Goal launches two podcasts ahead of World Cup

Goal has announced two new World Cup themed podcasts, ahead of the men’s tournament next summer. 

Icons is a ten-episode series that covers iconic elements from the past 10 World Cups, dating back to Mexico ’86, with the first episode available today, 4 December. Stories covered will include Ronaldo Nazário’s famous World Cup 2002 haircut, Adidas’ 2010 Jabulani ball, and the incredible story behind Argentina’s shirts at the 1986 World Cup, bought bootleg from a Tepito street market and worn by the team during competition.

Icons will be narrated by former Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler. 

Meanwhile, Legacy will launch on 16 December and run for 26 episodes. The series explores World Cup lore and national identity, with chapters focused on football dynasties including England, Italy, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, France, the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Ghana, Egypt, Senegal, the Netherlands, Morocco, and Uruguay. It will be narrated by actor Tom Watt. 

The 36 episodes across both series have been researched and written by Goal journalists and will also feature as stories on the football website. 

In addition to the English-language voices named above, the shows will also be available in Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, and French. These will be provided by native speakers except for the French version, which will be narrated by a member of Goal’s Brazilian edition in Portuguese and transformed into French using ElevenLabs AI voice software before being checked by a human. 

Goal plans to bring the shows back post-World Cup to explore other tournaments and legacies. 

James Lamon, EVP of content and operations at Footballco, said: “The World Cup is a storied event with drama unlike any other tournament in sport. As the world’s leading football brand, GOAL is able to leverage our football expertise and storytelling might to create an immersive narrative experience for fans. Whether this is your first or tenth tournament, our series are essential listening ahead of kick off next June. 

“While we’re excited to be able to work with seasoned narrators Martin Tyler and Tom Watt, we’re also looking forward to sharing these audio stories with more fans across the world through AI. AI translation, synthetic voice design, and sound design have enabled us to take the best reporting from our news teams and make their work native to every language and country we reach. We are excited to blend the best of human storytelling with AI advantages, delivering an end result that more fans will enjoy in more formats than otherwise possible.”

Tyler said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to have commentated on 12 World Cups, dating back to Argentina ‘78, so I know only too well how the World Cup can create icons and stories like nothing else in football.

“I’m excited to be working with Goal to bring these stories to life, some of which I wasn’t even aware of, ahead of the biggest World Cup ever next year.”