Northern Fútbol Podcast

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has tabled a proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions in exchange for big private equity cash, which would instantly go to federations around the world. The controversial proposal, incited strong reactions from UEFA, who wholeheartedly oppose the proposal and are ready to boycott FIFA events.Alex, Ben and Brendan dive into the fallout of this news, and what it means for the future of FIFA, Infantino and the World Cup. Plus, Canada’s U20s are battling to qualify for the U20 World Cup at the U20 Concacaf Championship, where they’ve opened with a win and a draw. 

What’s next for the CanMNT now that the World Cup is over? The good news for fans of this men’s National Team is that they won’t have to wait long to see them back in action on Canadian soil, as it was announced this week that they’d play Chile and Peru in a pair of friendlies in Toronto and Montréal this fall. In this episode of NFP, Ben, Brendan and Alex look at what Canada should look to get out of those friendlies, before looking at the big tournament that Canada’s head coach, Jesse Marsch, will be focusing on before then - the U20 Concacaf Championships, which kick off in Mexico this week. 

While the 2026 World Cup is now over, that won’t take away from some of the memories this summer gave all of us. To help remember the tournament that was, Ben, Brendan and Alex look back at some of their best moments from this World Cup in this episode of NFP, including their favourite games and other funny memories, before reflecting on a chaotic final in New Jersey, one where Brendan got a front-row seat to Spain’s clash with Argentina. 

The Canadian men’s national team fell out of the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, but the past month provided some remarkable moments for the sport from coast-to-coast-to-coast. On Part 2 of our post-match show from the 3-0 loss to Morocco, Ben Steiner, Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic and Brendan Dunlop dive into which players could still play a key role in four years time, and dive deep into whether this summer was a success + their favourite moments from the run.

CanMNT’s 2026 World Cup journey is over, as they fell 3-0 to Morocco in the Round of 16. Despite the scoreline, it was far from a dominant performance by Morocco, as Canada pushed to the edge in the first half, but were unable to turn a dominant start into a positive result.Ben Steiner, Brendan Dunlop and Alex Gangué-Ruzic dissect the defeat, what went wrong and what almost went right, the errors made, and how Canada could've influenced the game with their substitutions. 

Canada is in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup and faces an immense challenge as they take on Morocco in Houston. It won't be an easy task for Canada to get past the Atlas Lions, but it's not impossible. Ben Steiner, live from Houston, and Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic break down everything there is to the matchup, how Jesse Marsch may adapt, what penalties could look like, and plenty more before offering their predictions. To end the show, Brendan Dunlop catches up with play-by-play broadcaster Jon Champion about the tournament as a whole and offers an international perspective on Canadian soccer.

The CanMNT have made the most of their knockout round debut at a men’s World Cup, as they defeated South Africa 1-0 in their Round of 32 clash after a dramatic late winner from Stephen Eustáquio. On a day when they weren’t at their best, Eustáquio made sure that they’d still get over the line on the day, rewarding them for all of the hard work they put in with a special goal. And, in other good news, Alphonso Davies made his return from injury, with this win buying him more time to play an even bigger role in the Round of 16. Ben, Brendan and Alex dive into a historic game for Canadian soccer, one that will stand out among great historic Canadian sporting moments - and there could still be more big moments to come, with their tournament not over yet. 

After a successful group stage, the CanMNT's 2026 World Cup journey shifts from Canada to Los Angeles to take on South Africa. Expected to win on paper, this will be a fascinating test for Canada, one where they have a chance to make a massive statement, with most of the country watching Can CanMNT pick up a victory that will forever live on in contrast to the usual frustration and heartbreak?Ben, Brendan and Alex help preview this South Africa match, put into context what this game means and where they think this game could be won or lost for Canada. Against a South African side that is expected to be stingy without the ball, it won’t be an easy match. Canada will need to take the lessons learned from similar matchups as they chase a knockout victory.