The Overlap
Benching Bellingham, Thomas Tuchel & England Argentina Rivalry! | The Overlap Fan Debate
08 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What are the implications of rising World Cup ticket prices for fans?
Who believes England are going to win the World Cup?
I love that.
It's our first World Cup in 28 years from Scotland, so huge buzz around the country when we qualified. We know FIFA, and we thought it would get better when Blatter went to Fields, but it's actually got worse.
If you're giving money to Country X to build their stadium, well, the delegate from Country X is going to keep voting for Infantino.
I personally was really looking forward to this World Cup, but then all of a sudden, everything around it has just completely turned it on its head.
What's your first reaction when you see the squad?
It's either going to end with group exit or going all the way and not much in between.
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Chapter 2: What are Scotland's expectations for their first World Cup since 1998?
A little bit dubious about Tuchel when he came in, just for various reasons. We talked about how honest he is in press conferences. I love it, but it makes me wince a little bit.
That directness, that candidness he has, precisely because he's German, he doesn't care.
And you're talking about Jude Bellingham. If he first game of the World Cup goes, Jude, you're sitting on the bench next to me. That'll be a big moment.
I mean, that sounds harmony out the window on day one, doesn't it? Because everyone talks about Scotland, the old enemy. For me, Argentina. Argentina-England games are incredible. It'll be interesting to see how your team do. My team? England? My team's Liverpool.
Chapter 3: How is Thomas Tuchel's squad selection impacting England's chances?
Liverpool.
Hello and welcome back to the Fandy Bay, brought to you by Skybet. Today's episode is a World Cup special as we look ahead to the tournament in the summer. So, Shea's back with me once again.
Chapter 4: Who are the notable players left out of the England squad?
A big hello to our supporters and a warm welcome to journalist, author and co-host of the Football History Podcast. It was what it was, Jonathan Wilson and the England pod host, Ali Maxwell. So, thanks for joining us, guys, and welcome to everyone. Shea I want to start with you what do you love most about the World Cup?
Playing in it was good supporting it growing up was good as well under the Jack Charlton era from an Irish point of view but playing was the pinnacle for my career to play in Japan and Korea in 2002 but I think now that the Premier League is parked to one side the Champions League final is gone I think now I think the focus quickly turns to the World Cup obviously Ireland are not there but
Chapter 5: Will Jude Bellingham play a crucial role for England in the World Cup?
You're looking at the favourites, the best teams and the best players are obviously going to be performing in the World Cup in a couple of weeks. It's the biggest tournament in world football, isn't it? That's what it is. I mean, it's a different format this year with more teams and stuff and things like that we'll probably talk about in a bit. There's nothing taken away from it.
It's the greatest show on earth, isn't it? It's a brilliant tournament and it'll be interesting to see who wins it. Of course, Argentina, the holders. Messi got his final wish in the last final. Can Ronaldo maybe do it this year? I'm not so sure, but it'll be interesting to see how your team does. My team?
England.
Chapter 6: What are the key moments in the England vs Argentina rivalry?
My team's Liverpool.
Chapter 7: What are the most iconic moments in World Cup history?
you just mentioned Messi in the World Cup my next question is what's your favourite World Cup memory but the fact you've just mentioned Messi I'm actually going to choose that one as mine right I just think it was fitting that a player of that stature finally won the World Cup for me so that I think is probably the greatest final I think probably in World Cup history I think it must be what's your favourite World Cup memory
Might even go as far back as 94 actually back in America where the World Cup was this year when Ray Houghton scored against Italy 1-0 to beat Italy I mean the whole nation went absolutely bananas of course I think it was might have been Giant Stadium actually that that game was in but again you know some memories that you know young English fans or whatever or Spanish fans or whatever it is will make this year you know you think of your first goal your first game or whatever your first memory as a fan but that was a special day for a lot of Irish fans of course
Jonathan, you have released a new book, The Power and the Glory, a new history of the World Cup. Can you tell us about it?
Yeah. I mean, the World Cup, I think, is my favourite thing in football and therefore my favourite thing in the world. So I've been obsessed by the World Cup since I was five, the start of the 82 World Cup, which is my first one. And I remember pouring through the ladybird history of the 82 World Cup.
Because I was a weird and precocious five-year-old, which will shock you, I knew the score of every final, I knew the scorers.
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Chapter 8: How do fans perceive the rivalry between England and Scotland in the context of the World Cup?
I could have told you the capital city, the flag, the currency of every country in that first World Cup. And I've written 12 previous games.
football histories so I thought it's time to do the thing I actually really want to do and to try and set the World Cup in its sort of cultural political context You know the 82 World Cup just because you said that was your first World Cup it's just come to me did that have two group stages that World Cup? Yeah it was just six groups of four feeding into four groups of three
And they got rid of that because the problem was that there were four groups of three, the winners of each group went through, but if a team won the first two games, that third game was completely pointless. But that was where you got that brilliant group with Brazil, Argentina, Italy in the famous Italy 3, Brazil 2 game. Yeah, yeah.
So it produced some great football, but also some football that didn't matter at all.
Tell us about what's changed in the USA since the World Cup was last there in 94. And I'm not saying this is not me being a little Englander, I mean, how have America had two World Cups?
And England have had one. Because it's a home of capitalism and they've got money and they see it as a massive market. But, I mean, it's a fair question. I mean, the biggest thing that's changed is MLS. So the third attempt really to launch a professional league in the US started in 96. I think it's pretty established as a league.
I think it's probably 12th, 13th best league in the world, depending exactly how you judge that. I think the US probably is a bit better now, but it probably hasn't kicked on quite as much as they'd like. I mean, if you look at who are the best American players, you think 10, 15 years ago, you had people like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan. I'm not sure.
You'd expect maybe five or six to be playing in the Premier League now. Christian Pulisic's probably the highest profile. So I suspect it hasn't quite developed as they'd liked. And I was speaking to Matteo Pochettino last year, And he was saying one of the problems is it's not really a culture of grassroots football. And that still hasn't started. It hasn't begun.
So if you want to play, basically your parents have to pay for you to join a club. And that, A, means a lot of people who are playing tend to be middle class. There's a whole load of people who just can't afford it. But, B, if you've paid, I don't know how much it costs, $500, $1,000 a year for your kid to be playing there...
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