My guest is Will Wardrop, otherwise known as 'Will in Brazil' over on Instagram. He's based in the capita, Brasilia, and we're discussing groundhopping in Brazil *outside* of the two main cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. We discuss matches in Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Goiânia, and Bahia in the north of the country. Will gives us his groundhopping tips for foreign visitors to Brazil, plus a few anecdotes from his time out there.
I am joined for a third time by Dr Pete Watson from the University of Leeds to discuss the ultimate grudge match in World Cup history, certainly from one side, at least. We're discussing Argentina versus England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 22 June 1986.
It was the first time the two countries had met since the acrimonious Malvinas/Falklands Conflict four years earlier. Argentina famously won it with two of the most famous goals in history from Diego Maradona in the space of five minutes early in the second half. England almost pegged it back after John Barnes' brilliant impact off the bench, but it finished 2-1 to the South Americans.
There is so much to unpack in this match, from international diplomacy to conversations about colonialism.
I welcome Christopher Hylland, author of 'Tears at the Bombonera', back onto the podcast to discuss his new book, 'Dame Bola: A Journey Through the Language of Argentinian Football'. We look at the origins of some of the key words in the Argentine game and explore the wider culture of the matchday ritual.