On this episode of First Touch Dispatch, Eric Krakauer spins around the sporting globe for the most important World Cup headlines, including the changes to the yellow card accumulation rule, Memo Ochoa chasing history, the "Passport Gate" scandal, FIFA's proposed youth initiative, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino's comments on Iran's World Cup status. We then take a closer look into the American influence this World Cup will feature. To round out the show we address a World Cup host city that could be losing the club that has called it home for over 50 years. All that on this edition of First Touch Dispatch.

1. 0:49 Yellow Cards
2. 2:39 Memo Ochoa 6th World Cup
3. 4:23 Passport Gate In The Netherlands
4. 6:43 FIFA Youth Initiative
5. 8:04 Infantino's Iran Comments
6. 9:37 A Closer Look - Americana at the World Cup
7. 15:04 One for the Road - Vancouver Whitecaps

On this week's episode, host David Gass explores the ambition, growth, and the state of the game through the lens of several teams heading to the 2026 World Cup. This episode opens with news on updated yellow and red card rules for the World Cup, a German national team fighting for fitness, and an Iranian official being denied entry into Canada for a FIFA Conference. Gass is then joined by John Duerden—a Guardian and BBC contributor and author of How Soccer Explains Asia—to break down World Cup outlook for countries from the Asian Football Confederation. Then Gass and fellow Kickback contributor Tom Bogart are joined by former Pumas and Pueblo sporting director, Edward Saracho to discuss the current state of the Mexico national football team and the broader landscape of soccer in Mexico.

0:30 News On German & Mexican World Cup Rosters

3:15 John Durden "How Soccer Explains Asia" On Korea, Japan & Saudi Arabia

14:50 Eduardo Saracho (former Pumas & Puebla Sporting Director) On All Things El Tri & Mexican Soccer

This week on First Touch Weekly, host David Gass breaks down the biggest stories shaping the road to the 2026 World Cup—from Estêvão potentially missing the tournament to injury concerns surrounding Lamine Yamal. Gass is then joined by our soccer friend, Ryan Hunn of the Stadio podcast to discuss witnessing history as New Jersey native, Pellegrino Matarazzo led Real Sociedad to Copa del Rey glory becoming the first American head coach to win a major trophy in one of Europe’s top five leagues. The episode then explores one of the most overlooked yet critical elements of the World Cup—the team basecamp. Featuring insights from leadership at Kansas City Current, hosts of the Netherlands, and Bentley University, which will be France’s home base, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how infrastructure, environment, and location can shape tournament success.

1:00 News On Injuries To Young Stars & Coaching Hiring + Firing

4:30 Ryan Hunn Takes Us To Seville

13:25 Base Camp Exploration With KC Current & Bentley University

This week host David Gass explores the characters that make a World Cup Special—the journeymen coaches, the big personalities, the cult heroes. To do so, Gass is joined by Eric Krakauer to discuss the winding and crazy coaching career of Carlos Queiroz, the newly appointed manager of Ghana. We are then joined by our friend Musa Okwonga from the Stadio podcast to define what it means to be a World Cup “cult hero” and and spotlight a handful of players who embody the spirit, drama, and mythology of world’s biggest tournament.

1. 1:05 News On US Sporting Director Leaving For Saudi Arabi
2. 2:25 Carlos Queiroz Hired By Ghana And What Makes Him Special w/Eric
3. 13:20 What Makes A World Cup Cult Hero
4. 16:45 Six Cult Heroes From Our Hosts

Let’s hear it for the fans—or not. Host David Gass breaks down the good, bad, and ugly of the World Cup 2026 fan experience as we meet Hazel and Gregor, two long-standing members of Scotland’s famed Tartan Army (the good), breakdown how FIFA ticketing continues to make it impossible to afford (or experience) the upcoming World Cup (the bad), to commuting logistics that may potentially stealing the match-day experience from the fans (the ugly).

0:43 News

3:34 Ticket Changes & Travel Issues For 2026 World Cup

9:03 Behind The Scenes Of Tartan Army's Epic Travel Experience Watching Scotland

19:33 Bosnia Coming "Home" To St. Louis

We have a World Cup. With the completion of the UEFA and intercontinental playoffs, all 48 nations are now confirmed—the countdown is officially on. Hosts David and Susannah cover all the action, from the jubilation of Iraq, Sweden, DR Congo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina qualifying, to the heartbreak of Kosovo, Ukraine, Denmark, and Italy falling short. We also hear from Michele Giannone on how he really feels about his beloved Italy missing out—again—as well as from our own Valair Shabilla, recorded live from Monterrey, Mexico, where he witnessed his homeland, Iraq, qualify for the first time in 40 years.

1. 2:55 News On Under Fire World Cup Managers
2. 5:10 Recap Of World Cup Playoffs
3. 15:37 Valair Shabilla Takes Us On The Ground To Iraq vs Bolivia
4. 20:30 Esmir Bajraktarevic, Bosnia & Italy's Pain w/Michele Giannone

We move ever closer to the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup and the hottest name on everyone’s lips is Norway. It has been 26 years since Norway has made any senior tournament. But they come into this World Cup flying as the highest scorer in UEFA. Our host David gets to the genius of this huge turnaround with two key members of the change former Norwegian international Pa-Modou Kah & current young phenom Antonio Nusa. Before that we hit the news with kit releases, controversy between Wales & Bosnia Herzegovina and they talk to Boston Globe reporter Chris Serres about some of the concerns in Massachusetts around World Cup preparations.

1:47 Bosnia's Coach Calls Out Welsh Club Coach Steve Cooper

3:28 Ben White's England Return

4:04 Nike's World Cup Kit Release

5:13 Boston Globe's Chris Serres On World Cup Preperations

15:12 Norway's Golden Generation w/Antonio Nusa & Pa-Modou Kah

25:03 DR Congo 1974 World Cup Moment

Host David Gass is joined by soccer friend Musa Okwonga—co-host of Stadio, an exciting new partner of Kickback Soccer Media—to break down the biggest World Cup playoff storylines. They dive into why Italy and Turkey have the most to lose, while Kosovo and Ireland are playing with house money, before revisiting iconic playoff moments like Australia’s 2005 win over Uruguay and Ronaldo vs. Zlatan in 2013. The episode wraps with early, bold predictions on who will make the World Cup.

1:40 News AFCON, Finalissima & Neymar's Brazil Time Coming To An end

5:19 World Cup Playoff Preview w/Musa Okwonga Both UEFA & Intercontinental

28:55 Greatest Stories & Moments In Playoff History

51:00 Too Early World Cup Prediction