The People's Game

In this episode, Alan and Mel talk to eminent sports historian David Goldblatt, who lays out all the ways in which, despite all the corruption and controversy surrounding the oligarchic nature of FIFA and Trump's bumbling attempt to put his thumb on the scale, the World Cup — and the game itself — will always belong to the people. Josh Pechtalt, a longtime union activist in Los Angeles, also joins us live on air to talk about America's late great pastime, baseball, and a new campaign to get the Dodgers to skip its White House trip this year. Finally, we speak to comedian Ron Placone about the surreal and sometimes hilarious contradictions surrounding this year's World Cup in Trump's America.

In this episode, Alan talks to Gustavo Arellano to talk about his latest LA Times article, and what it meant for the vast Southern California community of El Tri fans to have the Mexican team bow out in its last game against England. Then, Fernando joins us to talk about El Tri and the political and social subtext of it all. Also, we discuss a certain infamous red-card incident, and how all of us who know and love the game should give Trump a red card. Plus, Chris Gonzalez interviews fans at the Our Campus World Cup Fan Hub in East LA.

In this episode, Alan, Mel and Fernando are live on air in Los Angeles during the climactic matchup between Cape Verde and Argentina, capping Cape Verde's epic rise to the World Cup pantheon as they gave both World Cup finalists a run for their money. We catch up with Fernando Romero, who scored tickets to Azteca for the Mexico vs. Ecuador game and was part of the celebrations that literally moved the earth in Mexico. Documentary filmmaker Pablo Miralles joins us as we collectively experience one of the most memorable moments of the tournament together and discuss the deep cultural and personal meanings of the World Cup for ourselves, as well as the nearly half of humanity with whom we share these moments.

In this episode, Alan and Mel catch up with Fernando Romero in Mexico to capture the mood in the futbol-mad host nation. We also speak with Gustavo Arellano about the way the World Cup is drawing immigrants back out to the streets of Southern California as communities begin to heal from the ICE terror that has rocked the region for the past year. Finally, we speak with Hugo Villalba of Our Campus, an organization hosting a World Cup Fan Hub in the heart of Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles.

On this episode of The People's Game, co-hosts Alan Minsky and Mel Figueroa spend the hour with Ryan McKnight, a doctoral researcher at Manchester Met University in the UK who is researching the impact of Neoliberalism on what he calls 'The Opportunity of Football Fandom'. Football fandom, according to Ryan, is the last remaining act of large scale collectivism here in the UK, and offers a unique window into the nature of society and the contestation of what football means and is to fans in the UK and throughout the world today. Next, Alan Minsky speaks to former Congressman Jamaal Bowman to get his thoughts on the WC and the victory of the Knicks and how that's being experienced in NY.

On today's show we check in with our co-host and co-producer Fernando Romero, who traveled from Mexico City (where he was for the opening game of the World Cup) to Guadalajara to catch El Tri's second game in a country absolutely riveted by every dropped ball by a South Korean goaltender, and by a team that is now the first to win its group and advance to the second round.Next, we'll hear from emeritus sports historian Bob Edelman, who puts the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup into a broader historical and sociological context.One of the treats we have on The People's Game is we hear from prominent progressive politicians. Alan speaks with former Congressman Jamaal Bowman as he relates the largest of all global sports spectacles to the euphoria that gripped his hometown in New York City when the Knicks won their first title in 50 years. Finally, Alan and Mel wrap with some observations on the politics of the game and the politics of the world as it relates to the global game. (originally aired on June 19, 2026)

(This episode was produced for Jacobin Radio on June 14, 2026.)In this episode, Alan and Mel reflect on the challenges - and surprises - of the World Cup tournament's first week of group games, including the scope of the spectacle, the tactics on the field, and the politics off the pitch. Fernando Romero reports back from a memorable World Cup debut match at Estadio Azteca and the Zocalo; and with Thomas Hanna, we give our predictions for five important questions, to be answered by history itself.

The People's Game⁠ is back for World Cup 2026! On the eve of the World Cup, co-hosts Alan Minsky, Mel Figueroa, and Fernando Romero talk about, well, *everything* going on in the world; and how surreal it feels to be passionate fans of this beloved global event at a time when the political circumstances in our host country are so fraught and dire for so many people inside and outside U.S. borders. But Fernando is on his way to Mexico City to enjoy the opening game and the first games in all three World Cup cities in Mexico, and we are excited for him and to hear how the beautiful game is received in its original home. We also share our picks for which best up-and-coming players to watch in this tournament, the nations that we think will surprise and disappoint this year, and the political issues and causes we think (and hope) might come to the fore in this global spectacle. We then speak to Thomas Hanna from the Democracy Collaborative, a longtime fan and player, about the problems -- and potential -- for the people's game as a vehicle for democracy rather can capitalism; including the growing movement for fan ownership of our favorite clubs.