Shows / First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch is the American home for the global game, exploring not just what happened, but why it matters. From iconic clubs and legendary rivalries to the cultures, communities, and surprising stories that shape the game, we bring the world's game into sharper focus. We're glad you're here.
Episodes
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Tunisia
Tunisia are about to play their seventh World Cup—more than almost any African nation—but the Eagles of Carthage still feel oddly overlooked. In this World Cup…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Cape Verde
To find Cape Verde on a map, you have to keep zooming in. This is what the football world has had to do to understand: how the tiny Atlantic archipelago became…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Haiti
No team at this World Cup carries a heavier off-field burden, or a purer sense of joy, than Haiti. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass tells the story of the…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Paraguay
Some national teams have flair; Paraguay has garra guaraní: Guaraní grit. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass digs into how La Albirroja’s identity was…
- First Touch | World Soccer
World Cup Draw Group By Group Analysis x Kickback '26
Kickback 26 is your front-row seat to the 2026 World Cup. Hosted by David Gass, Claudia Pagan, Heath Pearce, and Eric Krakauer, this podcast breaks down every…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Spain
Spain has only lifted the World Cup once, but La Roja seem omnipresent in every tournament conversation—and 2026 will be no different. In this World Cup…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Saudi Arabia
They shocked the world by toppling Messi’s Argentina in 2022; now Saudi Arabia is trying to prove that was no one-off. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Egypt
Egypt helped invent African football greatness, but the World Cup has never quite gone their way. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass charts the Pharaohs’…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Iran
It’s hard to find a place where politics and football are more tightly intertwined than Iran. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces how Team Melli has…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Austria
Once home to the “Wunderteam” and the legendary Matthias Sindelar, Austria’s greatest football tales used to live in black and white. In this World Cup…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Ivory Coast
For many fans, Ivory Coast will always be the land of Drogba, the Touré brothers, and a golden generation that helped pause a civil war and made the Elephants…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Panama
Panama’s World Cup history is short and brutal: one appearance, three losses, and a 32nd-place finish in 2018. But that’s only half the story. In this World…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Qatar
No country is more polarizing in modern football than Qatar. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass examines how a tiny, oil-rich Gulf state went from football…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - France
For most countries, just qualifying for the World Cup is a dream. For France, it’s World Cup trophy or failure. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass dives…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Japan
No national team on earth has built their modern football project quite like Japan. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass breaks down how the Samurai Blue went…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Senegal
Step into Senegal and you immediately feel teranga: the Wolof concept of warmth, welcome, and generosity and nowhere is that spirit more alive than with the…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - New Zealand
The tiny island nation at the edge of the world, New Zealand is famous for the All Blacks, the second most dominant team in rugby history. But in 2026, it’s…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Ecuador
For decades, Ecuadorian football has wrestled with belief, from being late to the World Cup party, short on trophies, but always rich in passion. In this World…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Uzbekistan
Once a Soviet republic and Silk Road crossroads, Uzbekistan has become one of world football’s most fascinating late bloomers. In this World Cup Capsule, David…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Canada
The world is coming to Toronto and Vancouver, and Canada is determined to prove they are a soccer nation, not just a hockey one. In this World Cup Capsule…
- First Touch | World Soccer
First Touch ’26 - Curaçao
Curaçao: beaches, blue water… and the biggest underdog story of the 2026 World Cup. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass dives into how the “Blue Wave” became…