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Road to the World Cup 26 - Ep6 - CONMEBOL review
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Join your hosts Ken Davies and Nick Britten as we take the deepest of deep dives into everything related to the FIFA World Cup 2026 held in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
All the news, analysis and comment from every team, every qualification process and of course the tournament itself. The biggest festival of soccer in the world.
Your weekly guide to the pinnacle of world soccer brought to you by Global Sports Podcast Network
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Transcript
Introduction to South American Football
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello then, hola, bonjour, g'day, brevet, ciao and ni hao. Wherever you are in the world, welcome to the Road to the World Cup 2026, episode 6, brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:00:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And today, our deep dive tour of the Global Football Federations. We hop off the bus, we a down anchor in the cultural soup. the wildlife extravaganza, the carnival-loving, tango-dancing continent that contains not one, not two, but three wonders of the world.
00:00:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
The Amazon rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and Lionel Messi. We are, of course, talking about South America and its governing body, Conmebol. Conmebol.
World Cup Qualifications in Conmebol
00:01:01
Ken Davies
can't keep the soup for long, Nick.
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Keep going, mate. Keep going.
00:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Okay, what have we got? with That was great dancing, Ken.
00:01:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
What have we got on the show today? What have we got on the show? Well, we're looking at the whole qualifying process, just as we always do to kick off these podcasts looking at the federations, what the structure is.
00:01:10
Ken Davies
Thanks, mate.
00:01:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
And believe me, it's a lot easier than last week. I felt sorry for Ken last week because he had a job on his hands getting Aja done. ah This one's a lot a lot more straightforward. ah We're looking at who the movers and shakers are.
00:01:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who's qualifying, who's not? We'll give you the lowdown on Brazil. And I'll also ask the question, can Lionel Messi light up the World Cup 2026? twenty six And as we like to do, we step away from football a little bit and introduce you to a country that you might not know that much about.
00:01:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And this week, it's Peru. we're having
Comparing Qualifications: South America vs Asia
00:01:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
a little look at Peru. So my name is Nick Britton, and I'm joined as ever by my twinkle-toed dance partner, the man with the all-swinging hips, Mr. Ken Davies. How are you Ken?
00:02:02
Ken Davies
I'm good, and I should say, if we're talking about welcome in lots different languages, Croeso, as I've got my Wrexham top on today.
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah ah that like Is that and in honour of your Latvian striker or something?
00:02:14
Ken Davies
It's Welsh, Nick. It's Welsh.
00:02:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, nobody knows that because not even the Welsh speak Welsh, do they?
00:02:19
Ken Davies
Oh, Yeah, nice to see everyone. And yeah, oh, my word. Wasn't last week that was ah that was a headache, wasn't it? Trying to navigate the Byzantine complexities of the Asian.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:02:32
Ken Davies
I mean, whoever dreamt that up needs shooting, to be honest. But anyway, we got there. Even I understood it at the end.
00:02:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah That might be a bit harsh. It might be a bit harsh.
00:02:39
Ken Davies
It's bit hard.
00:02:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But yeah, it was it's very, very complicated and in seemingly unnecessary amount of games. But from the ridiculous to the absolutely sublime, because the CONMEBOL South America qualification is pretty much as straightforward as you can get. so I'm not anticipating this is going to take too long.
00:02:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ken, how does
Qualification Standings and Conmebol News
00:02:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
it all work?
00:02:59
Ken Davies
Well, let's remember, firstly, Conbemol gets six direct entries and it gets one spot in the Intercontinental Playoffs. Now, I bring you news, Nick, from the Conbemol conference yesterday.
00:03:17
Ken Davies
Okay? And we thought Asia was interesting. We thought this World Cup was interesting. It's gone up got up from 32 to 48 teams. Guess what ComboMol want to do?
00:03:30
Ken Davies
And this is an official proposition that's been made by ComboMol to FIFA just yesterday, which is they want the 2030 World Cup, which is in ah Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, to beat 64 teams.
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
My word. My word.
00:03:51
Ken Davies
64 teams. Now, they're doing that because, and i only the penny only dropped for me a couple of minutes ago, it's the 100th anniversary of the World Cup.
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
it is the 100th anniversary the World Cup. Yeah, you're absolutely right. yeah Absolutely right.
00:04:04
Ken Davies
So they're saying, hey, let's let's invite everyone, let's have a 64-team World Cup in 2030.
00:04:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I'm...
00:04:11
Ken Davies
If I was a betting man, I suspect that's going to happen.
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, you know what? On Sunday, this coming Sunday, marks the end of my coaching career, Ken. And the team that I coach, which is an under-18s team, play our final league game. And because they're under-18s, that's the end of their youth team journey.
00:04:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah They all sort of scatter and go off to do various things or enter men's football. I might keep them going because if there's a 64-team World Cup, we might get in it.
00:04:36
Ken Davies
little overdazzlers might actually get a yeah get a qualifying spot somehow. Anyway, okay, so let's get back to qualification for Combo Mall. Right, okay, well, the first thing I need to say, dead simple, there are 10 countries in Combo Mall. It's Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. So they are the teams.
00:05:01
Ken Davies
So, Rather cleverly, all they do is have a league. They have a league where everybody plays each other twice, like every other league, and the top six qualify, and the seventh one goes through to the intercontinental round, which just sounds so simple. More should do it that way.
00:05:24
Ken Davies
And, of course, South America is a real powerhouse of world football. yeah we've got It's incredibly competitive, which we're about to talk through. It's incredibly intense, and there's some very, very serious rivalries.
00:05:37
Ken Davies
So it's pretty simple. You've got 18 matches, and because it's a league system, what tends to happen is that bigger teams tend to emerge as the top six players.
00:05:49
Ken Davies
Over 18 matches, the cream kind of rises to the top. So there you go. So we've got 10 teams,
Venezuela's Playoff Chances
00:05:56
Ken Davies
18 matches, top six qualify. The seventh one goes into the Intercon Federation playoff scenario.
00:06:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Dead simple. Well done. Well done. And you know what? After last week, ah trying to decipher about how 40 teams are going to play each other at home and away, that probably wouldn't have been the way to do it. So ah last week, when you're looking Asia and all those groups and all those various knockout games, in this, and the other, it's good to give you a bit of a rest, mate.
00:06:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's good to be there. You deserved it.
00:06:20
Ken Davies
Oh, it's been like a holiday.
00:06:21
Ken Davies
It's been like a holiday, Nick.
00:06:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
you You deserved it. So anyway, how is qualifying going? Well, it's dead simple, really. Argentina have smashed the group apart and they've won they've won the group and qualified already.
00:06:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah They've won 10 out of their 14 games. They join the three hosts and Japan and Iran. ah ah in the World Cup for next year. So congratulations to them. And um the likelihood is that Ecuador will be the next team to do it. If you look down the league, you've got Ecuador in second, 23 points on 14 games. Each, everyone's got four to play, by the way. like ah Uruguay on 21, Brazil on 21, Paraguay on on 20.
00:07:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
columbia on twenty um They're the top six and six go through, as Ken has just said. The team in seventh place I'm going to come to in a moment are Venezuela on 15. So reality is it looks very likely that the top six now, even though there's four games to go, are going to be the top six who we will see in next year's ah competition.
00:07:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Top scorers so far, I think, are Lionel Messi with six and Luis Diaz from Colombia with six. Darwin Nunes has five, as does Rafinha and Terceros and Valencia.
00:07:30
Ken Davies
You
00:07:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've all got five, they're all doing pretty well.
00:07:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
To be honest with you, mate, I'm not going to lie here. This has got to be the most straightforward qualifying that has been in this year's competition.
00:07:35
Ken Davies
have
00:07:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's not much jeopardy. There's not much jeopardy. ah But there is, and there might be there might be a story brewing here, cool We always look for the unusual and the stories in all of this. There might be a story brewing in Venezuela um because they are the only CONMEBOL team never to qualify for a World Cup.
00:07:42
Ken Davies
yeah
00:08:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah They've historically finished pretty near the bottom pretty pretty ah pretty often. they They're genuinely seen as one of the poorer performers on the national stage. um Yet they're sitting in seventh spot, and seventh goes into a playoff. They've got four games to go.
00:08:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, two of those are a away at table-topping Argentina, and you automatically think, well, hmm. ah that's going to be a, well, you're not going to get anything out of that, let's face it.
00:08:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
But you never know, Argentina might might be resting players. You just don't know.
00:08:35
Ken Davies
Correction, I think only one of the games against Argentina.
00:08:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know, that's what said.
00:08:40
Ken Davies
Oh, beg your pardon.
00:08:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've got, yeah.
00:08:41
Ken Davies
Beg your pardon. Yeah, one of them is against Argentina.
00:08:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah good Because the other yeah and the other away game is against Uruguay, who are sitting in third.
00:08:46
Ken Davies
Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
So again, that's going to be tough. However, however, their two home games that they've got left are against home to Bolivia, who sit one place below them in eighth.
00:08:48
Ken Davies
Beg pardon.
00:08:56
Ken Davies
We're humble.
00:08:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And one and and in one place above them is Colombia. And they play Colombia at home as well. And that's got to be winnable. Although they're not probably going to catch Colombia in terms of overtaking them But they could get three points off
00:09:09
Ken Davies
Yeah, i
00:09:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah We might see Venezuela sneaking into that playoff spot.
00:09:12
Ken Davies
I think that's their only chance. I mean, anybody who thinks they're going to get into sixth spot is just Caracas.
00:09:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very good. event You've been saving that up all week, haven't you?
00:09:22
Ken Davies
But...
00:09:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've been saving that all week.
00:09:25
Ken Davies
tick it off on list now.
00:09:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:28
Ken Davies
it's but But no, they I think they're definitely heading for seventh.
00:09:33
Ken Davies
I think they've got a pretty good chance of getting through through that qualification. When you look at the other teams that are likely it' to be in the playoff scenarios, yeah they clearly aren't going to be the best teams. And two out of those six go through.
00:09:45
Ken Davies
I think it could be yeah it could be seven could be seven spots in ah in the World Cup for Combo Mall.
00:09:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we already know, don't we? Because we've talked with about them at length um in one of the previous podcasts, that New Caledonia are qualified for the playoffs through the Oceano group.
00:09:57
Ken Davies
yet
00:09:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it could be couldbi ah New Caledonia they're facing. If they do, they've got to fancy themselves there. and
00:10:06
Ken Davies
Yeah, I think so. But obviously, I mean, one of the things that really struck me when I was doing the research on this is that every single team in Kondbamol is in the top 80 of the world rankings.
00:10:18
Ken Davies
Five in the top 25. Four of them in the top 15.
00:10:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Indeed.
00:10:24
Ken Davies
I mean, this is a powerhouse.
00:10:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:10:25
Ken Davies
So, you know I would imagine any team that's getting into the qualification process from Combo Mall has got to fancy their chances against some of these lesser teams.
00:10:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a great point. And of course, we have the current World Cup holders in CONMEBOL as well.
Brazil's Challenges in Qualification
00:10:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
One of the teams where there's been a lot of focus on in the last few weeks, particularly, and for whom qualification hasn't really gone as well as you might expect, is Brazil.
00:10:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And all is not well, Ken, in the Brazil camp, is it?
00:10:52
Ken Davies
No. And always think, and I'd interested your view on this, Brazil don't take qualification as seriously as they take the World Cup proper.
00:11:06
Ken Davies
ah They play around a little bit with it. The intensity is not there. But soon as they get to the World Cup proper, like a switch flips, the world the whole Brazil stops. It's all watching the games. And suddenly they they put it out of the fire.
00:11:22
Ken Davies
Now, so let's just take you through Brazil. They are currently in fourth. They've lost five of their 14 games. They've lost over a third of their games, conceded 16 goals in the process.
00:11:36
Ken Davies
Of course, argenineina the argentinina Argentina, the great rival, I've walked away with it. ah beating Brazil twice. We'll come to the ramifications or the outcomes from from one of those games.
00:11:51
Ken Davies
So you've got Brazil languishing behind Ecuador and Uruguay, which they wouldn't normally do. So there's something clearly going wrong. And it started off well. They ah won the first two games, but then they lost to Uruguay, Colombia, and Argentina in consecutive games.
00:12:09
Ken Davies
And... It all culminated a couple of weeks ago in a 4-1 defeat by Argentina at the Maracanã in Rio. Now, I don't know any of you have seen that game, ah but we've both had a look at it in preparation for this.
00:12:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, we we we have. we we We have. And Argentina um were unlucky to get four and Brazil were lucky to get one. It was it was one of the most one-sided games ah that I've ever seen.
00:12:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
and turn Not I've ever seen, but at this level, when you expect two of the world's greatest teams to go head-to-head, do you expect it to be a bit ah closer to this. And we've done a bit of a tactical analysis on this game.
00:12:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Ken, haven't we? And um I think we both felt that the midfield was the area where the game was won lost, particularly with the managerial choices of how to set up.
00:12:57
Ken Davies
Yeah, i mean I mean, he went 44. Now, that I can get the difficulty. You've got Vinicius Jr., you've got Rodrigo, you've got Rapini, you've got Matthias Cunha.
00:13:10
Ken Davies
ah You've got some stellar talent up front, but that doesn't mean you have to play them all. Yeah.
00:13:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's the problem. That's the problem.
00:13:18
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:13:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's where as a coach, you always look at a coach and go, right, who's running the dressing room here? Is it you or is it the players?
00:13:25
Ken Davies
Yeah, no, I'd agree with that. And I've always thought of of ah Brazil me maybe as this kind of Galacticos, this kind of superstar team made up of individuals rather than a team. I think when Brazil become a team, and I'm thinking right back to 1970 here, first World Cup I remember, that was a great team made up of great players.
00:13:46
Ken Davies
ah I just wonder... whether this team has got enough team ethos and whether the individual brilliance is overtaking, if you like, yeah the the team strategy side.
00:14:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think it was. I think it certainly did. Either that or the coach just was just a little bit... out of his depth in terms of how to manage games like this. But you can't put you can't put two people, ah as good as they are, i mean, Joe Linton particularly is having a great season for for Newcastle.
00:14:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
You can't put them up against a five-man midfield of Argentina and expect to get anything out of the game.
00:14:24
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:14:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
um mean, it's all very well having four strikers or on the pitch, but if you can't get them the ball, they're not going to do much, are they?
00:14:30
Ken Davies
have sort polling
00:14:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
they're not going to do much.
00:14:32
Ken Davies
yes
00:14:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it was a bit it was just an easy easy game, really. And what amazed me was they didn't, We all watch a lot of football. And you know that after 20 minutes, if you're getting given the run around, you need to do something different and you need to change something.
00:14:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And nothing really changed in that game. And the coach has got to take responsibility. Absolutely has to take responsibility. And indeed did take responsibility.
00:14:52
Ken Davies
He did, because the fallout from that game was the Brazilian Football Confederation said, enough's enough, Dorival Jr. The manner of the defeat, the one-sidedness, just kind of forced their hand and and they had to act. And and so Dorival Jr., who has only been there since 2024, he got the boot. But it kind of leaves Brazil in a tricky place because...
00:15:19
Ken Davies
They have always, always hired Brazilians to be the Brazilian manager. It used to be the conversation we used to have over here in England. you know Can a non-English manager, man well, of course they can. You're after the best in the world, but it doesn't quite work like that in Brazil.
00:15:38
Ken Davies
ah So it's only ever been Brazilian managers. Now, unfortunately, there aren't really any of any of any note that they can pull on. this the The big thing is, or the big manager they really want is Carlo Ancelotti. And they approached Carlo Ancelotti before Dorival Jr. got the role.
00:16:00
Ken Davies
And he he that didn't work out. There's a lot of talk in the Brazilian press about going after Ancelotti again. But of course, he's contracted to Real Madrid for at least another 18 months. So it's ah it's going to be difficult.
00:16:13
Ken Davies
There's talk about Filippo Luiz, who's the Flamengo manager, got off to a good start, but he's relatively inexperienced. But the dark horse in this, the dark horse is Jorge Jesus.
00:16:29
Ken Davies
I hope you're impressed with my pronunciation. I practiced that before came on.
00:16:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was very good. yeah so you've You said the words dark horse extremely well.
00:16:34
Ken Davies
It's not...
00:16:38
Ken Davies
Thank you. So Jorge Jesus is the manager at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. he's ah He's definitely the plan B. He's Portuguese, so he speaks the language.
00:16:52
Ken Davies
My money is on Jorge Jesus. The one caveat, I would say, is he's 70. And so he'll be 71 next year.
00:17:05
Ken Davies
And I'm just wondering, I mean, hey, you know, you're nearly 17. I mean, e can still you can still function.
00:17:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't know.
00:17:14
Ken Davies
There's no question you can still function. But I'm just wondering whether he's going to bring the energy and the drive and the determination and the a ability to get his arm around this team players individual talent and mould them into something that can win the World Cup.
00:17:29
Ken Davies
Now, we've seen it before because i think going back to, wow, it must have been going back into the 90s. ah We've always had this problem with Brazil where everyone's thought they're in a terrible place. They'd come to the World Cup and suddenly the light switch goes on and they they they they turn themselves into ah a World Cup winning team. So,
00:17:52
Ken Davies
I've got my doubts this time.
Messi's Impact on 2026 World Cup
00:17:55
Ken Davies
ah I think there's a lot of moving parts with Brazilian football. We've got to watch this space with a lot of interest. But if I was to make a prediction of where they're going to end up in terms the World Cup eventually, quarterfinals, I think i don't can't see them getting any further than that. What do you reckon, Nick?
00:18:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, think that's a fair point. It's interesting on Jorge Jesus, actually, because he has come up on the rails a little bit. I mean, Ancelotti was the only name being mentioned at the start of all of this. And of course, he has managed in Brazil before. He's managed Flamenco and did very well.
00:18:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
And there are a lot of Portuguese managers.
00:18:29
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:18:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
managing in the Brazilian league at the moment. So it wouldn't be like a completely random left field choice. And of course, we have this discussion in England, as you quite rightly said about, oh, should we appoint an England manager and yeah what what have you? But the reality is England have won the World Cup once and we've been rubbish pretty much ever since. So it doesn't really matter.
00:18:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Whereas Brazil have got an amazing World Cup pedigree with world cup with Brazilian coaches. So I think that's why there is such a strength of feeling and in there. And it'll be very interesting to see whoever gets that role. Because it's really, it's only Luis Felipe, who is the ah who is the the the where's the only Brazilian name in the hat, if you like.
00:19:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he's not really in the hat. um So they're all it's going to be a foreigner one way or the other. It's going to be a foreigner one way or other. And um it'll be interesting interesting to see how ah that goes down.
00:19:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
As for the team, yeah, i think quarterfinals is an excellent shout.
00:19:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's an excellent shout, so.
00:19:25
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:19:26
Ken Davies
I think that's i think that's that's that seems about right. Argentina, I think, on the other hand, are quite a different proposition. and that's a quite If I don't mind blowing my own trumpet, that's a quite a neat segue into Lionel Messi.
00:19:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is, it is. um We're going to have a look in just a moment at Lila Messi. How is he? He is, of course, the superstar of the World Cup in the last one in Qatar 2022.
00:19:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
But age age here know's age creeps up on us all, doesn't it, Ken? You'll know that more than me.
00:20:00
Ken Davies
right. you yeah You speak for yourself.
00:20:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And...
00:20:02
Ken Davies
I better just add a few things here before we get into Leonel, by the way. Just in terms of this podcast brought to you by Global Sports Podcast Network, of course. If you want any kind of content, daily content on your favorite Premier League football team, that's the place to find it.
00:20:19
Ken Davies
And here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform and Zencastr came out the clear winner. They were the Argentinian. in the group of providers of delivery platforms with 4K video recorded from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those mistakes and uns and ours.
00:20:40
Ken Davies
Super easy to start a podcast. It sounds great and is delivered efficiently. if you've If you've got a story to tell, Nick, if you've got a story to tell, bet you have, check out the link in the show notes and learn more about Zencast.
00:20:52
Ken Davies
And Nick, back you.
00:20:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
i've got I've got a lot of stories to tell. ah Most of them are about you, and none of them, none of them, quite frankly, are suitable for a family podcast.
00:20:59
Ken Davies
ah
00:21:02
Ken Davies
Okay, moving on. even
00:21:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's talk about Lionel Messi, shall we? um So he's the second highest goal scorer in history. We all know that he is considered to be one of, if they not, the greatest player ever to have kicked a ball.
00:21:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
But can he light up next year's World Cup? That's what we're looking at so now, because he'll be sort of 38, 39 in and around the time of the World Cup. He's 38 at moment.
00:21:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. We really hope that he can, because what we want to see at these tournaments, even if they're at the kind of back end of their career almost.
00:21:31
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:21:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I'm referring also to Cristiano Ronaldo here. We want to see the best players in the world. It's as simple as that. That was the whole point of the World Cup. We want to see the best players in the world. And Lionel Messi is, you know, he's ah he's exactly that And you think back to Qatar 2022, scored...
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah is scored seven goals. He got the golden ball as the best player of the tournament and he was the best player of the tournament. um And that's by a logical extension, the best player on earth.
00:22:04
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:22:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was magnificent and he did all of this aged 35 and he was sort of half injured at the same time. So none of it makes logical sense, but if you could do it then one might argue, well, can you do it now?
00:22:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Can you do it now? Um,
00:22:23
Ken Davies
I'd agree with that. it Obviously, leading scorer in the qualification process at Combo Mall, he's getting great service. is He's delivering what he's there to do, you know, in terms of goals and and assists and and and just his his general general input, if you like, into the Argentinian phenomena.
00:22:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. and
00:22:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think what's important here is is what's happening at club level because he's doing very well at Inter Miami, but he's picking and choosing his games. And I think that's absolutely crucial.
00:22:50
Ken Davies
Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's not playing... fact, I mean, he's only played and around in around half of the games, just over half of the games since he signed. think we're at about 58% in all. and And I think that's really, really important. I think that's important because...
00:23:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
You can't flog this poor chap. You know, he's at that stage of his career where he needs to determine when he knows he can get the best out of himself. And you've got to go along with that. You've got to let him you've got to let him play.
00:23:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
and But even then even even then, he's got 44 gold contributions in 29 games ah for Inter Miami, like regular season games. This is... um 24 goals, 20 assists. And that, I know, I know Inter Miami is a new club. Yeah.
00:23:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. So it's a new club, but that's still ah record for Inter Miami. And probably it's probably going to be a record that stays forever because they're never going to sign anybody quite as good as Lionel Messi for however ah long they are.
00:23:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they only started playing what in 2020 season. So only five years old as a club, but that's a record. And I think you'll probably carry on. ah breaking those records for Miami as he goes along. But importantly, as I say, he doesn't play all the time for Miami. And the one, I guess, sword of Damocles hanging over Lionel Messi for next year's World Cup is his injury record.
00:24:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because he's just getting more and more injuries and the type of injuries that to keep you out for... you know quite a few games. You've just got to wrap him in cotton wool.
00:24:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
um ah Thinking back to last year in the Copa America final, we remember those remember the pictures if you saw the game. yeah um He yeah sustained quite a nasty ligament injury to his right angle and came off and looked absolutely devastated. He was out for a while there.
00:24:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just recently, just in recently last month in March, ah He suffered an abductor injury, so that kept him out of the World Cup qualifying matches. Didn't really need him. ah But you've just got to be careful here.
00:24:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've just got to be careful. It's the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals that are being played at the moment. And it'll be interesting to see whether he plays yeah what role he plays throughout the season. If you can keep him fit, if you can keep him you don't need to keep him motivated.
00:25:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because you remember a few years ago when he retired from international football and he said, I can't do any more. I literally can't any more. And then he came back and and there's been loads loads of comments he's made in recent times about he wants to keep going for as long as he can.
00:25:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
What an amazing swan song. Winning the World Cup again with Argentina would be in America, Canada and Mexico next year.
GOAT Debate: Messi vs Ronaldo
00:25:20
Ken Davies
Yeah, it's ah you're right. And you're right about injuries. Two things happen when any sportsman gets older. They get more injuries and they take longer to heal. And both of those things are going to start to come up on the radar for Lionel Messi.
00:25:36
Ken Davies
One of the things i remember from a few World Cup back... People always saying, will Messi, the greatest player on earth, will he be able to actually deliver for Argentina? And there was a few World Cups when it didn't happen.
00:25:51
Ken Davies
And people were starting to write off Lionel Messi, if you like, as a World Cup contributor, if you like. And then it all happened last time. And I think it's going to happen again this year. I think they will.
00:26:01
Ken Davies
They'll do everything to keep him wrapped up in cotton wool, as you say. ah my I pray that he daddy has a great World Cup. I'd love him to go out on a high. If England don't win it, I kind of hope Argentina do. And I hope he's picking up the trophy.
00:26:17
Ken Davies
One final thing before we move on from Messi. Are you Ronaldo or Messi camp in terms of the goat of all goats?
00:26:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've always been, historically, I've been a Ronaldo fan.
00:26:30
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:26:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'll tell you why. It's because I've never seen Messi. Actually, no, tell you why. I think, although my memory is a dim and distant past that, I think I saw Lionel Messi play in the 1994 Olympics ah in Athens. Because I was ah i was at the Olympics in Athens covering it for the Daily Telegraph.
00:26:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I watched all the football games. It was great. And I'm sure Lionel Messi represented Argentina in those games. I would have seen him play there. I definitely saw Cristiano Ronaldo play for Manchester United when Manchester United came to visit Pride Park against Derby County.
00:27:04
Ken Davies
Yeah, same guy.
00:27:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I remember, I remember, he's only a young young man at that stage. Not being able to take my eyes off him. He was like the thoroughbred racehorse in a field full of nags.
00:27:17
Ken Davies
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:27:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's that's just Derby, by the way. Man United were quite good. ah And so even when he didn't have the ball, you just couldn't take your eyes off him. You couldn't. And he scored the only goal in the game, and Man United won 1-0.
00:27:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... Just watching him move and run and think and play when the ball came to him, i was it had um it had a really, really long-lasting effect on me. And for that reason, I've always kind of been in the Ronaldo camp over Messi.
00:27:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But in recent times, I think particularly World Cup in Qatar 2022, the pendulum started swinging back. So the answer is, I'm not really sure anymore. I've been in Ronaldo's camp for so many years, but Messi keeps doing it.
00:27:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
You don't really hear a lot of excuse me a lot from Ronaldo these days, do ah since you, since he moved the Saudi League? And yeah, the fact that Messi's a World Cup winner still and won it at the age of 35, you kind of think, well, as I say, the dial is swinging back in his direction. What about you?
00:28:16
Ken Davies
i'm I'm firmly Messi and I've always been firmly Messi. I was i've obviously have seen Ronaldo play. I haven't seen Messi play. But ah I've always considered Messi much more of a team player than Ronaldo.
00:28:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but Ronaldo gets the goals.
00:28:31
Ken Davies
Yeah,
00:28:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, Ronaldo can bang in a free, well, it doesn't really anymore, but he used to able bang free kick from anywhere. His heading ability is unsurpassed.
00:28:40
Ken Davies
yeah oh, good.
00:28:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um but it you can He can jump higher than a double-decker bus. He's unbelievable.
00:28:46
Ken Davies
No, he is an incredible physical specimen. I mean, if anybody's seen that that statue, have you seen the statue to Ronaldo in Madeira? I thought it
00:28:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Madeira Airport. Was it Ronaldo? Because I walked past it. I wasn't quite sure who it was.
00:28:59
Ken Davies
was you, to be honest. right Anyway, but one of the things that annoys me about Ronaldo is that if you ever see Ronaldo play for Portugal, and we all have, it's almost like it's the Ronaldo team and not Portugal.
00:29:15
Ken Davies
And that grates with me. Whereas Messi, brilliant, amazing player though he is, always seems to be slightly more supportive of his team than Ronaldo. And and I...
00:29:33
Ken Davies
For that reason alone, I find Messi a much more likable footballer than Cristiano Ronaldo. There's no question. They are both immense talents. And Ronaldo is one of the greatest players ever to grace football field.
00:29:47
Ken Davies
But if i someone had a gun to my head and asked me to choose the goat of all goats, I would choose Lionel Messi because I just think he's just better all round. There you
00:29:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, you make note you make a very, very good point. That is a very, very good point ah in terms of teamwork. And you're right. I mean, we all remember the last World Cup and international games. Ronaldo essentially decides to pick himself or or not. And he'll always pick himself.
00:30:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
and the whole And the whole of the Portugal sort team and front line look completely disjointed.
00:30:09
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:30:13
Ken Davies
Yeah. every Every free kick, every throw-in. I mean, I don't know. He probably takes all the goal kicks now. You know, it just frustrates me. Anyway, he's a great player.
00:30:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Never mind. Never mind.
00:30:25
Ken Davies
Moving on.
00:30:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ronaldo remains the world's, well, the highest goal scorer in men's football history. 136 goals in 219 games.
00:30:34
Ken Davies
Oh, he's getting the Wrexham team. That's absolutely true.
00:30:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, get in the wrestling team.
00:30:38
Ken Davies
LAUGHTER
00:30:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
0.62 goals per game. Interestingly, and I digress for 15 seconds here, I'll digress. Because when I was looking down the list of highest goal scorers in men's football, third, who do you think the third is?
00:30:51
Ken Davies
Highest goal in ever in in world football.
00:30:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ever. Yeah. Yeah. Who do you think in third and fourth are?
00:30:56
Ken Davies
a
00:30:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you'll never, you'll never get it.
00:30:57
Ken Davies
Pele. Pele.
00:30:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no.
00:31:01
Ken Davies
Eusebio.
00:31:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
No. So in third place is Ali Dye, who plays for Iran.
00:31:08
Ken Davies
Oh, yeah.
00:31:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
We played 108 games in 140, 108 goals, rather than 148 games.
00:31:08
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:31:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And fourth, and this this bit.
00:31:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
and fourth and this is this is i love this bit ah Fourth is Sunil Chetri from India. Yeah, he plays for India, who scored 95 goals from 153 games, but is still banging them in at the age of 40.
00:31:13
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:31:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's still playing an international football and scoring goals at the age of 40. He scored last month as India beat the Maldives 3-0 in the Intercontinental Cup.
00:31:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
So ah go on, son.
00:31:39
Ken Davies
Well, there you go. We need to get him on.
00:31:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's not bad, is it?
00:31:41
Ken Davies
We need to get him on at some point.
00:31:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know. That's not bad. Right.
00:31:43
Ken Davies
OK, so Peru.
00:31:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, Peru, yeah, well, before we move on, which is the last bit of the show let's have a word from our sponsors, Bionique, please.
00:31:51
Ken Davies
Yeah, we should do because Global Sports Podcast Network has partnered with Bionic, the world's most personalized supplements, because your body, and I'm looking at you, Nick, is unique.
00:32:02
Ken Davies
It is. It's more unique than the statue of Ronaldo in the airport in Madeira. Because without knowing what deficiencies you've got, taking off-the-shelf supplements means...
00:32:13
Ken Davies
probably not getting enough of what you need. you probably getting too much of the stuff you don't need. So Bionique provides 100% tailor-made supplements designed to deliver precisely what your body needs. So go and click the show notes.
00:32:25
Ken Davies
Go and click the link in the show notes and use the code GSPN2025 for your discount off your first order. You'll never regret it.
00:32:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
You'll never regret it. There you go Words from Ken Davis and it's on him. ah Right then, lastly, lastly then, and this is often my favourite bit of the show, I'm not going to lie.
Exploring Peru's Culture and History
00:32:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
We like to have a look at one of the countries involved in qualification, but not just the football, of course, ah but what else has it got to offer?
00:32:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And this week, ladies and gentlemen, it's Peru.
00:33:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're doing that wrong, Ken. You're doing that wrong.
00:33:10
Ken Davies
oh
00:33:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you know do you know what that was?
00:33:12
Ken Davies
It sounded to me like one of those kind of blowy instruments.
00:33:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was. It was a... kind of Correct. That's not the technical term.
00:33:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
The technical term is a Peruvian flute, but it's a pan flute, so you don't blow it. You don't play it like that, we like a traditional flute, where you hold it to the side. Yeah, and that's it. You blow on top of it. Yeah, it's got those things you blow top of it.
00:33:20
Ken Davies
No.
00:33:31
Ken Davies
Right. I wish you'd tell me this stuff before we start recording podcasts, Nick.
00:33:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was a Peruvian flute.
00:33:35
Ken Davies
It makes me look a fool.
00:33:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not me that makes you look a fool, mate. You do that all by yourself extremely well. and The Republic of Peru, to give it its proper name, is based on the west coast of South America. It has a population of 32 million people and is the third largest country in South America and indeed the 19th largest country in the world.
00:33:50
Ken Davies
Thank
00:33:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is home to the Amazon rainforest, the Andes mountains, and has one of the longest histories of civilization of any country in the world, tracing its heritage back to the 10th millennium BC and the Karel Supe civilization.
00:34:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
So as such, it's no surprise, if anybody's been to Peru or lives in Peru, ah you will know how many really important touch cultural touch points there are, ah none more so than the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, which is situated in...
00:34:23
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:34:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
so Have you been there, Ken? have you been to... Peru?
00:34:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
No. My daughter went to Peru, actually, about two or three years ago.
00:34:28
Ken Davies
No.
00:34:31
Ken Davies
Oh, wow.
00:34:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
she Yeah, she worked on the Pan American Games there. And she said it's absolutely beautiful country.
00:34:34
Ken Davies
Oh, wow.
00:34:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Beautiful country.
00:34:36
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:34:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But Machu Picchu, it's situated on a ridge 7,970 feet up and is often referred to as the Lost City of the Incas. it is ah It's like a ah ah royal retreat back in the day.
00:34:50
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:34:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But it's an incredibly popular tourist spot. And... and It's got UNESCO World Heritage sites, but as always, people can't just go and visit. And my most interesting fact about Machu Picchu is that it became a real haven for nude tourism.
00:35:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
So such to the point where in 2014, the Ministry of Culture in the Peru government had to get involved to stop nude tourism in Machu Picchu. So if, yeah, I know you just, I mean, what but what are people like?
00:35:18
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:35:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And of course, Of course, it's ah part home to the Amazon rainforest. most so let's Let's face it, most of South America is built on the Amazon basin, but it's got a big chunk of rainforest in there. And as such, it's home to a very wide variety of animals, including pumas and spectacle bears.
00:35:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Now, that's not bears who wear glasses, no. That's not like you, Ken, a bear who wears glasses. It's all down to the...
00:35:46
Ken Davies
Paddington, Paddington.
00:35:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
it called You beat me to it because I was going to ask you, who is the most famous this respectable bear in the world?
00:35:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it is, it of course.
00:35:53
Ken Davies
How did say it?
00:35:55
Ken Davies
The old marmalade eating...
00:35:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah yeah
00:35:57
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:35:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Well, if you go to the Amazon rainforest in Peru and you see a respectable bear, normally it's eating a marmalade sandwich.
00:36:04
Ken Davies
What is it, a suitcase?
00:36:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is, yeah. It is. It has a suitcase. It's got a red hat on. They all do. They all wear it. They didn't used to, but they all do now. They're super cool.
Peru's Wildlife and Economy
00:36:14
Ken Davies
And llamas.
00:36:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And llamas.
00:36:15
Ken Davies
um
00:36:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:36:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very famous its llamas.
00:36:16
Ken Davies
We should say, Nick, presumably the pronunciation in Spanish is llama.
00:36:22
Ken Davies
Now, my very limited knowledge of Spanish,
00:36:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
well Presumably, white why? would you Why would it presume? It's actually, no, it'd be llamas.
00:36:31
Ken Davies
yamas, okay. But my my ah relatively sketchy knowledge of Spanish, I'm sure yama is name.
00:36:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Llamas.
00:36:40
Ken Davies
So I think once upon a time, someone looked and pointed at that animal and asking yama, what's the name of the animal? And it stuck.
00:36:53
Ken Davies
I mean, I'm guessing that, but
00:36:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is that because the animal thought, well, I don't have a name, and that guy's pointing at me, shouting something, so that's obviously, he's shouting my name.
00:37:01
Ken Davies
I don't think the animal was involved. I think it was two humans having that conversation. Yammer. Oh, that's what it must be.
00:37:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
and then And then it was called, and it's, yes.
00:37:09
Ken Davies
And the name's Doug. It's like the kangaroo, isn't it? for I don't know. Anyway, it's a different story.
00:37:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, it may well be. I'll now have to research. Join us next week. ah well ah good I'm going to find out. I'm going to come back to you on that next week.
00:37:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
how ah How the llama, how the llama, get its name.
00:37:25
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:37:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Anyway, Peru, back on Peru. It's a pretty wealthy country. um It's upper middle in terms of global economy. Its main exports are mining copper. It's the second largest um country in the world for mining copper.
00:37:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zinc has got masses of gold and masses of silver. So it's a very minimal, minimal rich ah country. Yeah. ah So let's hope Donald Trump isn't listening to this. was Otherwise, you know what's going to happen next.
00:37:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah And a couple of other odd facts around Peru. Guinea pig is a cultural delicacy. So you can you can nose bag on a bit of guinea pig for lunch if you so wish.
00:38:01
Ken Davies
Cultural or culinary? They eat them.
00:38:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, yeah, culinary. Yeah, sorry, culinary. That's what I meant to say. yeah Culinary.
00:38:08
Ken Davies
They eat guinea pigs.
00:38:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, yeah, why wouldn't you?
00:38:09
Ken Davies
All right.
00:38:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Why wouldn't you?
00:38:12
Ken Davies
Well, lunchtime. It's nearly lunchtime.
00:38:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
they They eat monkey brains in other parts of the country.
00:38:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, It's also home to the vampire moth, which sucks blood. So next time you see a moth, just be pleased it is not a vampire moth, unless you are in Peru, where it might be, and you might not have any blood left in about 10 minutes' time.
00:38:18
Ken Davies
Go Move on.
00:38:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
It grows over 55 types of corn, so it is a corn centre of the world. And despite being next to the sea, Lima, which is the capital, is one of the largest cities in the world located in the desert.
00:38:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Never rains in Lima, yet you're only pretty short hop from the sea. yeah
00:38:47
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:38:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And finally...
00:38:47
Ken Davies
Sounds great. You're selling it.
00:38:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Finally, if you don't like tarantulas, people, don't go to Peru because they are massive.
00:38:54
Ken Davies
Right.
00:38:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
They are massive. And breeds include the Peruvian pink toe, which makes it sound really, really nice.
00:39:02
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:39:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But it's not. And I had a look at Peruvian pink toe on Google.
00:39:05
Ken Davies
ah Careful, careful.
00:39:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah and like
00:39:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I meant type of tarantula.
00:39:11
Ken Davies
George. It's all right. It's all right.
00:39:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it was quite...
00:39:20
Ken Davies
i I thought that was a disease. I went to the doctor's last week. He said, i think you might have a touch of the Peruvian pink toe.
00:39:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:39:28
Ken Davies
I said, I haven't even taken my shoes off.
00:39:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
of look Right, I'm nearly there. yeah They've also got spiders, bizarrely tarantulas, which glow in the dark. They glow in the dark.
00:39:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
So if you put UV light on them, they glow up, which nobody and nobody knows, by the way, nobody knows why this is. But I'm guessing it's something to do. It can't be it can't be healthy.
00:39:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Our tarantulas have evolved to, like, glow in the dark. They can't be good for you. um but But there are. You'll go and find them in the Peruvian rainforest.
Peru's Football Legacy
00:40:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. On to football very quickly then. Excuse me. Peru aren't great.
00:40:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're not great. As we've discussed, they're currently ninth out of tenth in their qualifying group. ah They've only ever qualified for five World Cups, ah the last time in 2018. And before that, it was 26 years. It was 1982. Yeah.
00:40:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:40:16
Ken Davies
Oh, remember that one, though?
00:40:18
Ken Davies
Oh, no, it was 78, we remember.
00:40:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah No, I'm going to come on to that in just a moment. um they yeah They've beaten Bolivia and Venezuela this time around in the qualifying, but the reality is it's not going to happen.
00:40:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
They will not will not be seen perused, sadly, at the 2026 World Cup.
00:40:31
Ken Davies
that is sad.
00:40:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But they are most famous for everybody knows the game in Argentina in 1978, which is their finest hour when they reach the quarterfinals that competition, ah including a world-famous win against Scotland.
00:40:43
Ken Davies
Oh, I remember
00:40:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
who they beat 3-1.
00:40:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if you remember, we yeah we're on the march with Ali's army. Scotland, for reasons totally unknown and with no justification whatsoever, went to an international tournament and thought they'd do well.
00:40:47
Ken Davies
We're on the march with Ali's army.
00:40:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Ali McLeod was giving it the big one. Yeah, we're on the war on the march with Ali's army. And, well, they didn't march far because they got to the Argentina World Cup, lost all three group games and came home again.
00:41:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
um one of
00:41:11
Ken Davies
what a game that was.
00:41:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the 3-1 defeat to Peru, or indeed the 3-1 victory for Peru, ah was notable for one of the best free kicks I've seen then and seen since.
00:41:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
So go and find this.
00:41:24
Ken Davies
Was this Keebias?
00:41:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was It was, yeah, Cubillas, yeah, Tifulo Cubillas.
00:41:28
Ken Davies
Yeah. What a...
00:41:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah he's got it It's got a free kick, right?
00:41:30
Ken Davies
form
00:41:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's got a free kick on the edge of the area. And if you imagine you're the goalkeeper, it's on the right-hand side of of the box as you're looking out.
00:41:37
Ken Davies
This is Scottish goalkeepers we're talking about now, isn't it?
00:41:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is true. Alan Ruff was the goalkeeper. and so it's got so so So you're kind of even putting goalkeeper in inverted commas there.
00:41:42
Ken Davies
And he was, wasn't he? Yeah.
00:41:47
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:41:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And there was a wall. it all looked all right. Ruff was kind of in the middle of his goal, roughly in the right sort of place where he wanted him to be. And um one of the Peru players dumbed it. Kabilos ran up.
00:41:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, I'm going to ask you this question. If I'm a goalkeeper here and somebody's taking a free kick on the right-hand side of the box with his right foot, where are you expecting it to go?
00:42:10
Ken Davies
I'm expecting to go in my left hand.
00:42:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, across yet across you into the left-hand corner of the goal.
00:42:12
Ken Davies
Yeah. Hmm.
00:42:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's where you'd expect it to go.
00:42:17
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:42:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Kupilos ran up um and actually struck the ball with the outside of his right foot. So it bent the other way over around and over the wall and ended up in the top corner of Alan Ruff's right-hand side of the goal.
00:42:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you can see you can see him expecting it where to go. So he starts moving to his left.
00:42:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then he realizes happening and he's totally unbalanced and falls over. Which was, to be fair, he did that quite often in most games.
00:42:35
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:42:42
Ken Davies
They on the goal kick, to be honest.
00:42:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:42:44
Ken Davies
Wow, what a game, what a game.
00:42:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was a great free kick. It was a great free kick.
00:42:46
Ken Davies
think Scotland scored first in that game, didn't they?
00:42:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
They did score first, yeah. Joe Jordan joe jordan scored first.
00:42:50
Ken Davies
And yeah, I remember i thought, oh, it's it's one-way traffic. And then Peru were brilliant in the second half.
00:42:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah. And have that great strip. I love the Proust strip. that It's like the old Palace Awake It with white shirt and stripe, you sash.
00:43:01
Ken Davies
Yeah. the kaak and and sa Yeah, sash, yeah.
00:43:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, beautiful, yeah. Beautiful, beautiful.
00:43:05
Ken Davies
What a team, what a team.
00:43:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there you go. There's your...
00:43:07
Ken Davies
We're not going to see them again.
00:43:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, sadly not, but maybe yeah maybe in four years' time in the world's biggest ever cup when there's 60-odd teams or whatever it's going to be.
Conclusion and Next Episode Preview
00:43:15
Ken Davies
64. Wafer.
00:43:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
64 in Spain and Morocco. We shall see. ah Right, well, that brings us to the end of this episode. I'm just thinking, Ken, next week, where do we go next week?
00:43:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
we go Do we come back? do do we do a how Do we do a home gig next week?
00:43:30
Ken Davies
la sir
00:43:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do a bit of UEFA? yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll do that.
00:43:32
Ken Davies
give Yeah, that's going to interesting long run. But I better start getting my calculator out on that one as well, because i imagine that's going to be pretty complicated. But that's been a pleasure to spend 40 minutes down in South America. really enjoyed that.
00:43:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's been great. It's been great. So I hope you've enjoyed it. Like, subscribe to all of those kind of things.
00:43:51
Ken Davies
you.
00:43:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And do join us again for next week when, we're as we said, we're going to be yeah looking at UEFA. ah Till then, look after yourselves, look after each other. and From myself and from Ken and his Peruvian flute, goodbye.