Can Soccer Save the World?

Episode of Pod Save America · July 12, 2026 · 52 min

Tommy Vietor talks with Gary Lineker about the 2026 World Cup, FIFA's integrity, the U.S. team's prospects, gambling, racism, and Lineker's 1986 memories.

Summary

Tommy Vietor hosted former England striker and broadcaster Gary Lineker to discuss the 2026 FIFA World Cup as it neared its final. Lineker called the tournament a triumph that exceeded his expectations, praising the togetherness of fans, while criticizing FIFA's ticket prices and the handling of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun's red card, whose suspension was postponed after reported intervention by Donald Trump. He argued the episode damaged the sport's integrity and said coach Mauricio Pochettino should have refused the reprieve.

On the U.S. men's national team, Lineker said reaching the last 16 was the ceiling he had expected, defended Christian Pulisic as very good but not great, and argued America needs a decades-long youth development plan, noting that European players join clubs by 16 while the U.S. college pathway comes too late. He described being in the room when Russia and Qatar won hosting rights, called those bids obviously corrupt, and questioned FIFA's secretive finances under Gianni Infantino.

The pair discussed sports betting, with Lineker warning about micro-betting markets and predatory gambling companies, and his decision to refuse gambling ads on The Rest Is Football. Lineker explained why he speaks out on political issues, recounted the rat-emoji post that preceded his early departure from the BBC, and described racism in football as a societal problem requiring better leadership from governments.

In a lighter closing section, Lineker picked England to win the tournament, recounted never receiving a yellow card, recalled the 1986 'Hand of God' quarterfinal against Diego Maradona, ruled out running for office while mocking Nigel Farage's Clacton by-election, and reminisced about Everton and Barcelona.

Chapters

0:20
Introduction
Vietor frames the World Cup's anxieties and joys and introduces Gary Lineker.
3:01
Impressions of the tournament
Lineker calls the World Cup a triumph and compares its pre-tournament anxieties to past editions in Brazil, Russia and Qatar.
7:58
Playing at a World Cup
Lineker describes representing England and his 1986 hat trick against Poland, followed by banter about podcasting.
10:50
The Balogun red card
Lineker argues the postponed suspension of Folarin Balogun undermined the sport's integrity.
15:51
The U.S. team and Pulisic
Lineker assesses the U.S. loss to Belgium, Pochettino's choices and criticism of Christian Pulisic.
20:25
Building an American soccer nation
Lineker calls for a long-term youth development plan led by MLS clubs.
22:50
FIFA corruption
Lineker recalls the corrupt Russia and Qatar bids and questions FIFA's finances under Infantino.
27:00
Sports betting
The two discuss the risks of gambling to integrity and addiction.
29:43
Speaking out and leaving the BBC
Lineker explains his activism on social media and the rat-emoji incident.
34:17
Racism in football
Lineker discusses abuse of Mbappé and England players and calls racism a societal issue.
37:45
Predictions and fans
Lineker picks England to win and praises Scottish, Mexican and other fans.
41:37
Cards, the Hand of God and career memories
Lineker recounts never being booked, the 1986 match against Maradona, politics, Everton and Barcelona.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Tommy Vietor
Vietor says the World Cup reminded Americans that the country is defined by its people rather than its politics.
“We live in a great country, and one that is defined by its people and not by its politics”
Listen from 0:20 · 2026 FIFA World Cup
Gary Lineker
Lineker says the 2026 World Cup has gone far better than he expected and has been a triumph overall.
“But I think it's been way better than I actually thought it would be”
Listen from 4:19 · 2026 FIFA World Cup
Gary Lineker
Lineker argues FIFA's ticket prices are outrageous and that profit should not outweigh the fan experience.
“I don't think it's right that fans should have to take out a mortgage or sell their car to get a ticket to go and watch a football match”
Listen from 5:19 · FIFA
Gary Lineker
Lineker says postponing Balogun's suspension was a big deal because it undermined the integrity of the sport.
“It's a pretty big deal because I think it goes against the integrity of our sport”
Listen from 11:23 · Folarin Balogun red card controversy
Gary Lineker
Lineker believes Pochettino should have refused the reprieve for Balogun.
“I think Mauricio missed the trick there. I think he should have just said, no, we're not doing that. It's not right”
Listen from 16:28 · Folarin Balogun red card controversy
Gary Lineker
Lineker says criticism of Pulisic is unfair because his abilities were overhyped; he is very good but not world-class.
“he's a very good footballer, but he's not a great player. He's not one of the best in the world by a long stretch”
Listen from 19:31 · United States men's national soccer team
Gary Lineker
Lineker notes that in Europe aspiring players must join a club by age 16, making the American college pathway too late.
“if you've got any hope of being a soccer player, you've got to join a club when you're 16”
Listen from 20:40 · Youth soccer development in the United States
Gary Lineker
Lineker argues the U.S. needs a long-term plan and it will take decades to become a genuine contender.
“Look 10, 20, 30 years ahead because it is realistically going to take that long for you to challenge”
Listen from 20:40 · Youth soccer development in the United States
Gary Lineker
Lineker questions whether FIFA's revenues really return to the game, citing secrecy in its finances.
“yes, it goes back into the game, but does it? Does it? We don't really know. It's all a little bit secretive in the Swiss banks”
Listen from 23:35 · FIFA
Gary Lineker
Lineker, who was present when Russia and Qatar won hosting rights, says it was obvious the bids were corrupt.
“what made it feel dirty was it was so obvious that the bids were corrupt”
Listen from 23:57 · 2015 FIFA corruption case
Gary Lineker
Lineker warns that micro-markets such as corners and yellow cards open football to possible match-fixing.
“you can bet on how many corners and whether a player is going to get a yellow card. And that opens it up”
Listen from 27:46 · Sports betting
Tommy Vietor
Vietor worries that mobile betting has removed all friction from gambling.
“seamless and easy it's become to just lay bet after bet after bet from your phone on your couch”
Listen from 29:18 · Sports betting
Gary Lineker
Lineker says addiction specialists have told him gambling is the hardest addiction to overcome.
“They say the hardest one to kick is the gambling addiction”
Listen from 29:39 · Sports betting
Linked moment · 30:56Skip to 30:56 using a listen link in the info box.
Gary Lineker
Lineker says criticism of athletes' political speech often comes from the same people who champion free speech.
“it's generally from the people that clamor, go on and on and on about free speech”
Listen from 30:56 · BBC impartiality rules
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argues that trusted public figures speaking out on issues like the war in Gaza makes a difference.
“when they see someone they know and they trust because they've watched you on TV for 20 years talking about the war in Gaza, for example, I think that matters”
Listen from 31:59
Gary Lineker
Lineker accepts fault for the post containing a rat emoji, calling it an honest error he should have caught.
“I should have been more vigilant and I should have seen it, but I didn't”
Listen from 32:37 · BBC impartiality rules
Gary Lineker
Lineker argues racism in football is fundamentally a societal problem and governments must set a better example.
“is it a football issue or is it a societal issue? I think it's the latter”
Listen from 36:14 · Racism in association football
Gary Lineker Partly true
Lineker predicts Spain will beat Belgium comfortably in the quarterfinal.
“I can't see Belgium living with Spain. I think Spain win that relatively comfortably”
Listen from 38:24 · 2026 FIFA World Cup
Gary Lineker Didn’t happen
Lineker picks England as slight favourites and predicts they will win the World Cup.
“I think England have to be slight favourites. I'm going to go with England”
Listen from 39:03 · 2026 FIFA World Cup
Gary Lineker
Lineker says he hates VAR's effect on football but wishes it had existed for Maradona's handball goal.
“Now, I hate VAR and what it's done to our game, but I could have done with it that day”
Listen from 44:02 · Video assistant referee
Gary Lineker
Lineker considers Maradona's second goal in the 1986 quarterfinal the greatest goal ever scored.
“he scored what I think is the greatest goal that's ever been scored in a football match”
Listen from 44:02 · Argentina v England (1986 FIFA World Cup)
Gary Lineker
Lineker ranks Messi above Pelé and Maradona as the greatest player ever.
“In terms for me, the best players ever have been two Argentinians and a Brazilian Pele, Maradona and now Messi. Messi, for me, beats them all”
Listen from 44:46 · Argentina v England (1986 FIFA World Cup)
Gary Lineker
Lineker accuses Nigel Farage of manufacturing the Clacton by-election to distract from his conduct.
“which has been completely manufactured by Nigel Farage to try and distract from”
Listen from 47:32 · 2026 Clacton by-election

People

In the conversation

Tommy VietorCo-host of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World who conducted the Josh Turek interview
Gary LinekerFormer England striker, broadcaster, co-founder of Goalhanger and host of The Rest Is Football

Discussed

Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Gianni InfantinoPresident of FIFA
Folarin BalogunUSMNT striker
Mauricio PochettinoHead coach of the U.S. men's national soccer team
Christian PulisicU.S. men's national team forward
Diego MaradonaArgentine footballer who led Napoli to Serie A titles
Lionel MessiArgentine footballer and World Cup winner
Kylian MbappéFrench soccer star formerly of Paris Saint-Germain
Erling HaalandNorwegian striker who showed off his LAN party setup
Sepp BlatterFormer FIFA president banned from soccer
Nigel FarageBritish politician who criticized banning people for their speech
Count BinfaceBritish satirical perennial election candidate
Romelu LukakuBelgian striker who played against the U.S.
John BarnesFormer England winger in the 1986 match against Argentina

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From the publisher

How is the world reacting to America's World Cup? Did Trump's red card interference ruin all the fun? And will the U.S. men's national team ever be good? Gary Lineker, host of The Rest Is Football and English soccer legend, joins Tommy to talk about the excitement, anxiety, and geopolitics surrounding the 2026 World Cup. Gary offers some advice to America on how to become a true soccer nation, discusses the successes and failures of this World Cup, and reminisces about his time playing in the 1986 World Cup — where he won the Golden Boot and played in the historic "Hand of God" match. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here . For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 30, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Soccer·Politics·Sports News