity still right now. And this is such an incredible opportunity for all of us who are so passionate about this game to show other people and introduce them to it, explain why we love it so much, take them out day drinking, I do also want to just use this question as an opportunity. I feel like something I get asked about a lot is how women's soccer will be impacted by the Men's World Cup coming here to the U.S.

1:30:19And I think the way I've heard it explained that I love so much is that all of these eyeballs are going to be on soccer. All of these fans are going to be so impassioned about the game. New fans, old fans. And women's soccer is going to be right here in Boston, right here in the NWSL, right next to the Men's World Cup. For all these new fans who want to keep watching, women's soccer belongs right there next to it. So I'm really excited to see how the Men's World Cup can also continue to support and lift up women's soccer. Sam Mewis, those words, may they be ones of prophecy for our nation. Boston, let's hear it for one of your own.

1:30:57It's the great, it's the World Cup winner, Jerome, Sam Mewis!

1:31:10It's an absolute joy to listen to that. That was genuinely the highlight of my day in every regard. But it's time to close out the night in the only serious way a night like this can end by bringing on one of the greatest musical acts in our nation. Boston, please be upstanding for the village people!

1:31:37Wouldn't that be amazing if they just came on now, genuinely? If every public civic gathering in the United States legally had to end with the village people performing, I'd be like, please, can you just play in the Navy and mix it up a little bit, guys? Let's do it. It's our final guest of the night, truly one of the most important human beings in my own life. He's a singer-songwriter with untouchable human emotional heat map. His lyrics are soaked in empathy. They've reinforced times of joy for me, like I know they have for so many of you. They've carried so many of us through times of challenge.

1:32:19And I know I'm not alone. You know how I know? Because he's accumulated over 7 billion, with a B, streams on Spotify. And by the way, at least 15 ,000 of those have come from me after Everton losses over the past 18 months. And I love him because he's also proper, bloody football. Man lives for the game in general, and Chelsea in particular. Boston, please be upstanding for one of your finest sons of New England, it's Mr Noah Khan!

1:33:10Hello everyone, thank you so much. Boston. What's up? How we doing? Can we just do your stuff from live at Fenway in between songs? Yeah, I can't believe I'm here. Here's Dick's season again and again and again and again.

1:33:31Oh my god, by the way, you don't know what Joy, I'm gonna tell you what the bits in between the songs did for me. You know what? I mean, it is incredible to be with you in Boston, where you are an icon. Like, I think about you, like, as if David Ortiz and Cuppy the Dunkin' mascot gave birth to a musically gifted offspring. Not even close. Big poppies a go. Let's be real here, y 'all. I can't take that, I can't accept that God, I'm going to bestow it upon you You beautiful man Because your body, this area, this region This incredible, by the way New England to me As someone that was born in the old England It's like new and improved England I want to be completely clear When I listen to your album Life and Fenway Every Single bloody day My dad died last year, and when I buried him, I found incredible strength in the album.

1:34:30And being serious, not just the songs, Noah, but your ad-libs in between them. Genuinely, your gratitude, your self-deprecation. Above all, your memory-making in that moment as a kid that lived for that place, to be honest, you had an incredible presence of memory in that moment, which I think is the secret of life. and I don't like to be hyperbolic but there was like an incredible human truth in between the tunes on that album well thank you so much, I'm so sorry to hear about your father, what I love about music and playing music is getting to remember like I have songs about friends who have passed away or moments that have been hard for me and every night that I play the song I get to honour those memories and instead of you know, saving them for a rainy day it's like every night I get to think about these people I love and in a way I feel like you get to bring them back to you So I'm honored that you found that piece in my music.

1:35:23And thank you so much for listening to it. I'm a huge fan of yours as well. You're a beautiful man. And when he says he's honored, I think he's speaking about, you can hear that album. He's singing. There's thousands of people singing along. And he's talking about thousands of you who are listening to this show and the memories we individually make. Which is also, by the way, the narrative I believe that football gives us. football and music, the memory, the transcendence, the emotional power, the sharing. We're talking about similar, similar things here. We're talking about an incredible moment in your life.

1:35:59Win after win as a musician. You just played a concert here in Boston at MGM Music Hall. By the way, they raised$1.5 million for the Red Sox Foundation and your own incredible mental health charity, The Busyhead Project. Thank you so much. you were named a headliner for next summer's Bonnaroo Festival I think can we get a bit more love for the Bonnaroo Festival come on open your hearts but I've saved the best till last because most importantly last weekend this man went back to his old high school in New Hampshire the mighty Hanover in its annual alumni soccer game, down 1-0, desperately fighting for an equalizer.

1:36:49Who went and scored the crucial epic 1-1 tying goal in a war of attrition? We've got the surveillance drone footage. This man can't be stopped. He can't be contained. Roll tape. Bang. The second I left the boot. That was filmed on an iPhone negative 2, by the way. I'm sorry. The first ever video ever captured. The same guy that films fireworks shot that once. But anyway, can we just shoot it again? Because I'm pretty sure that is like, that is drone footage. It's like Bigfoot scored a goal. By the way, I watched that. I heard about this. I'm like, can you send me the goal? And they're like, yeah, we got it.

1:37:35It's a beautiful piece of film. We captured it. We smashed it. I'm like, clean your lens, you mad bastards. But by the way, I watched it. I watch a lot of football, though, I can't. And I've got to tell you, that goal, man opened his body instinctually. First time. I'm not saying Liverpool need a striker or anything. They can just... Never in a million years would I go to Liverpool. I have a... I was unfortunately born with Buffon's pace, but on Reeves' touch. I think I could have gone pro. I didn't have the mind for the game, unfortunately. I'm just a natural born fox in the box. That was a natural finish in every regard.

1:38:17Strikers finish. We were playing against 15-year-old kids. It felt like I was at home against Chelsea.

1:38:26During your time, I love this, we talked about this when you came on our show. At Hanover, you wore the number nine jersey. Yeah, I did. There was a kid who was like so much better than I was that was coming onto the team, and I didn't get that much playing time because I was just not as good as this kid, but he was like, can I have the number nine? I'm going to play like every game. I'm like, hell no, dude. So I sat on the bench and wore number nine the entire time. You can have the playing time, but you'll never have the number that you covet. No way. And your high school coach, Rob Grabill, once joked, this is an amazing line, he said that Noah Kahn learned about alienation and depression right here on the Hanover high pitch.

1:39:08Because as a junior, this man, look at him. Something was wrong for sure. Again, not changed. The white shirt over just the exact same size blue shirt. It's very 2014. When I see that photo, again, I listen to the Fenway album and it makes it all the more bloody powerful. That's like the you that was dreamier, that. This is the you that's lived it. Yeah, you know, becoming a musician was always a dream of mine, but I've always been so interested in soccer that getting to do anything like this, this is like my Super Bowl. My biggest show is getting a chance to come and talk about soccer. That alumni game, it felt like I was at the World Cup final.

1:39:50When I scored that goal, I genuinely thought my career was about to take off. By the way, this whole show tonight is not about him coming to talk to you. It's him trying to speak to Premier League teams like Burnley, like Everton they need a guy that can get you 20 goals a season guaranteed and live out his childhood dreams I'll play for Wolves I don't care I'm not fussy I'm not fussy just keep me in the Premier League and we're fine Noah Codd live at Molyneux the album that didn't sell so well there's two or three fans over there I would say Spotify metrics tell me Wolverhampton is a big market I do believe ultimately and I love your story you were constantly on the bench you were constantly asking for more playing time essentially it was Mo Salah before there was Mo Salah too soon but I strongly believe I believe this absolutely that for kids who play this game and there's a lot of you who are here tonight the most important part of football is the lessons you learn about life off the field by playing on it and I do want to know is there anything that you've learned from football that you still carry with you or that you live by now?

1:41:05Yeah, I think one of the bigger lessons I learned... Can I say soccer without getting made fun of? Is that cool? By the way, can I just tell you, are we not in a post-soccer world now where we can call it whatever the hell we like? Let's love ourselves, America. Okay, I'm sorry. If I say football, then I sound like a douchebag. If I say soccer, I sound like a douchebag. You're screwed either way. I'm going to call it sockball. Okay, so growing up playing soccer, I think one of the things I learned the most was failure. Losing a lot. I really wasn't that good. And so I had to lose a lot. I had to lose playing time.

1:41:42We lost games. And what I learned was being humble in defeat and understanding that failure is such a big part of life. And you can do everything right. Sometimes you can work as hard as you can, and sometimes you just lose. I think sometimes when we lose, we feel like there's some unjust thing happening or there's some mistake that happened. But sometimes VAR doesn't help you. You just lost the game and you got to move forward. And I think that soccer taught me a lot about how to move forward after failure, which I've had a lot of in my career. Which, by the way, ultimately, I do believe tenacity.

1:42:13I did. The first time I ever interviewed Arsene Wenger, I said, what's the greatest, the most important skill that a footballer has? And he just lent into the microphone. And I actually put this out every single National Poetry Day because he didn't wait a beat. He just goes, tenacity, the ability to move from point A to point B is what separates the good footballer from the truly great footballer. So if you, in a FIFA ranking, Noah Khan I'm taking has speed like about 12. If we're looking at like FIFA, like a card, speed, 14. Dribbling, 15 Shooting, 87 I got a rocket on me I also, my senior year They would only put me in for corner kicks Because I was the only kid that just didn't care about his future at all They're like, just jump in there and see what happens to you Essentially Gabriel before there was Gabriel But I will say, for tenacity This man is about 100 And for kids who are listening Ultimately, that is the value that matters.

1:43:19And it shows because you went on to become one of the best known combinations of musician and footballer since Alexi Lalas released Ginger. Did he put a music out? Oh, I can only imagine what that sounds like. I have an idea in my head. Oh my God, what kind of music did he make? It was like... It was, I mean, they're mostly Noah Kong covers. I think it's a stick season cover album, Noah. What else could it be? That necklace just screams 2002, trying anything. This album came out last year, Noah. Oh, did it really? Oh, never mind. I'm sure it's awesome. We should write sometime, Alexi. By the way, this man loves collaborations, Alexi.

1:44:05Call him. But I've got to say, you are an alumni game, the João Pedro, which is called a pivot because you are proper, proper Chelsea which always blows my mind, I love it we've talked before Chelsea fans here tonight let's go God bless, I've got to tell you I always think of Boston genuinely as like a Liverpool place I do, I do, I do I'm trying to think of what city I think of as the Everton Akron, Ohio is the Everton place of America. But you came on, you told me your story. You've been a blue since you picked up FIFA 06, started playing Chelsea, and your incredible mum. I adore your mum, Laurie.

1:44:53She used to pick this kid up early from school, give him an excuse to leave school on Champions League Wednesdays so we didn't have to miss a game. By the way, she is the Didier Drogba of mothers. Oh, yeah. What's remarkable to me, you've not missed a Chelsea match. Is it true in over a decade? I've never missed a game. I've had to watch, like, some have. Sometimes we've had shows in the middle of the games. But I'll watch between song breaks, and I'll watch right before I go on stage. There's been a couple tough ones, like 2018 Chelsea, if any Chelsea fans remember Danny Drinkwater. I was in Australia having to wake up at 3.45 a.m.

1:45:34to watch us tie fucking Aston Villa. drink water starting so there's been some grindy times I think, I mean, as a Chelsea fan we're spoiled, we've just won so much so many times that we sometimes, we don't get a trophy one year and we're all like, oh no but, you know, that's the thing about being a Chelsea fan is you live for the ups and downs it's a turbulent team to support, but yeah, Chelsea till I die I mean, it's amazing to me, when Chelsea won the Club World Cup I'm not drawing a correlation from the fact that I did the coin toss before that game. Patted Rhys James on the back and said, go give him hell, Rhys.

1:46:14It's a true story, to be candid. The referee said that? No, I did the coin toss. Oh, you did it. Oh, wow, cool. I did the coin toss. Did it. Everyone was like, they're going to get murdered. So I was trying to be a nice guy. I was like, Rhys, give him hell. And he looked at me and he goes, even he looked at me like, are you a dickhead? and god bless you now have that world club whatever thing patches and when it happened which was surreal you were the first person i reached out to i was like i am so happy for you oh it's awesome and you were like genuinely i was so happy i was so happy i was like well unfortunately that club world cup badge on our jerseys looks horrible it's fucking massive they need to make that thing a little smaller than we finally got the jersey right for one year in so many years, and they put this giant dinner plate thing on it.

1:47:03We get it. No, I was thrilled. It was just one of those performances that you can't really explain why it happened. The conversation was so in favor of PSG, and it was just like a gut punch. Then that first half was so fun to watch as a Chelsea fan. Ciao Pedro, just come to the club, and it was just such a moment of everything clicking. It was pretty special. So what role does football play in your life now? How do you understand it? When you get up in Australia at Goddard for Danny, I mean, you are committed. It's a ritual. It's a structure. It's a connect. What is it? What role does football play for you now?

1:47:36I think so much of my life is about me, like my career and marketing myself and being thinking I'm interesting enough to keep writing songs about year after year. And it's a very it's a very self-focused job and it's it's special. But I I find it's really hard to get outside of myself because I'm always encouraged to think more about me and how can we market me? And football, soccer allows me to escape that and be part of something bigger and more important than just what I'm doing that day. It helps me think about community. It helps me think about this thing that I can't control, allowing yourself to not be in control but still support it and hope it happens anyways.

1:48:13It's like a hope that I get to have every week instead of like a certainty of what I'm going to do that day. And I just appreciate that. I appreciate being able to step outside of myself. I appreciate just having something to care about, you know. When I was a kid growing up in New Hampshire and Vermont, we were two and a half hours from Boston, so it wasn't often that we would be able to go see Red Sox games or Patriots games. I went to a Revolution game, and the on-field passes were like$8. There was nobody there. But it was hard for me to get all the way down to Boston, so Chelsea was like my team.

1:48:47And everyone's a Patriots fan, but I was like, I'm a Chelsea fan. It was like my special thing. And so it's been something that I've nurtured for a long time, and I think a big part of it is like my inner child that I want to keep close to me. by the way what you've just articulated is so deep and so rich there's like the past there's the present there's the future there's that sense of who you are in the day-to-day there's a sense of the who you are you want to reconnect with and how you want to really be there's the public you there's the private you there's your needs we did a show a couple of weeks ago with trevor and they were at the Stone Pony.

1:49:22And he spoke so unbelievably beautifully about football. Like, I'm still kind of shook by that conversation. He said one of the things he loved most about the game is he said, and better out of his mouth because he is an incredible poet, but he said if you see someone wearing the same team shirt as you, his words were you could automatically become brothers and sisters and, quote, find common ground in an instant. Your life is perpetual movement. You're perpetually on tour. Perpetual confusion. But always chaos. Another city. I mean, you've visited more cities in common, San Diego. Does Chelsea fandom give you that sense of connectivity, which is all too rare in a positive way in our world?

1:50:10Like an immediate touch thing. Oh, absolutely. I mean, whenever there's a big Chelsea game and I'm on tour, I'll just find the closest Chelsea bar and go watch the game with randos. and we just hang out there and we are from different walks of life. We're completely different people, but we can connect over this one thing, which is harder and harder to do nowadays, to find something that connects us all that we can all agree on. And wanting Chelsea to win and hating Arsenal is something that just...

1:50:39Something that you can connect with somebody random on. It's hard to communicate with people in a way that feels connected now. and I do feel that way. Every show I do, there's always someone in a Chelsea jersey or there's always someone in an Arsenal jersey, probably that guy booing over there. But even that is fun. It's like, I've never been in a conversation with someone about football, about soccer, where there's any real antagonistic quality. It's all surface level and it's fun to have a little joust with people or it's fun to see someone in the crowd and go, you know, up the blues or fuck Arsenal or whatever it is I'm saying.

1:51:14It's cool. It connects me. Go bless. I've got to say when you hate children hate with empathy like Noah can't always in every regard I do need to ask you quickly about Chelsea Football Club when we last spoke you were so bloody optimistic about this incredibly young team you told me they would finish in the top four they finished in the top four they earned Champions League football for the first time since 2022 today they drew at Bournemouth with their club World Cup champions badge on By the way, I think Grammy winners should wear like a huge, like for four years they should wear. I wouldn't have one of those either.

1:51:56Grammy nominees would be cool. There you go. Two for Grammy nominees. God bless. Thank you for covering my ass, Boston. But your team is sitting quietly in fourth place. Today they drew. Finished, by the way. Is that right? Everton are in fifth. Let's go. Was that an angry thing from a Liverpool fan who's like shocked that for at least one more week we're above you? I don't know. Nice win. You had 11 men on the field at the final whistle. But what's the real Chelsea team that clenched their teeth for Arsenal to a draw six days ago? It feels like six years ago. Or the one that lost midweek to Leeds and just crapped the bed.

1:52:39Who is the true Chelsea? This is the real Chelsea, baby. This is the Chelsea experience. We're gonna beat Barcelona, then we're gonna lose to Leeds. I think it's frustrating as a fan, you get excited. I think as a fan base, we have to be patient. I think we're very reactionary today in modern football landscape. Everyone wants results, results, results. And sometimes when you're part of a project, you need to be patient. I think you can already see what the ownership and what our manager is doing coming to fruition slowly but surely. And there are moments of brilliance. But I think with a few more signings that that project will be even farther along.

1:53:14I think we need five or six more 15 year olds We should just get That sounded so dumb coming out of my mouth We do need I mean we need a striker man Well a striker who is slow of peace Look yeah, quick of mind. I know what you're getting at. They need to sign me Just give me like a two-month loan, dude. Stick me in the janitor's closet at Cobham. I don't care, dude. One game, one moment. I promise. I promise, Bully, I'll do you right. I promise, Bully. Bully, just give this man your number nine. He doesn't even have to kick a football. Just the spite of owning that number nine. I've got Ibrahimovic's nose.

1:53:57That should mean something. By the way, it is literally Ibrahimovic's real nose. I want to know very quickly, who is the current Chelsea 4? I love Enzo Maresco and his chess stylings. I love Rhys James and his tenacity to fight back and just come back so deliriously. I love your kind of avant-garde Zen master and just absurdist comic Cole Palmer. I love Estevão, 18 years of age, Steve defining himself. I mean, Brazil's greatest exports, coffee and magic. When you watch your Chelsea, who makes your heart sink? Kayseda. I think he's the best defensive midfielder in the world. Yeah, that's right.

1:54:44I think he wears his heart in his sleeve, and he gives everything, every game. I understand. I think he has to find that balance. He can get himself into trouble with some of the tackles, but I believe he's a difference maker. if you've watched the last two games, we're desperately missing someone in midfield to make those tackles and to get that spark going. He reminds me a lot of like a Makalele or a Kante, and I absolutely love that archetype of player, somebody in the midfield that can just get things done. I think he excites me the most. Cole Palmer, obviously, on form is unbelievable, but Kai Sato is my favourite.

1:55:19Top three Chelsea football players all time for you. Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Gianfranco Zolo. Eden Hazard in fourth. There you go. The big buttocks of Hazard. Hazard. He and I have the same ass. I've always said. Him, Bronislav Ivanovic, and me could go ass for ass. John McGinn. Oh, yeah. McGinn's great. That's the FIFA rankings I want to see. 100 Brazilian butt lift. Get in there, baby. We know you're a remarkable storyteller, Noah. What's a realistic arc for Chelsea this season? What would you tell Chelsea Nation about all there is to come? For Chelsea? I think we can win the Champions League this year.

1:56:04It feels like one of those seasons. It really does. It feels like one of those seasons where we can just grind out Tuesday and Wednesday results. We might come in like, I think I could see fifth or sixth place in the league, but I think we could win the Champions League this year. I believe it. It reminds me of that 2021 team where we were just dog shit in the league. And then you just result by result, you're like, they could really do this. I think we're well set up to win one-off knockout games against other big teams. To being dog shit and winning things. Genuinely, the Chelsea story. It's so hard.

1:56:36Can you tell me, we are here for one reason only tonight. To celebrate the return of the World Cup to North America. To Boston. Let's go. Unbelievably cool. And Noah, you have an old soul. You really do. But when the World Cup was last here in 1994, you were still three years from actually being born. So what is the earliest Noah Kahn World Cup memory? I think probably the Zidane headbutt would be my first World Cup memory. I couldn't, everyone was getting so mad about it and I was like, what's happening here? This bald guy's headbutting this other dude. I was pretty young. I think I was seven or eight years old.

1:57:11I just started watching and I remember that being a big deal. But I also remember the 2010 opening match. Was it Shalala? Shalabalaba, South Africa. That goal against Mexico, an unbelievable goal. We watched it in my seventh grade cafeteria and I remember being like, This is so cool. So those are my earliest World Cup memories. That is an incredible memory. And it brings this full circle because Shalabalaba, South Africa, World Cup. Could they be the first World Cup nation to crap the bed with the world watching? Playing Mexico, 1-0 down. And this little guy, Shalabalaba, burned down the left wing and unleashed.

1:57:51A finish. Unbelievable. Which I would say. Up for 90. Yeah. Directly into the top corner. Water bottom. I mean, this is good game respecting game talking about it. Yeah, it was pretty good. He could work on a couple things, but it was pretty darn good. It was an ecstatic moment and it made a whole continent dance in every regard. Best World Cup ball of all time. The Jabalani. The Jabalani. So great. One of the best balls to play. I was like a little kid having a friend, a rich friend who had the Jabalani. We would play with it around. Oh, that was the best. no ball has humiliated both goalkeepers and strikers in equal merit it would genuinely oh my gosh it was it was like a lot of movement on it was there something happening in the ball like some kind of fiber or something that was making that happen they they it was a scientifically avant-garde football that they tested and tested and tested but they tested in england where the air density was the complete opposite of South Africa.

1:58:47And by the time it got to South Africa, it was like letting the greatest elite athletes play football with a bar of soap they couldn't grasp. I mean, it was just slapstick human wonder, but still the greatest memories of form, which I think is the wonder of the World Cup. And for you, I just finished writing a book about the World Cup. For me, the greatest thing about the memory of the World Cup is just the spine of my life really is World Cup memories. It's a profound memory maker, a global connector. It's been the spine of my life. It's how I mark the passing of time. It's how when music obsessive, I imagine, things about their life by songs and albums that are released, the soundtrack of every single era.

1:59:31For you, Noah, what's the World Cup for you as you remember them in your arc of life? The World Cup's interesting because it's every four years and I think you can't help but look at how much has changed in your life based on where you are and where you're watching it. Like a Super Bowl is every year and you can kind of, you kind of don't have to think about where you were the last year, but four years ago, where was I watching? Four years before that, I was in seventh grade. Four years before that, I was eight. Four years before that, I was four. Four years before that, I was sperm. So you can only imagine how much you can track your life's changes.

2:00:06And I think it forces you to reckon with where you've gone in your life, where you've been and the passion still being the same is like a testament to how much you care about this game. So I'm always proud to be like, I'm watching another one. I'm still just as excited to watch the U.S. men's national team play. It's just a good way to trace through your life. I want to get to the U.S. team in one second. But I do want to say yesterday, FIFA announced they're going to do a halftime show for the World Cup final, which is a bold move. so I want to if you were asked to play at Noacom would you and which two of your incredible collaborators and you can't choose Alexi Lalas which two of which two of your many collaborators would you bring to guests with you oh um big football fan Sam Fender is one of the biggest football fans a Newcastle fan a true true fan and also just an unbelievable storyteller musician, one of the greatest live shows in music.

2:01:04I think Sam would be an easy choice. And then it would be pretty cool to bring out somebody that maybe you wouldn't expect to be into. Like, Kacey Musgraves, I feel like, would be great out there. She's got great energy. It would be fun to see her on that kind of stage, I think. Oh my god. Can I say, on the Fenway album, everything everywhere when you bring out... Gracie. Gracie, if you were to do the halftime show at the FIFA World Cup and just be like, with the same energy, just be like, Cat Stevens! That would be unbelievable. I mean, are they really doing that? Who's doing the halftime show?

2:01:42I hope Tracy Chapman. They've not announced that. Oh, that's awesome. Really? No, I think it would be the village people. It would be the bloody village people. Oh, right. It would be genuinely the village people. Let's talk about the United States of America. Village people, by the way. are going to be making so much money in the next 10 years. It's unbelievable. By the way, they're going to be playing the next Super Bowl as well. They're going to play the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Saudi Arabia and the halftime show. They're making bank. So let's talk about lovely things. The U.S. boys, they're playing Paraguay, Australia, likely Turkey, possibly in the group stage.

2:02:19I know you've got tickets for a ton of World Cup games. Can you talk about the U.S. team, what you love, what you dream of. We've won one knockout game in the modern period. Why never us? I think we need a new chant as fans. Are we still doing I Believe We Will Win one? We gotta chill with that one. Horrible. I don't know how you could do anything to that. It's all bad. Really bad. I really like our group. I think it sits favorably for us. I do believe the U.S. men's national team does play with a lot of pride in the World Cup. And I hope that we can bring a little bit of that to the knockout stages this year.

2:02:58I'd love to see us leave the group. I do rate Potch. I think he's a good coach. And I think we have a lot of talent, a lot of younger talent. I don't think the team's been in a better suited place in terms of young talent in a long time. So, yeah, I hope we can make a deep run. I just don't know. I'll be watching every game. I just don't want to lose to Belgium. I feel like we get Belgium a lot. I would like to not see them. I would like to see us get out of the group and put a couple results in past the group stage. Can I say you're a song smith if you were to write a chant for the US team to replace I believe that we will win what would it be?

2:03:34I'm pretty sure that we might succeed.

2:03:41My music would not is not hype music at all. We got to get somebody else for that. My music for when they lose and they all go to like the Appalachian Trail to find themselves.

2:03:57By the way, you've got a line from Homesick that I love where you're saying, I've got dreams, but I can't make myself... Believe them. Yes, which, by the way, for me, I think is the perfect lyric to update the I Will Win chant. That, for me, genuinely, if we could get 100 ,000 people in LA and Seattle in that opening round chanting Homesick, Nothing can bloody stop us. But when you dream of US victory, I was going to say, what does it look like? I guess I'm asking, Noah, will we see our US boys win the World Cup in our lifetimes?

2:04:39I think a lot needs to change at the academy level and the fundamental level in this country to get the talent that we need onto this roster. I think there's a lot of problems in the infrastructure of American soccer that will prevent us from really finding the greatest players. I think the equity of football in America is not where it needs to be. I think it needs to be cheaper for young people to get into the sport, more accessible. It's a very, very difficult sport to get to the highest level at with the way the structure is set up here in America, and I think we need to do a better job of that before we have any chance of winning the World Cup.

2:05:19It's an incredible time to be alive when one of the country's greatest musicians should also be running the academy system in the United States of America. I guess what Noah's saying, in 2042, Tyler Adams' son, Jax, will be playing alongside centre-back partner Tim Ream. And American glory will be guaranteed. I want to close by talking about this city, this incredible place, this ferociously greatest city on earth man Boston is the shit everybody knows that there you go I mean not to go off live at Fenway Park on your ass but it is a cathartic show you call Boston the only city in the world I've ever felt at home in absolutely I mean it's a beautiful thing to be able to say about a place to know it to feel it to share it so what does this city this crowd the world's about to see this What does it offer that's singular among next city's hosts, next summer's hosts?

2:06:21I don't think there's any passion in the world like Boston passion. I think they embrace the people they love, the things they love wholeheartedly. I think they put their entire hearts in their sleeves when they care about a person, a team, a restaurant, a place. And I've always felt welcomed in by Boston, but also very respectful of honoring that passion and making sure I represent the city wherever I am as much as I can. like, you know, walk around New York wearing a Red Sox hat, and I don't care because it's Boston. I think that the players will feel that. I think the U.S. men's national team will feel that tenfold, and I hope that the other teams feel a little bit of that passion.

2:06:59I hope they feel us and hear us there. I think people are not ready for American soccer fans who have been waiting for a long time for this event to happen, for how excited folks are going to be and how intense we can get. I think we should give them every single ounce of our energy, and Boston is the greatest place for passionate people. Can we just pull that photo up one more time? When you look at that, what do you see, Noah? I often look at that photograph and I've often said, what must that human being, the guy who was wearing the baggy shirt, under the baggy shirt, the guy that dreamt, the guy that yearned, the guy that made those dreams come true, when you look at that now, what do you feel?

2:07:41I always feel like they're cheering for someone right behind me. You know, I was never really able to accept all the love, and that's really hard for me. But having that memory was one of the first nights that I felt like I was on stage, and I belonged there, and I deserved it. And the crowd was just so... They were the stars of the show, like the crowd were the stars. I fell in love with every single person in the audience, just watching them enjoy that moment. It wasn't about me at all. It was about that night for them. And it was incredibly special. And it's something I've always said, if I had to retire, if I had to quit tomorrow, So it would be the single most amazing highlight of my music career in my life.

2:08:19It's something I'm very, very proud of. I often look at that photograph, I've got to say, and hope that for all of you in this audience and everyone watching at home, we all get to feel an end of the joy, the emotion, the transcendence that I imagine that you and your family must have been experiencing in this moment, which brings us to the last question. Well, Raj, real quick, I just want to say it. I could speak on the behalf of everybody here. I think you bring a lot of that to people as well. What you do is incredible. I've been watching you for a long time. I was fortunate enough to meet your family, and you're just a lovely person, but you're also doing a lovely thing for this game and for American fans of this game, so we all thank you as well.

2:09:06Noah, you will not out-self-deprecate me on this stage. I know, this is like an immovable force meets an in whatever object. I know, there's so many things that I've come to love about this man, but genuinely neither of us can stand the nice things said about us within our own earshot. In a way you are a little New England with that, I feel like. Cannot take a compliment. I won't take it, and I won't stand it. Let me dwell in my own self-criticism, negativity. I said to Trevor now, and I'll say it again, I do feel like my whole life is one incredible unjust bar review. And I'm quite happy with that standing.

2:09:49But ultimately, life is about finding joy. Life is hard. Life's full of challenge. Life is finding flickering senses of meaning, which is what I love about football, communing with you all tonight to be candid, sharing these moments, making these memories together. and a lot of it I feel when I watch you when I see you in concert, when I listen to your music, this is me throwing it back on this mad bastard, it's called Diversion and Deflection Therapist in the audience who are watching but I do want to ask you to close, it is a time of challenge, it is a time of change, I mean by the way some days I do believe the entire world is experiencing stick season at the very same time and you are such a beacon of light in the darkness.

2:10:37You don't like to think about it, but you are. So I do want to finish by you telling us when you feel challenged, what strengthens you, Noah? What gives you a sense of optimism when you need it? That's a great question.

2:10:55I can't remember who it was, but it was like, it might've been Mr. Rogers, or was that Mr. Rogers' neighborhood? Is that the guy? I think it was either him or Peter Drury. Well, he said when there's a natural disaster or something horrible that happens is to look for the helpers and look for the people that are helping. And there's always so many more of them than there are people distracting and detracting. So I think it's easy to look at the bad, but there's so much, I don't know, there's so much good. And if you look hard enough, you can find it. And it does bring some hope. And I know it is a difficult time for so many and a very complicated time for us all.

2:11:31but I think there are a lot of people that are just trying to do good. And I try to focus on those folks as much as I can and try to be one of those folks myself. So that's what brings me optimism. It's a chance to be better every day. I don't know.

2:11:48Mr. Rogers, Peter Drury, Moises, Mike Jado. Be like those human beings. I do want to say, Noah, you are a remarkable human being, truly a joyous, authentic human wonder. And I want to thank you for all of the empathy that you bring to the world and to, I think, all of our lives. It's rarer and rarer as a currency, and it's all the more precious. Before you leave, I do want to make a memory of the night. Join me on the front of the stage. We're going to bring our photographer, Matthias, on. Let's have the audience upstanding. Let's take a photograph that all of us can treasure forever. Amazing.

2:12:24And thank all you guys. You guys are awesome. I hope you guys have had fun. Even the Everton fan back there. Let's do it.

2:12:37Noah Kahn!

2:12:47What a human being, right? Can I just tell you, that gentleman, never mind the Grammy deserves a Pulitzer Prize for poetry in every regard I want to say what a human being, what a knight Boston I really am so grateful to all of you for being with us I'm going to talk about that in one moment I do want to start it off by thanking Bank of America again for making it we couldn't do any of this without their support they are the official bank of US soccer They're the Bank of FIFA World Cup 2026. I want to say we are ecstatic about everything that is about to happen in the year ahead. And we are so thankful to our friends at Bank of America for powering so much of what is good about football in our nation.

2:13:37It brings us together. It allows us to feel things. It allows us to feel joy. And it's an honor to ride with them in this biggest year in American soccer history. Thank you for all you do in Boston and across this nation. But most of all, I want to thank you, Boston. I really, really do. I'm so grateful for every moment that we have in your company to convene, to commune, to share moments like this. You're going to share your heart. You have such a deep and precious heart. Moroccan fans are coming. They're going to bring their ecstasy to your streets. English fans are coming. They will dance in your fountains.

2:14:17the Tartan Army are going to absolutely march with pipers through your streets and you will share their joy and their pride and their wonder even if it is fleeting and I hope that it's not but let's revel in it all let's make great memories multi-generational memories that we carry with us for life because that's all that matters that really really is not the winning not the losing but what we share and what we carry with us this is Rog saying let's not take a second of watching football together for granted Boston thank you for bringing us into your hearts tonight big big love and courage