Trevor Noah on Footballing Joy, James Horncastle on Brazil vs Morocco, and Scotland's American Takeover: Night Cup 6/13/26

29:45It's a nice segue to talk about the U.S. men, Trevor, because that performance, arguably the most coiled so far that the tournament's seen, a display so emphatic that I think most sane Americans right now would not complain if they do rename it the Flo Balogun Kennedy Center. But the stakes are fascinating. Americans love winners. We love American exceptionalism. dream teams, US men's national team has always been strangely made. We always have a strange sense of shame that has been so inhibiting. And I don't know what's going to help us to break through. We kind of have a feeling when we take the field that we know the rest of the world is laughing at us.

30:30Yeah, but when I think of any great moment in a team's evolution, especially a country that isn't football or soccer dominant, it comes in waves and it comes in generations, right? So you think of like the Belgian team. They came out of nowhere, but you saw them if you watched the under-16 championships. You saw them if you watched the under-19 championships. They get grown and then they come out of nowhere. The same thing has happened for the U.S. men's national team. Pulisic has come out of nowhere. You know, McKinney has come out of nowhere, you know, Dest has come out of nowhere. All of these players have come out of nowhere.

31:11But if you were watching Barcelona, if you were watching Fulham with Robinson, if you were watching Milan with Pulisic, if you were watching, like, you've seen these players. Like Balogun, like, Chelsea didn't sell him for, like, magic beans. Arsenal, sorry. Arsenal didn't sell him for magic beans. They sold him for, like, money, money. You know what I'm saying? That was like, and even at the time, people were like, wow, that's a lot of money for Arsenal to get. Who is this player? Well, you saw who that player is, you know? Chelsea are going to be buying him after the World Cup for about 185 million now.

31:40And then he's not going to play. Yeah, he'll never score again. Yeah, he'll never play again. He'll be at Everton on loan by Christmas. But here's what I think it is. So I sort of go back to what I was saying about Bafana Bafana. Yeah. What did I love about the U.S. men's national team? This was the first time where I watched them and I felt like the team themselves loved football. Yes. Yes. They were enjoying themselves. Yeah, they looked like they loved football. I've watched the U.S. men's national team for many, many years. It looks like they came to play a game that is called football or soccer, and they were like, our goal is to beat the other team.

32:16But they didn't look like they loved the intricacies of the game. I never saw flair. I never saw travellers. I never saw flicks. I never saw little turns. I never saw little shifts from side to side, little rondos. I never saw moves like that. This literally one of the people, because we watch the games live on YouTube, right? And one of the people on the watch along chimed in and said to us, they said, this is mission impossible. Everyone is using the Tom Cruise masks. Who are these players? Because we've never seen. It's the only logical explanation. It was beautiful. It was some of the most beautiful football I've ever watched.

32:53Forget where they're from. Forget the nation. Forget the tournament. That was some of the most beautiful football I've ever watched. It was stunning. And all the more stunning because it was on home turf, playing before that crowd. Yeah. And the need to shatter that inhibition. That's what happened in this game. I mean, the debate about football or soccer, which is fascinating to me. English people use the word soccer. Their big TV show on Saturday is called what? Soccer AM. Soccer AM, the Soccer Saturday. But they mock us when we say it because they know that we know that they know that we know that we're lesser, inferior, and it rocks us.

33:30It humiliates us. It really shocks us. It makes us feel that lesser. That's what we're trying to... We're not just trying to win the bloody World Cup. We're trying to, like, shatter that inhibition, that lesserness, which for an American, I think, to feel lesser, to feel inferior, is not a very American thing at all. Not at all. That wasn't a performance that spoke to that at all. I think that's what stood out, was that they did look like... It was a distinctive style. I think Trevor said about Bafana Bafana that they weren't playing the way that maybe suits them. The US were playing Pochettino football, but they were also playing football that suits those players.

34:06I don't know whether that's like an idiosyncratic US style. It's all kind of modern football now, but they were playing the way that suited them. It didn't feel like they were kind of crumbling under the pressure, not just of home soil, 75 ,000 at SoFi, kind of getting over 2022, making sure that this tournament is a success. It felt like they were saying, actually, we welcome that pressure. We can cope with it and we can prove a point here. It was that kind of display. ATM, it's the midfield. Cash money, baby. I do need to ask you quickly what you made of Pochettino's makeover. Barney, Rene and The Guardian wrote this.

34:39He wrote, Pochettino appeared on the touchline in a blue-gray suit and white trainer's hair rakishly long, looking like a 1980s cop whose work takes place exclusively on speedboats filled with diamonds.

34:55it's great hair. He's got great hair. He looks fantastic. I love it. I love it for him. I feel like he feels more relaxed. He just feels more like tranquilo, more chill, you know? Everybody thinks he wants to go to AC Milan. I'm pretty sure dude wants to move to CSI Miami. But to close this, I need to ask you, because you are a thinker, you're a feeler, you understand football in its deepest way. We are living in a time of chaos. Football is, We've talked about it a lot, all of us. It's ultimately just a mirror to the world we live in. I'd love you to read on this. Does football, the most important, least important thing, does it feel less important in this moment of kind of global turmoil?

35:37Or does it almost feel more important to you, Trevor, because of the respite and even fleetingly that sense of unity that the World Cup's providing? So I've said this before and I'll say it again. My friends get sick of me saying this to them because I really drill it into my friend group. We take for granted how powerful it is for human beings to resonate at the same frequency. You see it even on a scientifically studied level. An army can march further when they march together than if they march alone, right? And this is not just a saying, it's literally, if you walk with a group of people, you can walk further and you can march further if you're in unison than you can if you if you do it in solitude we don't really know why that is we have a few theories but we don't truly know why but what we do know is there's something powerful in people sharing a frequency and a resonance i felt it in new york city tonight yeah it's the good stuff when when everybody is honking their horns screaming sirens for longer if you do it together.

36:45Yeah, no, but can I tell you, to hear happy honking in New York, I don't know how that happened, but it happened. To see people screaming happy in New York, to see that feeling. If you come to New York City right now, you will experience a city that feels like it very seldom feels. People are hot and sweaty, but in a happy way. People are walking through trap in a happy way. People are angry, but in a happy way. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that can I tell you something? Even the people who were, it was unfortunate, like they're smashing like taxi cabs and stuff, but they were smiling while doing it. You know what I mean?

37:22I'm not saying they should do it, but they were happy. But you shouldn't do it. But if you're going to, you might as well enjoy yourself. I'm saying people, we shouldn't take for granted. And we saw this in COVID, right? We got separated as people. Everyone was doing their thing alone. We are going to have fewer and fewer opportunities as human beings to resonate at the same frequency. Everyone's got their own little for you page. Everyone's got their own channel. Everyone's got their own YouTube. Everyone's got their own everything. For all of us to sit together, cheer, scream, get shocked. Did you listen to, if you haven't, please play it or show it or whatever you can, because I know licensing is weird.

38:01The Mexican commentary of the U.S. national men's team goal, the third goal, when Balogun cuts in. the Mexican commentators switch from Spanish to English that they barely speak and they start swearing in English. They just start cursing in English. Can you curse on the show, by the way? You can say whatever you want. Oh, no, no. I just want to tell you what the guy was doing because the guy was there. Then he's like, go lazo, go lazo, go go lazo, go lazo, go lazo. Go lazo, go lazo. And then he goes, and then he's like, wow, what has happened? What has happened? This is beautiful. Oh, the fuck are you fucking crazy are you fucking crazy what the fuck is it's the fucking what the fuck is the fucking no golazo that to know that that man was having that moment at the exact same time as tom cruise at the sofa at the exact same time that i was having it in new york at the exact same time that like some mom in kansas was screaming at her tv that my friends is the thing that we should, you see, in the same way I said countries are people and leaders, don't forget that football is the same.

39:13We've got organizations, we've got, you know, FIFA, we've got everything. Yeah, but we, we still have the game as well. So we are cheering together. We're shocked together. We're screaming when Australia scores together. We're like cheering, you know, running, doing our Scottish celebrations together, screaming for McGinn. I mean, you know how much I love that guy. Like when I watch the Premier League and I watch Aston Villa, I love him so much. He's such a wonderful man. He's such a wonderful man. That's what I mean. I mean, and also you see him score goals. To see him tonight score a goal for his nation with his gigantic buttocks.

39:47You saw what that meant. It's beautiful, man. Come on, guys. Come on, guys. What are you talking about? Like that to me, that to me is the thing that we shouldn't take for granted is we very seldom all feel the same at the same time. I love it, man. And that's what I think the World Cup gives us. It's beautiful. The World Cup vibrating on the same frequency at the same time. Last one, Trevor. Who's going to win this thing? Finally going to be USA-Scotland, right? I mean, I'm going to be careful with my predictions because the last time you asked me, remember I told you Arsenal would win the Premier League when you asked me.

40:28You didn't just tell me you prophesied. People weren't happy. People weren't happy. The prophet Trevor. I still believe that France is going to win it. But I think like France and Spain are like this, in my opinion, when I watch it. I can't see anybody else winning it. So I only see France and Spain, barring some miracle that I just, I can't see anybody else winning it. I just can't. It would be wonderful if somebody surprised us. England, can I tell you, I would love for England to win its World Cup under a German manager. I think that's a beautiful way. That's the way I would love for England to get its World Cup.

41:05What, to bake in some self-loathing? It's just for the Germans. I would then give Thomas Tuchel ad campaigns for the rest of his life that would run on British television, all English television, on the BBC, everywhere that you can, and it would just be Thomas Tuchel and be like, want to get something done right? Call a German. That's all I would have over and over again. England, you finally did it because of the Germans. that would be the best way for England to win the World Cup. I don't think anyone can win this World Cup that loses, by the way, right? I think if Portugal wins the World Cup, it's amazing.

41:40Ronaldo's given us so much. And that team is phenomenal. Everyone from Vitinha through to Bruno Fernandes, Nuno, you name it. Phenomenal. If Neymar wins with Brazil, again, the kid, yeah, he's been mercurial. But, guys, he's just given us so much joy. That whole team has Vinicius, deserves it. It's a beautiful team. And Ancelotti. Who doesn't love Ancelotti? if if if Morocco wins it if Ghana wins it if Senegal wins it it's it's a Cinderella story if Scotland wins it how can you not be happy for them if America wins it people are shocked but playing this football we would be happy for them it's like welcome welcome to the world football if if there's not a single team if Argentina wins it you go wow Messi did it again if France wins it who doesn't love Olissé and the boys I think he's going to be the MVP of the tournament by the way Michael Olley said, that's my golden ball winner, probably.

42:30No one can lose this World Cup, in my opinion. We can only win it. I'm trying to think here. My golden ball is that Australian goalkeeper. You think so? Yeah, the world deserves a hero that no one had heard of before. I mean, just what a gorgeous performance. I was waiting for you to get down to Qatar. If Qatar win it, just a plucky romantic. Who doesn't love that woman? Roger, Roger, I am optimistic, not delusional. And let me tell you how you know, and my friends in Qatar know exactly what I'm talking about here. I'm not alone in this, because the reward that Qatar gives their scorer is so big that they themselves did not think anyone was going to score.

43:15So it's not like I'm alone in saying this. Like the bonuses that they give tells me that they are also shocked. Yeah, the guy who stored the goal. Yeah. Well, the guy who's the Qatari player who was nearest the ball when the Swiss player stored the own goal has been given a car that I've never heard of. It is worth$350 ,000. Yeah, I think he's got a Rolls-Royce Phantom. That's what they give him. And a substantial amount of cash. I think$5 million, if we can believe it. You've changed my mind. I do believe the hired Lebanese ultras that they flew in to support them deserve happiness, too. I'm just big-hearted like that.

43:44I want to say to you, Trevor, you're a beautiful man. You've let down the organisers of the Vladivlad stock comedy festival when you said you were not going back to Russia. They were a little disappointed, but I think everybody else who's listened to you tonight has learnt to savour every second, savour these games. By the way, the best way to savour them is to watch along with Trevor Noah's World Cup watch party on Trevor's YouTube page I did today with John Barnes, and it was just an exquisite experience. Trevor Noah, make great memories. May South Africa rise again. Everyone gets through into the next round, I promise you.

44:20Here's to more happy honking and happy sirens for all of us. You're a beautiful man. Gentlemen, thank you so much. Good luck to Scotland. Good luck to, I guess, England and America, Roger. No, I'm just America now, baby. Oh, wow. Oh, look at that. Well, then I will then root for England in your stead. How about that? And I will be rooting for South Africa for the rest of the tournament for you two. You're a gorgeous, gorgeous human being. Thank you both, guys. This was a lot of fun. Get outside and go and smash some crap up with the rest of New York, will you, man? But with a smile. But with a smile.

44:54A word from our friends. At 1440, the 2022 World Cup final drew 1.5 billion viewers. It's 11 times this year's Super Bowl. To understand how football became the world's game and what drove it, Listen to 1440 Explores with Financial Times journalist Simon Kuiper, who will give you the inside scoop into the depths of the tournament. Listen to 1440 Explores wherever you get your podcasts. Ladies, an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026, is also the official sponsor of all bandwagon fans during this euphoric summer of footballing wonder. And this summer, they're inviting all of us to jump on because come kickoff, hope springs eternal.

45:34My cold, dark heart grows three sizes every FIFA World Cup. The ebullient Moroccans, the splime Spanish, you can't help but fall in love again and again. So ask grandma if perhaps you won 16th French, Brazilian or Japanese, adopt a new anthem, borrow a new flag. Embrace that bandwagon because when your team goes home, the party doesn't have to. Grab a bag of Lay's, gather some friends and cheer for whoever you damn well like. And as the world arrives in the United States for the biggest spectacle in sports, we're going coast to coast, host city to host city, to meet the world with the Men in Blazers Match Day Live Tour.

46:13These are free college game day style live events taking place just before kickoff at some of the biggest games of the summer, where we'll be taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans. It's going to be amazing. Come and be with us in person or from afar on YouTube and let's celebrate this some other way. It's meant to be celebrated. Just head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details. To the football, to more together courage. What a joy. I feel like Trevor Noah just won the World Cup. Yeah, but he is right. it's the last great remnant of the monoculture.

46:50It's the last thing that we truly share globally. I think you can probably say the same for the Olympics, but even that, it's different sports. People are into different things. In Britain, we show an awful lot of rowing on TV. I'm guessing that in other countries where they don't care about rowing, that's not happening. With the World Cup, we are all watching the same thing at the same time. The exact same game. I think Trevor might be slightly allied in that, you know, not everyone's happy with every result, but we are kind of responding to the same basic stimulus, and that's really powerful.

47:18We talked briefly about American exceptionalism. I do want to say, before we bring our next guest on, it's something that rings really true with our US team. And we have a whole set of collections, the GoGo USA merch collection. Support your team with pride. Our bestseller right now is this beauty. Please be half as good as a US woman. By the way, I'd bite your arm off. And I love that hat. It seems to have really captured people's hearts. I love seeing all your responses to this. There's a whole lot of crap there. Get it on in the link below or at the MIB shop. Raw, we're going to get into today's football.

47:56Are you ready? Just the four games, 11 hours to get through a bit of chafing. Let's do it. Let's start with Brazil 1, Morocco 1 in New York, opening round group stage of games. This is the only match to feature two teams ranked inside FIFA's top 10. Morocco seventh 22 semi-final pathfinders Brazil a six although far cry from the team in our imagination or the team the last one it on American turf in 1994 incredible Endrick and Ryan both 19 were not even born the last time Brazil won a world cup and to go deep on this let's call up a friend a man who survived the 90 degree weather though sorry the wonder of MetLife today oh it's Mr.

48:42James Horncastle at the Athletic Benvindo James

48:45James Horncastle:Bonjour, Salam Aleikum

48:52James Horncastle:I've been in Brazil and Morocco press conferences what do you expect? Oh you've been hitting the duolingo very very hard It has been amazing to watch. Trevor Noah was just saying all the Brazilian fans in Times Square in the run-up to this. Before we get into the game, how has the World Cup experience in the United States been for James Horncastle so far? To be honest, it's been fantastic pacing the streets of New York because every day is alternated between Nixon 5 to Brazil, Morocco and every colour. I mean, lots of Scots in kilts, seen a lot of ginger hairs, which I'm not going to tell you where I've seen those ginger hairs, but they've been flowing.

49:42James Horncastle:No, I mean, if you can imagine that kind of famous Marilyn Monroe stands over sort of a grill in New York. Yeah. I've seen Scotsmen do that in their kilts, which has been breathtaking. That's amazing. And yeah, I got back from MetLife half an hour or so ago. Had a good pizza called The Pep, which actually had a face of Pep Guardiola on it. I did not know there was a pepperoni pizza in New York dedicated to Pep Guardiola. And it was quite good. So I'm enjoying... Proper football nation, this. I do remember arriving in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup and going to the toilet in the airport. and they had urinal cakes that were made in the shape of goals.

50:30And I was like, proper football nation. And now you're telling me in New York we have Pep Verde Vita called The Pep.

50:37James Horncastle:That's right. It was a New Orleans pizzeria in New York called Two Boots. Oh, yeah. And I recommend it. I was looking at the various pies, the slices. I did not expect to see Pep Guardiola staring back at me. You should ask for the Moyes next time. it's um there's no toppings you get swift kick in the down below look uh let's talk about the game um we watched it together brazil's midfield which i think um was like average age tim ream paqueta casemiro and overwhelmed bruno guimaraes um morocco open with energy and verve 18 year old Ayubouadi. He looked like a boss. I love that Morocco fans were unafraid to tempt fate with Olays in the 12th minute onwards.

51:30I couldn't believe the sheer confidence and fearlessness that they had in the early exchanges. What did it feel like in the stadium?

51:37James Horncastle:To be honest, it was a great atmosphere, Rog. I mean, I would say 80 % of the stadium was Brazilian. A lot of Brazilians in the New York, New Jersey area or the East Coast as well came down. but yeah I mean it was a little bit reminiscent of Qatar where I remember Saudi fans would would chant Messi at Ronaldo and you know sort of going into this game you just heard Moroccans shouting Maradona and Messi at Brazilians but it's like shout about your own team they're really good I mean that was the most impressive thing just seeing how how deft how much guile how much skill these Moroccan players had because Hakimi was talking about yesterday, Hakimi being the Morocco captain, he was saying, you keep telling us we've got this gigantic game against Brazil, but we have African Brazilians too.

52:33James Horncastle:And it was like watching a team that was the other way around. Morocco played like Brazil. Morocco, I think, have what it takes to maybe repeat what they did four years ago. They were that good. And what's really impressive, actually, is that the squad's quite different. It's not that they've brought the husk of the team that made the semifinals in 2022. Buadi, as you say, for an 18-year-old was extraordinary. An 18-year-old playing Brazil in its own reality is terrifying. But he's a very confident young man. When he was 15, he won the French Academy's run, a public speaking competition. so as part of your kind of your youth your youth education as a french footballer you have to go to the elise palace where the where macron lives the president the prime minister whichever it whichever one it is and give us give a speech yeah and buadi won it three years ago it's extraordinary cole palmer came second cole palmer could could never i think is the way that you put that he liked the least day did he do that i'm not no michael elise just gave the inside concept the finger.

53:43But Bilal Canoos was fantastic. They've refreshed the squad. They've got more depth this time. Brahim Diaz wasn't playing in Qatar. He wasn't in that squad. They look, certainly that first 25 minutes, half an hour, when they tore Brazil apart, and Brazil were really lucky not to be, what, two, three down? Morocco looked like potential winners. By the way, at J Whipdubs in the chat That says, the Moyes is an American cheese on white bread sandwich. Sauce is just ketchup. I can't bite your arm off for that right now. I've got to be candid. I mean, that goal, 21 minutes, was so destructive. Was it Brahim Diaz who just caressed that ball up the gut, straight up the Brazilian gut?

54:26The way he managed to slip it right through Gabriel's blind spot was stunning into Ismael Sabiri's stride. Alisson arguably late out, which is what he does. He was very exposed. The finish, just so dismissive. It was like the lob was erotic, James.

54:45James Horncastle:Oh, beautiful lob as well. I had the great height on it as well. It wasn't just like a little dink. He really lifted it over him. I loved everything about that goal. And Brahim, I think a lot of people remember Brahim from AFCON six months ago, the most controversial AFCON of all time, where I think he thought he'd lost that final. for Morocco with that kind of crazy little penenka he did, which went straight into the goalkeeper's arms. But in every other game in that tournament, he was magnificent. I think he scored in every game. And again, you saw it today, just decisive, lovely little ball down the fairway for Salibari.

55:30James Horncastle:And, you know, as Rory said, like, I mean, Brahim is by now kind of a bit of an old stager for this Morocco team because credit to Uabi, the new coach. Uabi won the under-20 World Cup with Morocco, which in itself is a really impressive feat. For Morocco to be world champions at that level is kind of amazing. And he's been very courageous in bringing through some of those kids. So Hakimi was talking about this yesterday. There's a new generation to this Morocco team. and God, they are silky. They're as nonchalant as a cat in a souk. You know, that was it. There's a beautiful piece in the New Yorker about them.

56:16There was a sociology professor who talked about how football in Morocco is a space of identity, belonging and social expression. That felt like what we were watching. We'll say Brazil, their record is unbelievable in group stages. I couldn't believe this. They've won their group at every World Cup since 1978, which is on Fandemore, which made the way they were so ragged, the midfield so cumbersome, the gut so vulnerable. It was honestly, it was hard to watch, sad to watch. It was like watching Mike Tyson or one of those, you know, old guys stumbling out to fight Jake Paul. What was the atmosphere like there?

56:53Because it felt like we were just going to have one of those other, the new VAR checks for mistaken identity. Because it was hard to believe it was actually Brazil.

57:02James Horncastle:Yeah, it was amazing to watch in your American press tribunes, which are behind glass. They are mine. Oh, yes, the press box, but yeah, the NFL press box is behind glass. The press aquarium. Exactly, the NASA press aquariums that American sports writers get to watch sports from. Because it really contained the Brazilian groans and moans from the press pack, who are essentially Brazil fans. Many of them just show up in Brazil shirts and support the team as if they were just regular supporters. So hearing them actually moan, groan, complain, every time Pacitar gave the ball away, that in itself was quite something.

57:45James Horncastle:I mean, Brazil did sort of get a foothold in the game. They played better in the second half. But a real shadow of, as you mentioned earlier, Rog, the Brazil that we all hold so dear in our imagination. That idea of Brazil seems to have gone. And there is little or no aura to this team, nothing to be afraid of. And certainly Morocco didn't play with any fear whatsoever. Carlo Ancelotti afterwards was saying, nobody judges a team on the first game at the World Cup. And, you know, fair enough, Carlo. So we will see how far this Brazil team goes. But, you know, on the one hand, this is the toughest game that Brazil will have in the group.

58:40James Horncastle:On the one hand, it's the first game. The first game is always one of the most difficult because you're coming out of your preparation. I think this is the first team, the first time they're starting there, but they've never played together. You know, Ancelotti's only been in the job a year as well. and it looked like that but none of the decisions that he made full back, in midfield up front where Igor Tua played, none of it came off it's worrying Rog, I don't know how many Brazilians are glass half full men and women but it didn't feel like that coming out of the stadium Well, we didn't know how many Lawrence, Kansas City people supported Algeria before this World Cup so we will find out I do want to give some love to Vinny Jr.

59:25One of the most fascinating subplots of this team is Vinny Jr. versus the expectation that surrounds him. Just that stunning moment, almost took the game into his own hands like sod it, I'll do this, exchange passes with Bruno, Guy Mares, and just with an electric sizzle, tore into the box, cut back, lashed home. Vinicius, we talked about it in the previous, He's a player for whom Brazilian football fans have never truly developed a bond with, left for Europe early, never developed a real connection. And the storyline going into this for a lot of the Brazilian fans were like, why does he never, it's very like Messi early on with Argentina, why does he never reflect the kind of play he does in the national team shirt that he does for his club?

1:00:12Well, I think with Vinicius, and I don't know whether James might disagree with me on this, I think it runs deeper than Brazil. like he is a player who's sort of winning goal in the Champions League final so it's it's not fair to say that he never delivers in big moments but it feels like in the last three or four years when he should have been progressing to being a genuine star like he's he's kind of Florentino Perez's favorite son but but it's not entirely clear why he's Florentino Perez's favorite son at Real Madrid he he has I don't want to say he's gone backwards but he's definitely not had those moments he's not in those moments where you think okay that is a huge game determined by Vinicius that is Vinicius changing the course not of a match but of a season doesn't doesn't really do it anymore to be perfectly honest it looks a little bit like he's kind of got as whether he's got into his own head or whether he started to believe his own hype so I think for his his reputation as a player his his status as like a brand within football this tournament's really important he he kind of has to deliver yeah also because he's out of

1:01:12James Horncastle:contract at the end of next season. And yeah, he was asked about that yesterday. He wouldn't be drawn on it. He was like, I'm very much focused on Brazil. We all know he's never recovered from Rio Ferdinand commentating and saying Ballon d 'Or, Ballon d 'Or, Ballon d 'Or. I did for him. I think that's ultimately why Real Madrid abandoned that Ballon d 'Or ceremony when they found out the award was going to Rodri and not Vinicius because of the expectations set by Rio Ferdinand. He's a power broker. He's up there as a football power broker. He's almost up there with I show speed. That second half, there was a moment where Brazil up their intensity, but that kind of fell away.

1:01:58There was a moment when both teams kind of realized they had more to lose than they had to win and almost did settle for a draw. Morocco really just decided to have sterile possession to kind of kill off the game and Brazil not doing a lot. To save the game, the match directors just started up the shots of Speed, who has so much access. It is remarkable at this World Cup. Watching him walking up to PSG president Nasser Al-Khalafi's suite and just dab him up. It was just like this magical collision of footballing power and streaming power. It was somewhat mind-blowing. This kind of storyline ends with iShowSpeed replacing Gianni in Fantino's FIFA president, doesn't it?

1:02:40That's the logical... But then it's replacing successor,

1:02:43James Horncastle:choosing successor. He is the new Salt Bae. I think he takes Salt Bae's crown for this World Cup. He will be on the pitch at MetLife after the final, probably running away and streaming with the World Cup. That's what's going to happen. Salt Bae will be elated tonight too with that Qatar point. I do agree with James on the sense that Brazil did, If you wanted to find a positive on Brazil, it's that they looked really bad in the first half an hour. And then after that, Ancelotti did solve those problems. Fabinho, who now actually has retired and lives in a nursing home, made a real difference in that game.

1:03:25He brought a little bit. He can't move. Fabinho can't move around. It was remarkable watching him. He looked like his legs were made of wood. The way he moved was so unathletic. But his influence was so potent. He moves like I do in my mid-40s when I first get out of bed in the morning. That's how Fabinho moves. And that is not good, Rog. That's not what you want. But his positioning, his kind of sense of control of the game settled Brazil down. And that is a trope of World Cups that players who have been written off for their national teams, where you have to kind of just do a job. Sometimes you need someone who can just do one job.

1:04:00Having that kind of role player at a World Cup can be really important. So I wonder whether, as James says, hating Scotland aren't nearly as intimidating as Morocco for Brazil. But as Carlo tries to fix the plane while he's flying it, I do wonder whether he looks at Fabinho and thinks, if you're there, then we are much more solid. Horny, we've seen these two performances. I don't know if you feel there's enough of a body of work to make a prediction over which team feels more potential-soaked. Take that question, whether you put us out of our misery, spoiler alert, which team will go further? in this Copa das Copas?

1:04:35James Horncastle:I think it's Morocco. There's a freshness about them, freshness and experience. And I think they'll take a lot of encouragement from today's performance because I think only one African team had beaten Brazil at the World Cup before and that was Cameroon and it was when Brazil had already qualified four years ago. But this was a much better performance than that. In a game that mattered, I think, a lot more to Brazil, It mattered to, Carlo Anciotti was asked yesterday, is this the most important game of your career? And he was kind of like, well, there's a lot of Champions League finals and that sort of thing.

1:05:14James Horncastle:But it's like you've got a lot of weight of responsibility to be coaching Brazil, a country that is not your own, that is supposed to be diametrically opposed to your football culture. And you're here to make it successful again. and given he kind of said his model is going to be the 94 world cup not only because it happened in the u.s but because of how brazil played basically quite stodgy physical muscular football football bootay um i think if you're morocco you're like they tried to bring the physicality they tried to basically stop us playing and they couldn't stop us playing you know that i think that has to be um a source of major encouragement for the moroccan so i'm going for them to at least, well, not at least, but replicate maybe what they did four years ago.

1:06:05When Ancelotti was asked about the big games, did he not mention the Carabao Cup with Everton where, you know, he got us through and he blew on the coffee. I mean, that's the obvious highlight of his career. Still recovering from one of the English broadsheets today who described Ancelotti as a man who's managed many of the big clubs in the world and Everton.

1:06:26James Horncastle:Also, in terms of if he would have ever been out, I'm going to ask him this. What's his favourite beach? Is it Ipanema? Is it the Copacabana? Or is it... What's the one by... Crosby. He loved Crosby. He came on our show. He said, Crosby is a bit... It's kind of the fancy part of Liverpool people. It's Crosby. He pronounced it as if it had three syllables. It was lovely. Crosby. He was like, Crosby. The Crosby Cabana. None of the other beaches have chemical waves and like dead sheep bobbing up and down. It's so beautiful. Horny, we're going to let you go, but tell us what has been your World Cup memory other than the ginger hairs, which I'm still confused about.

1:07:05What's been your World Cup memory of America so far, baby?

1:07:10James Horncastle:My World Cup memory of America so far has been... Oh, it was going to get my accreditation at MetLife coming back at Secaucus Junction, and then there was this snowy-haired old man on the platform. I asked him if this was the train going back to Penn State, Penn Station. He said yes. We got talking and it was Mitchell Robinson's high school coach, Mitchell Robinson, who's just won the NBA championship with the Knicks. We had a lovely old conversation. Butch Johnson, 800 career wins for Chalmette High School in Louisiana. You are the highlight of my World Cup so far. How did you work that out? Did you just like recognize him?

1:07:52Are you just like some kind of great man? No, it was one of those crazy things where he was... I was just dying to tell you. You're asking a direction. He's doing... Yeah, I realise. I know it's me. It's Butch Johnson. Sorry. Yeah. What was your question? Let's just get over that. Let's just get the awkwardness out of the way. Yeah, 800 wins. Yeah, I did. I did, I did. It's America, man. It's America. Amazing. It's so beautiful. You stop for directions. You meet a champ. Horny, have you verified that information since he told you? I have.

1:08:22James Horncastle:because he didn't he didn't tell me that he he said he was from louisiana and he'd coached um mitchell robinson yeah and then uh i went and looked like at mitchell i went and looked at his whether he was at college or lsu or something he wasn't at college lsu he was at this high school chalmette and then i went on their instagram page and there there was this snowy man snowy-haired man. Snowy man. Yeah. It's a mascot. I've got to tell you, Horny, there's a million Nigerian scammers who are watching this who are trying to look at your emails. I am in trouble. I need your help. Please immediately owe me$1 ,000.

1:09:01I love you. Believe in that everyone is who they say they are. Enjoy that approach to the United States. Nothing can go wrong now. We're going to catch up with you as we drive this beautiful bus across America. It's incredible to see your face in this nation of ours. Enjoy your football. We'll see you later in this week. You gorgeous man.

1:09:22James Horncastle:Go well.

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1:10:45At Rogers Behavioral Health, one step can change everything. Visit rogersbh.org or call 800-767-4411 for a free screening. We've got to get into Scotland, Hayes. We do. The third game of the day. My game of the day, game soaked in passion and yearning. For you in particular, as we'll talk about 52 years for Haiti, Scots awaited 28 years for this moment. I find it very moving watching them, both of them. But can you explain Scotland to us? Because the team historically at World Cups, the cliche is that they're always home before their postcards. They always dream big, never get out of the group stage.

1:11:26But the Tottenham Army don't seem to care. Today, watching them storm Boston by boat with more liquid, I think in the fans than there was in the Boston Harbor was really impressive. Explain the ethos of the Totten Army, because you have to understand almost Scottish identity to understand them. Gallows humour, passion, hardship, defiance, celebrating really existence in the face of the struggle. I love it. I think for Scotland, for the fans, going to major tournaments with Scotland, which is not something they've got to do for an entire generation post-1998, is a way of performing, as it is for so many countries, it's a way of performing their identity on an international scale.

1:12:05It's a way of saying that Scotland, although it's part of the United Kingdom, is a different thing. They're not English. They are their own country. They are a nation. They can be a nation again, Rog, which is, that's the message. I think the nature of the Tartan army is really important. The reason that the Tartan army have a sort of almost aggressive friendliness to them, that the reason that they are so performatively, so deliberately friendly whenever they travel abroad is because that is a way of expressing the key fact about Scottish identity, Rog, which is not being English. That is the central tenet of all Scottish identity.

1:12:43You are not English. And in the 1980s and early 1990s, when England was still struggling with hooliganism, that had been a Scottish problem as well. The Scottish clubs had similar issues, maybe not quite as extreme in the 70s and 80s. there was an almost deliberate kind of decision that traveling with Scotland would not be a case of wrecking various European towns. You know, this is the year of 1998 when there were riots in Marseille at the World Cup from England fans, 2000 when they rioted in several small Belgian market towns. And the Scots kind of took this approach of, well, to separate ourselves from them, we're just going to be really nice.

1:13:21And you see it a little bit with the Irish as well. I think that's it. I can't talk about that too and claim too much expertise on it. But I think there's an element of that with the Irish that is this idea of we look like these people, we are from the same general land mass in the case of the Scouts, not the Irish, but we are not them. We have a different approach which is why you get this wonderful warmth of the Tartan army and there's, don't get me wrong, there's sections of the English fan base that do that as well. I've seen a video of some England fans in Florida today singing Angels by Robbie Williams, our unofficial national anthem and that is a really friendly vibe that England is not just the stereotype, the caricature.

1:13:57But the Titan Army are their own thing. And seeing them in Boston, seeing Americans discover that Scottishness, that positive face of Scottishness, has been even more than beating Haiti, which should be enough to get Scotland through to end that no-knockout games curse. It's El Quinto Partido, but for Scotland. El Quinto Partido. So that's been the most heartwarming thing, is seeing this kind of wondrous kind of expression of Scottishness in America and Americans now associating Scottishness with fun. With warmth and love and joy. There was lots of it. McTominay, there's a 50-yard pass, 40-yard run, thump shot off the post for him.

1:14:41The Haiti player, I was Don Dietz at electric pace, but he seemed only willing to or only possibly able to do Travellas. I sometimes play a game with my son where if he doesn't control a ball he's not allowed to, like first of all he's not allowed to use his right foot and then he has to control it with his thigh if he miscontrols it he can't use his left foot either it looked like he was on a bet that he wasn't allowed to pass it other than with a Trevella just steady diet Trevella's the goal we've talked about John McGinn, I don't like to be hyperbolic up there with Battle of Bannockburn, Robert Burns' birth beautiful, beautiful, deflected but unstoppable his reaction, talked about it already stunning.

1:15:20You could tell the joy, the extra joy he felt just hit different. I've got to say, Haiti played very well. You care about Scotland. It was so funny watching this team with this man who's so calm and focused, but your beautiful mum is from Dumfriesha. You were angsty watching that. Huge credit to Haiti. They kept vertically grappling right to the end. Scotland had zero control. I think in the water breaks, the Scots were like, we nips of the we'd nip to the good stuff instead of the water. Haiti were amazing. Haiti were much the better team. Scotland, I think, struggled with the pressure of knowing that they had to win that game to have any chance of qualifying.

1:15:58I think that really seemed to get into their heads even after the goal which should have settled them. But Haiti, these aren't minnows. These countries that we're going to, we'll see it over the next few days with Curacao, these countries that we think of as being these tiny nations, these romantic stories, not only do they have lots of good players in their own countries, but they've also got all of their diaspora communities to call on so I think Cape Verde got 16 players in their squad who are born or raised in in Europe they're playing in in the Dutch top flight the French top flight they are experienced footballers they're not they're not like plumbers part-timers who are here because they won a lottery they're a good team and Haiti I thought were Haiti more than deserved a point they also have 16 players who were born outside the country but um i mean your scottish thing to was tight and i think it was it was pierre who who had that header just flaking just wide commentator captured it said scotland take the points haiti take the plaudits to see scotland the top of the table includes morocco and brazil feels that's a nice it's a nice look it's it's enjoy it well you can people um talking about Romance, Switzerland won, Qatar won, a smash and grab, 94th minute goal, the ultimate, well it changed the game file, what like this match could have been an email, Qatar first World Cup point, wow, I mean the England team had their training equipment stolen today, I think what Qatar did was different, first was even more so first point even ever in the World Cup for Qatar, what a heartening story, they are dot dot dot um but let's get to the night cap australia 2 turkey nil proof of the life truth that few teams carry a chip on their shoulder more than australia if you didn't know turks captain hakan kalahoglu said i think we'll dominate the game we've got more qualities and a more talented team came out of that voluntarily just said it he predicted a dominant win in no way jinxing it.

1:17:58All I can say is a game of knifey spoon erupted. The Soccer has lost five of six World Cup opening games, at least they're consistent. Two stunning goals, first 27th minute. We called him out in our previews, 20-year-old Nestor Iirakunda. Some World Cup of Championship players people. First touch, the touch of a tender lover. Second, just a stunning, emphatic finish. A beautiful story, born in a refugee camp in tanzania to burundian parents settling australia as a baby i loved it he busted out the tim cahill corner flag all these players know their history a lot of callbacks a lot of callbacks in this world cup no it was australia's performance was i was i have i have been i have said some terrible things about australia in print roger and the yeah the the performance was extraordinary it was a genuine i couldn't believe it i think there was probably a little bit of complacency from the Turks.

1:18:51It looked like they were caught cold by how intense Australia were, but they were well-organised, they were bright in attack. No fear, no respect. None at all. Yeah, they weren't daunted by Turkey in the slightest. And in it, Irankunda and Torre, the two forwards, the two young forwards, they've got speed and directness and that will cause teams problems. Goalkeeper, beat, shout out. Fantastic. You love him. Surprise selection. Great. They had three enormous saves. One sprinkled through, well, the four quarters of this game now. Apparently, by the way, we don't even laugh when the commentators go, we're in the third quarter.

1:19:25That's where football's got two people. Socceroos close out the game with a fine finish. Shout out, Connor Metcalf. Low smash, stunning 0.04 XG. I actually do think, by the way, American fans, I think this could be a good thing. We will not enter Friday's game and take this Australian team lightly and don't say anything. All right, America, just keep our opinions to ourselves. Do not piss the Australians off. Please, God, Friday cannot come quickly enough. Let's touch very quickly on tomorrow. Mighty Germany face tiny Curacao, smallest nation ever to compete in the tournament. Population just over 150 ,000.

1:20:06Sends you a Gainesville, Florida worth. I think they've already won the World Cup. It's an amazing story. It's an island 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela. Decided to put together a football program. They were a Dutch colony until 2010. They'd already begun to try and piece together Curacao diaspora players on the continent. They had minimal funding. That changed when Dick Advocat, kind of Netherlands, won the journey when joined the project in 2024, got more funding, real sponsors, and have put their place in this year's World Cup with a no-shredding 0-0 draw of Jamaica. Their team coordinator said, we've already won the World Cup just by being there.

1:20:47They have rule, right? I mean, the whole world, we're talking about them. It's an amazing story for an island nation that small to be here. The smallest nation ever knocking Iceland off that top spot, which is, you know, obviously Iceland will be invested in their failure. But, yeah, it is an incredible story. 16 years, they're still a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They're an autonomous constituent member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Are we all in a way? In a way, I think spiritually, yeah. And they have really tapped that diaspora. And as I say, they're to be taken seriously. they will be of the level of a good Eredivisie team.

1:21:20They may be not a Champions League winning team, but they'll give Germany much more of a test than people will expect. Wilhelm II. They are Willem Tve, I think. Yeah, yeah. That level. It sounded just like Steve McLaren when you said that, baby. Second game of this Turducken of football. The Netherlands taking on Japan from Dallas Stadium. It's been amazing watching the Orange fans already discovering Buc-ee's. Somehow, I think this whole World Cup is just a stealth European intelligence gathering mission to reverse engineer their own bloody beaver nuggets. They've danced through the Dallas streets with their links and rechts.

1:21:55That's mesmerized Europe. This is today. This is Dallas people. I think the Texans were pretty underwhelmed. They just saw this as terrible Texan line dancing. But I love this crap. This is the good stuff. On the field, 8th ranked Dutch team will try and surpass their 2022 performance when they fell to Argentina. on penalties in the quarterfinals. Let's do it for Vukveghorst revenge game. 18th ranked Japan on a remarkable run. They've lost just once in the past year. As to the United States, you can't all be winners, can you? They've racked up wins over Ghana, Brazil, Scotland and England. This could be the stealth best game of the opening round.

1:22:34We've also got Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Sweden, Tunisia. But it's time, Raw, for the part of the night where we say what everyone suddenly believes. We look at Kelsey. And tonight, we're going to pick up the question we asked Trevor Noah. How far can an African team go in this year's tournament? Morocco reached the semifinals in 2022. First African team ever to go that deep in this tournament. They made a continent dream. Ten African teams with this new blue roar. What are the chances? Will it be in a year in which an African team reaches the mountaintop? Well, I would suggest that those numbers there would probably be quite sensible.

1:23:09that the quarterfinals or the last 16 are probably the safest bet because at some point and it's hard to work out the the kind of map to the the later knockout rounds because of the third place teams going through but you're going to run into one of the superpowers and that will be a challenge but from what i saw from morocco today i'd go semi-finals you're worth 14 i would go i think that looks very very accurate they are no longer a dark horse they're playing a very different style of football where they're more confident in possession that feels absolutely right and realistic with no stretch there.

1:23:40Though I do believe the odds change if you ask the question within the contours of Lawrence, Kansas, where 100 % of the people tell you Algeria are going to go all the bloody way. Shout out, Lawrence. We've never chatted about that town. More, we should go to Lawrence, Kansas. I would love to sleep the night in the double tree with all those. There are rooms available. Yeah, apparently. Let's get there. smoke some cigarettes with the Algerian players, which is why they're there, viewers. It's time of night, part two. We're going to food it up. Are you ready for this, Ro? What have we got tonight, Rog?

1:24:16Oh, I'm quite excited, to be candid. You do. We are required by law to make Rory Smith indulge in the finest grub in our country today. It's the European mind cannot comprehend. And we've got maple bacon doughnuts from Sidecar Doughnuts right here in Santa Monica. I've got to tell you, these look unbelievable. This is America, people. Look, how do you make a donut even better? Look at that. Do I eat this with a... You put the pig on it. That's what you do. Do I need a knife and fork? Do you need... I don't know. Knifey-spoony. Knifey-spoony. Get in there. We've got to do this quicker. Oh, my God.

1:24:55I've just doubled my sodium and sugar in one bite. Tell us what you think. Oh, my God. Who thought that would be... just whoever did this is a genius why are they not running us soccer put bacon on the doughnut so the donut itself roger's delicious someone's put bacon on it to enhance why to enhance why not not i'm not on board with that why not raw this may be the david moise pizza um i've enjoyed knowing you it's nice working with you but i think i think i might i might be killed by this donut if I'm honest. What a way to go. Death by donut. I mean, we can't all choose the way we go, can we?

1:25:33But my God, that would not be bad. I think you're going to give this a 3.7. No, come on. I'm a positive person. Go on. I've gone 6.8. Have you really? Yeah. I mean, you don't need to put bacon on it. The bacon is adding nothing to the experience. That's my verdict. Well, I think if you actually met the pig, you'd be... This is a waste of a pig. I think the pig would have a very different opinion. If I could pick the... Do you know what? To be fair, the maple bit is really nice. I like that. Maple in the donut is working for me. Don't need the bacon. Go on. You've got to keep up with German Freddy.

1:26:06I'm still eating it. With its cholesterol levels. You heard it here first. Maple bacon donut from Sidecar. Don't miss as good as a Gio Reyna Travella. No. We've got a letter. It's from... I didn't send it to you. You didn't send it to me. You'd have to read it to me. Here we go. I'm donut crazy we've got to hear from you dear listeners to close this show your World Cup experiences your World Cup dreams your World Cup journey drop us a line meninblazers at gmail.com or slap it into the meninblazers discord email us tag us on socials let's make memories together it's a short one it's from discord user Wolfzilla our discord is so unbelievably funny today coincidentally what Landon Donovan also called it his hairpiece.

1:26:55Wulfzilla writes, I met my wife at a watching party for the 06 final. For years, our computer pin code after that was 10-23 for Zidane and Materazzi. When I heard that roar, I just loved it. Just love, passion, headbutts. I can only guess right now, Wulfzilla, your passwords are all 2026 for the year the United States will win the World Cup. My son's pin code for his tablet, which he's only allowed to use for a certain amount of time every day. I want to make that very clear. Security breach going on here by dad gong. There's nothing on the tablet. It's a kid's tablet. Yeah. It's 10 for Lionel Messi.

1:27:34Yeah. And 04 for Virgil van Dijk. Is it really? Yeah. But in that order, which is disappointing. So I wholeheartedly endorse using key footballing dates or numbers to kind of remind you of important pin codes. All my passwords are Sean McNeil. If you want to hack into anything, come on, Roar. That is it for today. I can't wait to eat the rest of this bad boy. Always be smiling, America. Before I go, as always, during this magical 39 days, following us, the morning cup day, back tomorrow, 8 a.m. Eastern. Betty Glover is so talented. Everything you need to know for the day's games, one bite-sized blast of information at a time.

1:28:14It's the best 15 minutes of my day. Listening to that one more note, If you want to get into a pub tomorrow for the four big games, bless your soul. Check out our Bar Finder, which has been created by thousands of GFOPs sending in their recommendations on the Men in Blazers site. It's linked below. It's a beautiful interactive map. The best soccer pubs across the country. Get stuck in. Curated by you for you. Get yourself a pint. It's a World Cup after all. Raw, we're not going home until we've polished off all these, don't we? There's another two. This is not good for you. I mean one maybe I mean it's quite late at night Rog I'm not sure we need this It's only 30 now How many days have we got left?

1:28:55112 I think 112, 113 I aim to be about 480 pounds Come July 19th This is Rog saying big love Here's to happy sirens for everyone At least once in your life Big love See you tomorrow Courage

1:29:16With everything going on, I don't know how people do it. Groceries are so expensive and I never know what to make. Have you ever tried Wild Fork? Wild what? Wild Fork. They blast freeze their meat at the peak of freshness, which keeps prices low. Their selection is amazing, so you never get bored with your meals. Meal planning is super easy. Wild Fork also has tons of sides, desserts, and ready meals. I stock my freezer, so I always have something great for my family. You will be amazed with convenience and affordability. Great. I can't wait to visit a store and go to wildforkfoods.com.