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Chapter 1: What excitement surrounds the opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Here we go again, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. The bloody World Cup starts today. It's Thursday, 11th of June. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Jim Campbell.
And I'm Luke Moore.
It's today!
It's today! We need Peter to do his noddy holder. Get him to do his noddy holder. It's free fun! That's actually very good. Really good, Jim. Very good. That's as good as Pete's. There we go then. He's going to be gutted by that. PCUSP gone.
I'll tell you bloody what. It is today. It's sort of like an adult's Christmas, isn't it?
It is. Although that makes Christmas sound like a sexy Christmas.
Well, I mean, let's be honest. It kind of is. There's a lot of leg on show. And hopefully some presents. Very nice. Before we get started with today's show, if you haven't listened to our predictions episode yet, you can find that episode below this one in your podcast app. I recommend it.
It's a mixed bag. It is a mixed bag. Absolute mixed bag, that. Some just outrageous shouts. When I listened back to it, I was thinking, there's some outrageous shouts in here, and a good proportion of them are from me. I don't know what I was thinking. Oh, don't worry.
There are some regrets across the board. Oh, big time. I think you and I, Luke, have, you know what? We've not been cowards. We've put our necks on the block.
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Chapter 2: How do Mexico and South Africa compare in the World Cup opener?
The world wasn't ready. There's no justice. It never is ready for me, Jim, it appears. So there are places in South America, like Quito in Ecuador, or La Paz in particular in Bolivia, which is even higher, where you do feel it.
But that's South America. I'm talking about Central America.
I know you are. North America, you're actually.
I want you to tell me whether you felt the altitude. It's a simple question. Not particularly, no. Fine. That's it. Yeah. Move on to your next point. Well, what was my next point? I thought it might be an interesting talking point.
You've decided it isn't. But I wasn't running around. So what I'm saying is that the players may well feel... I mean, England have played there. You know, obviously in 86, they played a couple of games there. I can't remember what some of the quotes were from some of the players. I don't think it's a huge consideration, the altitude, because it's not really been mentioned that much.
And, I mean, look, Raul Jimenez plays for Fulham. Well, he's now just moved to Wolves. That's right by the Thames, do you know what I mean? True, yeah. Altitude of about 50 feet. So, you know, he's not making any sort of noises about that. Nobody is.
But he's probably grown up in Mexico.
Yeah. Well, not all Mexico is at elevation.
I just think, look, I don't know how much of an issue it's going to be, but I think it will be interesting to see how the players deal with it. And we had a lot of chat about this in South Africa.
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Chapter 3: What are the expectations for Mexico in this tournament?
It's a really, really good opportunity for them to start with three points, obviously. I think South Africa haven't been to the World Cup since they hosted it, have they? So this is... Mexico are heavy, heavy favourites here.
Well, I mean, this is probably, on paper, their easiest game. I mean, South Korea know their way around a World Cup and so do the Czech Republic. It's a really well-weighted group, this.
Yeah. Is it a very underwhelming group of death in its own way?
It's hard to call it. It's hard to call it. Mexico are massive favourites for this game, by the way, just to let you know. Not just because they're at home, but because they're a better team.
I don't really know what to make of South Korea or Czech Republic just yet vaguely I've got vaguely better knowledge of Czech Republic than I would have South Korea but that's the beauty of the World Cup right they'll be playing afterwards so we'll have a look then
We will have a look then. Shakira and Burner Boy set to headline the opening ceremony with the official tournament song Die Die.
Spelled D-A-I. D-A-I. Seems very mean-spirited otherwise. Yes, it really does. It's a dreadful song. I mean, to make that absolutely clear.
I'm glad you said that because I listened to it and I thought...
I really am middle aged well it's just the thing I don't think it's necessarily just that I think it probably is never to be partly but I mean this sort of stuff is very generic craft that's the problem it's made to be that we had a comment on YouTube from Ebony hello to you Ebony he says I found the Osho speed song on the World Cup album to be really good I recommend listening to the whole song I mean I have listened to the whole song right
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Chapter 4: How does altitude affect teams playing in Mexico?
Yeah, it does.
Because I'm also an oldie.
But I tell you what, old Miroslav, he's only going to hold that record for a few days because the big swinging Dick's rolling into town. Dick Advocate at 78 will take the record three days later when Carousel play Germany.
Do you think he calls himself the big swinging Dick? He should do.
It's better if he's still swinging.
Here I am. Oldest swinger in town.
The oldest drooper in town, presumably, by now.
When you said that, I simply had an image in my mind of him swinging into a room on some monkey bars by his cock.
This is Louis van Gaal's fault, isn't it? It is, it really is. He's the balls, though.
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Chapter 5: What role does Shakira play in the World Cup festivities?
Oh, yeah. Because it only takes one performance or one moment. Yeah. Like Karol Poborski seemed like an absolute world beater from Euro 96. Totally, yeah.
What I love about this is that if you're wondering, oh, what type of player is he? He's obviously not a fullback. He's an attacking midfielder. He's exactly what you want for a young player like that who's turning heads already. Well, blimey, we're looking forward to it.
Now, if you're enjoying our content in the build-up to the World Cup and want even more chat to feed your fever, then look no further than our old pals Andy and Dotton over at On The Continent. They'll be providing twice-weekly shows covering all the biggest stories around surrounding Europe's sides in North America, and they've already got some previews out on the feed.
Just search On the Continent on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts, to subscribe and listen now. Right, coming up after this, England have replaced their unicorns with bald eagles.
who is crapped with the hair only with sex masochism. Then it is allowed, but not in other situations. And I did it, and I did it several times, I think.
Welcome back to the Football Ramble, everybody. Louis van Gaal there, talking sense. Right, last night.
So, just for the avoidance of doubt, you're allowed to grab the hair if it is a form of sexual masochism, but nowhere else. Okay. Just so you know.
So was Martinez on Calvert-Lewin, was that out of order?
We don't know what the conversation was. That's true.
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Chapter 6: What are the implications of ticket pricing for fans?
Oh dear.
It looks enough like a fucking thunderbird as it is. He's just seen this coming.
Yeah. And that... Is this a little bit more positive and a little bit more enjoyable from FIFA? Fans can have their name displayed on the big screen at the World Cup in venues before matches through its super shout-out program. $79 a night.
Yeah, so it used to be free, that kind of thing, didn't it?
Yeah.
It's been like a cute little thing for people at the stadium. Little kiss cam. Wave at the camera, everyone. There's your name up there.
I love $79. $80 will seem a bit pricey. Is it $79?
So we're still doing $79.99?
It'll be plus tax.
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