Planet Fútbol with Grant Wahl
340 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 848 ratingsThe world of Soccer is vast, and Planet Fútbol has it all. Featuring news, analysis, and wide-ranging interviews with the game’s most prominent figures. Hosted by Grant Wahl and Luis Miguel Echegaray.
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Episodes
Bill Simmons on California Youth Soccer, MLS and US Soccer
December 13, 2018 08:03 - 46 minutesGrant gets into the soccer side of HBO's Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy, founder and CEO of The Ringer and host of the Bill Simmons Podcast. Simmons talks about being deeply involved in Southern California youth soccer over the last five years with his daughter, including starting a new youth club. He also laments the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and shares his thoughts on MLS as an LAFC season ticket holder, as well as his experience attending a Mexico-USMNT World Cup qualifier at the Estad...
Katie Nolan Talks Soccer and Her Love of Liverpool FC
December 06, 2018 08:03 - 36 minutesGrant has a fun interview with Katie Nolan, the host of Always Late With Katie Nolan on ESPN+, about how she fell in love with Liverpool FC, her fascination with Mohamed Salah, her thoughts on soccer fans in the United States, how she puts her show together and her plans for a pilgrimage to Anfield. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg on Their New Book "The Club: How The English Premier League Became The Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force In Sports"
November 29, 2018 11:52 - 44 minutesGrant interviews the Wall Street Journal's Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg on their new book "The Club: How The English Premier League Became The Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force In Sports." Based on more than 100 interviews, including such figures as Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, Daniel Levy, David Dein and John W. Henry, the book charts the course of the Premier League from its origins as a breakaway from the English Football League to its status now as a global sports colossu...
All Things Italian Soccer With David Amoyal
November 22, 2018 08:03 - 39 minutesGrant interviews David Amoyal, the Boston-based Italian soccer maven who hosts the Calcioland Podcast, edits the English-language website of the Woj-for-soccer Gianluca Dimarzio, writes columns for ESPNFC and The Athletic and appears regularly on SiriusXM. David shares his thoughts on everything that's happening lately in Italian soccer, which appears to be going through a renaissance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pod Save The People's Clint Smith
November 15, 2018 08:03 - 46 minutesClint Smith is a former Division I soccer player at Davidson and a huge Arsenal fan who has written occasionally on soccer for The New Yorker. He's also a regular on the podcast Pod Save the People; a Harvard doctoral candidate whose research interests include mass incarceration, the sociology of race and racism, and the history of U.S. inequality; a former national poetry slam champion; and the author of a poetry book, Counting Descent, that was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He’s wide...
Abby Wambach Interview
November 08, 2018 08:03 - 57 minutesGrant interviews Abby Wambach, the World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the all-time leading goal-scorer in international soccer history. Wambach retired from playing in 2015, and she was recently announced as the founding chair of the advisory group for Copa90 to guide its editorial, talent and commercial plans for coverage of women’s soccer as we move toward next summer’s women’s World Cup. She also has a new book coming out next April called Wolfpack: How Women Claim Powe...
Former USMNT Forward Eddie Johnson
November 01, 2018 07:03 - 38 minutesGrant interviews Eddie Johnson, the former USMNT forward whose 15-year playing career ended in 2015 due to a heart condition. These days Johnson is working as a skills-development coach in Orlando for all ages, from kids to pro players like Christian Pulisic, Cyle Larin and soon Dom Dwyer and Sydney Leroux. Johnson provides his candid thoughts on what American soccer needs to tap inner-city kids like he was—and what sharing his life story could do for African-American kids around the country....
Interview of National Soccer Hall of Fame's Djorn Buchholz
October 18, 2018 07:03 - 19 minutesThe new National Soccer Hall of Fame opens this weekend in Frisco, Tex., and Grant was there to interview executive director Djorn Buchholz about all the cool things inside the new HOF. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Interviews with ESPN's Bob Ley and USMNT's Antonee Robinson
October 11, 2018 07:03 - 54 minutesGrant interviews ESPN's Bob Ley, one of the seminal soccer and TV sports broadcasters of the past 40 years. The focus here is on Ley's legendary experience in the soccer world, from the New York Cosmos to covering World Cups from 1982 to 2014, with some epic stories to tell along the way. Then Grant interviews Antonee Robinson, the 21-year-old left back who's playing for Wigan (on loan from Everton) and is trying to bring some stability to a position on the field that has dogged the U.S. for ...
Derek Rae, Soccer Broadcaster
October 04, 2018 07:03 - 43 minutesGrant interviews Derek Rae, who's everywhere these days—Fox Sports, NBC Sports, Amazon Prime and even the EA FIFA19 video game—about his personal journey and how he approaches his job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tony Sanneh, The Original Big Cat
September 27, 2018 14:02 - 43 minutesGrant meets up in NYC with Tony Sanneh. They talk about Sanneh's standout performance in World Cup 2002, some hilarious stories from his career in Germany, his thoughts on being snubbed from the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the work he’s doing these days for his foundation, which last week was named a finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s 2018 Sports Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Grant Interviews The Athletic's Pablo Maurer
September 20, 2018 07:03 - 49 minutesGrant interviews one of the most interesting people in American soccer media: Pablo Maurer, who covers D.C. United for The Athletic. They talk Wayne Rooney and D.C. United's new stadium, but their discussion also ranges into Maurer's remarkable photography work (including the viral Abandoned States project), his work as a professional mechanic for high-end cars (including those owned by MLS players) and his stories on Johan Cruyff's Washington Diplomats, NASL's old Team America and the Spanis...
Grant and Brian Talk USMNT & new GM Earnie Stewart
September 11, 2018 07:03 - 40 minutesAfter the U.S.'s 2-0 friendly loss to Brazil, Grant and Brian discuss the game and Earnie Stewart's still-ongoing search to hire a new head coach. Then they discuss the new UEFA and CONCACAF Nations Leagues and debate whether a competitive Nations League game might be more useful than low-key friendlies against even the best teams like Brazil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An Interview With Emerging USA Goalkeeper Zack Steffen
September 06, 2018 07:03 - 25 minutesAhead of Friday's USA-Brazil friendly, Grant sits down with Zack Steffen, the 23-year-old goalkeeper for the USMNT and Columbus Crew. They talk about his Man of the Match performance in June against France, his rise with the Columbus Crew, his thoughts on the goalkeeper position and his goals for the career that lies ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Grant and Brian Talk Clint Dempsey, Wayne Rooney, Gianni Infantino
September 05, 2018 07:03 - 57 minutesBack from vacation, Grant reconnects with Brian to talk about Brian's interviews with Wayne Rooney and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Plus the guys give their thoughts on the still-ongoing US men’s coaching search and the career of Clint Dempsey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Roma Director of Football Monchi
August 30, 2018 07:03 - 23 minutesGrant interviews Roma’s Monchi, widely regarded as one of the premier directors of football in world soccer. Monchi goes in depth on how he built his post-playing career as the director of football for 16 years at Sevilla, how he developed a strategy for identifying talent and why he decided to move to Roma in 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
John Halloran on the USWNT
August 23, 2018 07:03 - 27 minutesGrant interviews John Halloran of American Soccer Now and The Equalizer on the state of the U.S. women’s national team after its victory in the Tournament of Nations and how things look heading into friendlies against Chile, October’s World Cup qualifying tournament and next summer’s World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jesse Marsch, RB Leipzig
August 16, 2018 07:03 - 38 minutesGrant interviews Jesse Marsch, who recently left his job as head coach of the New York Red Bulls to take an assistant coaching job with RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga. Marsch explains why he took the Leipzig job, how he has assimilated quickly and how he feels about the open U.S. men’s coaching job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
NBC's Kyle Martino on the New Premier League Season
August 09, 2018 07:03 - 37 minutesKyle Martino of NBC Sports joins Grant from England for a fun discussion about the new Premier League season, which starts on Friday, and his thoughts on the state of U.S. Soccer after his run for federation president and his new role with Street Soccer USA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The English Premier League Season Begins!
August 07, 2018 07:03 - 34 minutesGrant and Brian discuss what's on their mind at the start of the English Premier League season, and they also share their thoughts on the MLS All-Star Game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Popular University of Michigan Professor Andy Markovits
August 02, 2018 07:03 - 1 hourWhile visiting Ann Arbor for the Manchester United-Liverpool game, Grant sits down with one of his favorite guests, the University of Michigan professor Andy Markovits (the author of Offside: Soccer and American Exceptionalism). They have a wide-ranging discussion of the World Cup on and off the field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our First Visits to Audi Field and The Big House
July 31, 2018 07:03 - 49 minutesGrant and Brian are back on the case soccer-wise post-World Cup, and in this episode Brian shares his thoughts on visiting D.C. United's new Audi Field for the first time, while Grant talks about his first visit to the Big House in Michigan for Manchester United-Liverpool. The guys also break down Zlatan Ibrahimovic's incredible form for LA and find out why Brian was once thrown out of a Monte Carlo casino. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Interviews With Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben and Serge Gnabry
July 26, 2018 07:03 - 31 minutesGrant sits down in Philadelphia for interviews with two Bayern Munich wingers at different stages of their careers. Arjen Robben, now 34, talks about what he wants to achieve in his 10th season at Bayern and how he has adjusted his game as a winger as he has gotten older. And Serge Gnabry, who has scored double-digit goals in the Bundesliga the last two seasons with Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen, looks ahead to his first season with Bayern and shares his story of growing up in Germany, moving ...
World Cup Withdrawal, Etc.
July 24, 2018 07:03 - 38 minutesGrant and Brian are back after five weeks in Russia, and they’re going through World Cup withdrawal. They’ll talk about that and other things in the soccer world, including Mesut Özil and national identity, the U.S. women’s national team’s Four Nations tournament, Josef Martínez and Atlanta, their thoughts on the ICC and both New York MLS coaches leaving while they were in Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
France Wins World Cup 2018! Plus Stu Holden Interview
July 15, 2018 23:36 - 35 minutesGrant and Brian break down France's 4-2 win over Croatia in the World Cup final—and finally eat Brian's space borscht! Then Grant interviews Stu Holden of Fox Sports, who called the World Cup final on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Final Thoughts Ahead of the World Cup Final; Alexi Lalas Interview
July 14, 2018 23:08 - 33 minutesBrian checks in with Grant from Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, where the players of France and Croatia gave their final press conference ahead of Sunday's World Cup final. The guys also discuss Belgium's 2-0 win over England in the third-place game. Then Grant interviews Alexi Lalas of Fox Sports and hears his thoughts on Russia 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our World Cup Best XI, Plus Jenny Taft of Fox Sports
July 13, 2018 16:06 - 40 minutesGrant and Brian break down our Best XI of the World Cup and make some tough decisions to do so. Then Grant interviews Jenny Taft of Fox Sports about her thoughts covering the French team and how she got fluent in French in the first place, helping her to interview the French players during the tournament Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Looking Ahead To The France-Croatia World Cup Final
July 12, 2018 15:53 - 42 minutesBrian is finally back in Moscow, albeit in the hotel from hell, and he and Grant look ahead to the France-Croatia World Cup final on Sunday. Plus Grant interviews Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs columnist for the Washington Post, who talks about his visit to Russia and soccer in the bigger picture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Croatia Comes Back Again, Beats England 2-1 To Reach World Cup Final
July 11, 2018 22:35 - 32 minutesGrant and Brian break down Croatia's third straight knockout-round comeback as it beat England 2-1 in extra time on goals by Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic to reach the World Cup final vs France on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
France Beats Belgium 1-0, Reaches World Cup Final
July 11, 2018 01:39 - 33 minutesDespite it being 3:30 am in Russia, Grant and Brian break down France's 1-0 victory over Belgium in the World Cup semifinals, with Brian relaying his thoughts from covering the game in St. Petersburg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
France and Belgium Get Ready to Rumble
July 09, 2018 20:38 - 28 minutesGrant and Brian compare and contrast France and Belgium as Brian prepares to cover Tuesday's semifinal in St. Petersburg. Grant then challenges Brian to get the term "Inspector Pavard" into his postgame press conference question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
France, Belgium and England Have Succeeded With Multicultural Identities, So Why Shouldn't the USMNT? Plus Jaime Macías of BeIN Sports
July 08, 2018 17:16 - 55 minutesGrant and Brian are hard at work on an off day of World Cup games, and they're noting the success of France, Belgium and England with multicultural teams and asking why the USMNT shouldn't be able to do that as well. Then Grant is joined for a fun interview by Jaime Macías of BeIN Sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's a Croatia-England Semifinal! Plus Rodolfo Landeros Interview
July 08, 2018 00:16 - 48 minutesGrant and Brian break down Croatia's wild victory over Russia on penalties and England's 2-0 win over Sweden that gives us four teams in the World Cup semifinals: Croatia-England and France-Belgium. Then Grant interviews Rodolfo Landeros, who did terrific work covering the Mexican national team during the World Cup for Fox Sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Belgium Stuns Brazil and France Wears Down Cavani-Less Uruguay; Plus Cobi Jones Interview
July 06, 2018 22:07 - 30 minutesBrian and Grant break down Belgium's thrilling 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal victory against Brazil and France's 2-0 win against Uruguay, which was missing star Edinson Cavani. Then Grant interviews Cobi Jones of Fox Sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brazil-Belgium and France-Uruguay Preview; Plus Kate Abdo Interview
July 05, 2018 18:25 - 32 minutesWith Brian now in St. Petersburg, he and Grant preview the varsity side of the World Cup bracket in Friday's quarterfinals (Brazil-Belgium and France-Uruguay). Then Grant interviews the terrific Kate Abdo of Fox Sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Happy 4th of July! Grant and Brian Talk Favorite World Cup Moments; Plus JP Dellacamera
July 04, 2018 14:43 - 38 minutesIt's an off day at the World Cup, but Grant and Brian are still on the case talking about their favorite World Cup moments so far. Then Grant interviews veteran soccer broadcaster JP Dellacamera of Fox Sports about his thoughts on where this World Cup has been and where it's going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
England Wins On Penalties!?! Plus Tony Meola Interview
July 04, 2018 01:27 - 43 minutesGrant and Brian (who was in the Moscow stadium) break down England's dramatic elimination of Colombia on penalties to advance to the quarterfinals and set up a matchup against a tough Sweden team. Then Grant interviews Tony Meola of Fox Sports about his thoughts on the tournament. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mexico Out; Belgium and Japan Play the Best Half of World Cup 2018; Plus Ed Malyon Interview
July 02, 2018 21:23 - 47 minutesGrant and Brian break down Belgium's thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind victory against Japan in the Round of 16 and dissect Mexico's elimination in the Round of 16 for the seventh straight World Cup, this time in a 2-0 loss to Brazil. Then Grant interviews Ed Malyon, the sports editor of The Independent, about England-Colombia and his thoughts on the exits of Argentina and Spain, where he has lived and worked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Russia Eliminates Spain and Croatia Advances Over Denmark; Plus Ian Wright of Fox Sports
July 01, 2018 22:18 - 29 minutesBrian joins Grant from Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, where he covered Russia's stunning elimination of Spain on penalty kicks to advance to the World Cup 2018 quarterfinals. It wasn't a great day of games, but the high-stakes drama of penalty kicks was palpable in both as a subpar Croatia still advanced over Denmark. Then Grant interviews Ian Wright, who's covering the World Cup for Fox Sports and other global outlets. They talk about England-Colombia and Ian's pride over the success of his son,...
Messi and Ronaldo Are Out of World Cup 2018; Plus Maria Komandnaya of Fox Sports
June 30, 2018 21:56 - 50 minutesGrant and Brian review France's 4-3 win over Argentina and Uruguay's 2-1 victory over Portugal in a pair of compelling games to start the Round of 16. Then Grant interviews Maria Komandnaya of Fox Sports about the Russian team ahead of Russia-Spain and her fascinating career path as a journalist and media personality in Russia and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Looking Ahead to Argentina-France and Uruguay-Portugal; Plus Sunil Gulati Interview
June 29, 2018 21:10 - 43 minutesIt may be the first day of no games at World Cup 2018, but Grant and Brian aren't taking the day off for the podcast! They preview Saturday's pair of mouthwatering games to open the knockout rounds—Argentina-France and Uruguay-Portugal—as well as the other Round of 16 matchups. Then Grant interviews former U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, who's still a FIFA Council member, about the genesis of his baby, the successful U.S.-led bid to host World Cup 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
Fair-Play Points As A World Cup Tiebreaker? Plus Clarence Seedorf Interview
June 28, 2018 21:47 - 44 minutesGrant and Brian break down the last day of group-stage finales, including whether fair-play points should be used as a tiebreaker after the unprecedented use of them to send Senegal home and Japan to the Round of 16. Then Grant has a deeply candid interview with Clarence Seedorf, the only man ever to win the UEFA Champions League with three different teams and now a coach who's working for Fox Sports and other outlets at the World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...
Defending World Cup Champion Germany Is Out—and Mexico Is In. Plus Kelly Smith of Fox Sports.
June 28, 2018 00:59 - 42 minutesGrant and Brian discuss the remarkable finish that saw defending World Cup champion Germany eliminated from World Cup 2018—the fourth time in five occasions that the defending champion has gone out in the group stage—and saw Mexico saved by South Korea. They also talk about the game Brian attended in Moscow (Brazil 2, Serbia 0) and what it means for Brazil ahead of a knockout-round showdown with Mexico. Then Grant interviews Kelly Smith, one of England's greatest players, who discusses her wo...
Against All Odds, Argentina Survives. Plus Jake Walerius On World Cup Fan Groups
June 26, 2018 21:33 - 34 minutesGrant and Brian discuss Argentina's miraculous survival in Group D after Marcos Rojo's late goal brought the Argentines back from the dead and knocked Nigeria out of the tournament. Meanwhile, Brian laments having to be at France and Denmark's 0-0 tie, by far the dullest game of Russia 2018, that saw both teams advance from Group C. Then Grant interviews FanSided's Jake Walerius about his work writing about different national fan bases at this World Cup. One question: Why are European fans be...
Simultaneous Group Finales! Simultaneous VAR Craziness! Plus Nike's Pete Hoppins on Those Amazing Nigeria Kits
June 25, 2018 21:44 - 32 minutesGrant and Brian break down the dramatic Group B finales as Iran almost takes out Portugal late, but Spain and Portugal end up advancing. Then Grant is joined by Pete Hoppins, the senior design director for Nike football apparel, who tells the fascinating story of the design for Nigeria's wildly popular World Cup kits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
England and Colombia Rampant! Plus Rob Stone of Fox Sports
June 24, 2018 21:04 - 33 minutesGrant and Brian discuss the big wins by England over Panama and then Colombia over Poland, as well as Japan and Senegal's compelling 2-2 tie in Group H. Then Grant sits down with Rob Stone of Fox Sports to talk about his thoughts so far on the World Cup, as well as how he goes about his duties as a host. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Toni Kroos Saves Germany, Mexico Wins Again and Fernando Fiore Interview
June 23, 2018 22:36 - 46 minutesGrant and Brian discuss Germany's last-second win over Sweden that saved 10-man Germany (for now), Mexico's 2-1 victory over South Korea and Belgium's freewheeling 5-2 win over Tunisia. Then Grant interviews Fernando Fiore, his Fox Sports colleague, about his background, his broadcasting style and his nightly show from Russia, World Cup Tonight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nigeria Is Here! Plus Vaishali Bhardwaj on England
June 22, 2018 21:47 - 39 minutesGrant and Brian talk Day 9 of World Cup 2018, from Nigeria's 2-0 takedown of Iceland to Brazil's difficult 2-0 victory over Costa Rica to Switzerland's stirring comeback in a 2-1 triumph over Serbia. Then Grant interviews Vaishali Bhardwaj of London's Evening Standard about England's winning start to the World Cup and her pathway to journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Croatia Takes Down Messi and Argentina; Amelia López on Mexico's Hot Start
June 22, 2018 01:51 - 49 minutesGrant and Brian discuss Croatia's memorable 3-0 win over Argentina, putting Lionel Messi and Argentina in serious danger of failing to advance from Group D. Brian, who covered the game in Nizhny Novgorod, details what exactly has gone wrong so far for Argentina and so right for Croatia. Then Grant interviews Amelia López of Fut Mex Nation and the Mexican Soccer Show about Mexico's brilliant start to beat Germany and what comes next for El Tri. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...
Cristiano Ronaldo Again! Plus A Landon Donovan Interview
June 20, 2018 23:06 - 47 minutesGrant and Brian discuss Day 7, including Cristiano Ronaldo becoming the figure of this World Cup. Then Grant interviews Landon Donovan about his thoughts on the World Cup, that bank ad and what comes next following his departure from Club León. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices