Rephonic
Artwork for The FootPol Podcast
Football
Politics
Women's Football
FIFA
Gaza
World Cup
Exeter City FC
Fan Ownership
Sectarianism
Israel
Community Engagement
Football Academy
Ireland
Hong Kong
Spain
Women’s Football
Local Community Initiatives
Exeter, United Kingdom
Racism
China

The podcast that brings together football and politics. We'll be exploring the relationship between the two, both inside and outside the game.The podcast covers "Big Politics" like politicians, clubs, international and national federations and other organised groups and how they use or abuse the game to "Small, Everyday Politics" in the form of community-level clubs, fan associations and the way t... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes114Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
SoccerNewsPoliticsSports

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The FootPol Podcast

Latest Episodes

On Tuesday 28 July, FIFA posted plans to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary, opening the door to outside investors taking minority stakes in the organisation's most valuable commercial assets, including the FIFA World Cup. In our latest Insta... more

How political was the 2026 FIFA World Cup? In our final episode of Season 3, FootPol Podcast co-hosts Guy Burton and Francesco Belcastro look back on a tournament that was as much about politics as football. From US visa restrictions, the treatment o... more

What should FIFA look like after the 2026 World Cup?

In this week's FootPol Podcast, we speak with sports consultant Gaby Bracamonte about her provocative article, "Make FIFA Great Again," and what football's governing body must do if it is to regai... more

Marie-Louise Eta’s appointment at FC Union Berlin in the Bundesliga in April made history as she became the first woman to take charge of a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five leagues. But the reality behind the headline is more complex than the m... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

Recent Guests

Mark O'Neill
Doctoral researcher at Westminster University; PhD on ownership regulations in football
Westminster University
Episode: Hook, Lock and Squeeze: Football's Enshittification ft. Mark O'Neill
Tamir Bar-On
Assistant professor at the Rabdan Academy; specialist on radical right, extremism and terrorism; extensive work on sport and politics
Rabdan Academy
Episode: World Cup 2026 special issue ft. Danyel Reiche & Tamir Bar-On
Jonathan Ervine
Senior Lecturer in French and Francophone Studies
Bangor University
Episode: How France’s Football Became a Political Battleground ft. Jonathan Ervine
Karym Leito
Junior researcher in Curaçao and sports history at Radboud University; lecturer at The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Radboud University, The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Episode: 2026 World Cup Debutants: How Curaçao Built a World Cup Team in the Netherlands ft. Karym Leito & Margo Groenewoud
Margo Groenewoud
Historian of the Caribbean and heritage consultant
Leiden University
Episode: 2026 World Cup Debutants: How Curaçao Built a World Cup Team in the Netherlands ft. Karym Leito & Margo Groenewoud
Graham Cornwell
Historian and writer focusing on football and globalization
Box2Box (Board President)
Episode: Can Football Explain Globalisation? Revisiting the Theory ft. Graham Cornwell
Curtis Ryan
Middle East scholar with football and politics interests
Appalachian State University
Episode: 2026 World Cup Debutants: Jordan's Football Story ft. Curtis Ryan
Sandeep Menon
Journalist, author and educator; author of Sacred Grounds
Author, Sacred Grounds: A Journey Through People's Football in India
Episode: Sacred Grounds: People's Football in India ft. Sandeep Menon
Paddy Hoey
Senior lecturer in humanities and social science at Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University
Episode: Staples, Satire and Protest: The Politics of Football Fanzines ft. Paddy Hoey

Hosts

Guy Burton
Co-host; FootPol Podcast
Francesco Belcastro
Co-host; FootPol Podcast

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 37 ratings
  • New favourite

    I’ve heard people say you shouldn’t mix sport and politics, I couldn’t disagree more. This podcast fills a fascinating gap left by conventional sport podcasts

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    alexisgoodwin
    United Kingdom9 months ago
  • New favourite

    I’ve heard people say you shouldn’t mix sport and politics, I couldn’t disagree more.

    This podcast fills a fascinating gap left by conventional sport podcasts

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    alexisgoodwin
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • It’s more than a game…

    Enjoyed all three of the episodes I’ve so far heard.

    Hoping for an episode unpacking the dinamo zagreb/Red star game of 1990

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    5areen
    United Kingdom3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality, thoughtful discussions with diverse guests
Clear edge on linking sport and politics
Polished, evidence-based analysis that goes beyond game summaries

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#143
Russia/Sports/Soccer
Apple Podcasts
#214
Mexico/Sports/Soccer

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Hook, Lock and Squeeze: Football's Enshittification ft. Mark O'Neill
Q: Is this phenomenon primarily a recent development, or was it built into football from the start?
It's likely a mix of design choices and unintended consequences; the Premier League's inception in the 1990s aimed to maximize commercial opportunities, which over time led to more TV revenue and new formats, while the balance between regulation and commercialization increasingly favored revenue generation.
Hook, Lock and Squeeze: Football's Enshittification ft. Mark O'Neill
Q: Could you tell us what the concept of inshittification means and how you apply it to football?
The term describes a three-phase process where online platforms move from attracting users with low costs and great features to focusing on business customers and advertisers, eventually squeezing users and businesses for financial value while degrading product quality; applied to football, it explains regulatory capture, expanded match calendars, and new competitions as ways clubs and regulators extract revenue at the expense of fans and players.
World Cup 2026 special issue ft. Danyel Reiche & Tamir Bar-On
Q: Could you remind us the title of the special issue and clarify its status?
The North American World Cup 2026 is published in Soccer & Society by Taylor & Francis, with many articles already online, some open access.
World Cup 2026 special issue ft. Danyel Reiche & Tamir Bar-On
Q: But before we go there, can I ask you something a bit more generic on kind of the relationship between sport and politics, just to start our conversation?
We discussed how major tournaments reveal nationalism, sovereignty, and legitimacy, and how hosting can reflect broader political aims and power dynamics.
Class Act: Football and the English Working Class ft. Josh Bland
Q: Beyond the UK, do you see similar dynamics in other countries or continents?
While I don't have the same depth of expertise for every country, I anticipate similar patterns in places with strong industrial legacies and football cultures, and I'm planning to test these theories in Europe and beyond, looking at clubs connected to industrial histories.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The FootPol Podcast

What is The FootPol Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A show at the intersection of football and politics, exploring how the sport reflects and shapes both broad governance and everyday community power. Episodes routinely examine national identity, governance of the game, fan culture, and diaspora connections, often through scholarly guests, journalists, and practitioners. Notable strengths include rigorous, interdisciplinary analysis, a global lens on football systems, and thoughtful critique of governance, sponsorship, and social impact. Listeners who want nuanced context on how football intersects with policy, culture, and social issues will likely find it especially engaging, with accessible storytelling that ties big ideas to concrete examples from leagues, national teams, and fan movemen... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The FootPol Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The FootPol Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The FootPol Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The FootPol Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The FootPol Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The FootPol Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The FootPol Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The FootPol Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The FootPol Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The FootPol Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The FootPol Podcast:

1. The Football Heritage Podcast
2. It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast
3. Libero
4. Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast
5. The Price of Football

How many episodes of The FootPol Podcast are there?

The FootPol Podcast launched 3 years ago and published 114 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The FootPol Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The FootPol Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The FootPol Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The FootPol Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The FootPol Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The FootPol Podcast?

Recent guests on The FootPol Podcast include:

1. Mark O'Neill
2. Tamir Bar-On
3. Jonathan Ervine
4. Karym Leito
5. Margo Groenewoud
6. Graham Cornwell
7. Curtis Ryan
8. Sandeep Menon

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days