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Uruguary's legendary boss Marcelo Bielsa, FIFA moving kick off times and is Trump putting pressure on Infantimo pver Israel?
3 Plays14 days ago
Nick and Ken discuss El Loco, Uruguay’s legendary boss Marcelo Bielsa, moving kick off times and is Trump putting pressure on FIFA over Israel?
Plus a rundown of Uruguay’s key players and chances in Canada, Mexico and the USA, and a shock result in Kenny’s Quiz.
Your weekly guide to the pinnacle of world soccer brought to you by Global Sports Podcast Network
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Road to World Cup 2026' Podcast
00:00:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, hello. and bourjo chow niha briette allla gaai and welcome to road to woke cup to your pipes out early today
00:00:23
Ken Davies
Oh yeah.
00:00:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
blocks out too early ah welcome to ro world cup twenty six podcasts part of the global sports podcast network the only place to find your regular soccer content on the top Premier League teams, the Daily Premier League, seven days a week, Daily Premier League podcasts that Ken and I do as well.
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah So if you want more of us, head over to Daily Premier League. and I know, i know. and But of course, yeah well, mate, you'd be surprised.
00:00:44
Ken Davies
That's not very light, is it?
00:00:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
you as you As you well know, because you're listening to it right here, right now, The Road to the World Cup 2026. I am your host, Nick Britton. I am joined, as I always am,
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
in Global Sports Podcast Network towers by my esteemed colleague, the beaver, gnawing away on his pipe today. Mr. Ken Davis. How are you doing, Kenny?
00:01:08
Ken Davies
I'm well, actually. I'm quite excited. Autumn's coming. The Knights drawing in. We're all getting gathering around the log fire, telling stories of World Cups in the past. kind of It's kind of cosy, and it's nice, and I'm very excited.
00:01:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was very warm. That was very warm and cuddly.
00:01:25
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:01:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Especially for you. You're not known as being the most warm and cuddly kind of person, but that was very nice.
00:01:30
Ken Davies
You'd be surprised.
00:01:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I know that.
00:01:31
Ken Davies
I've had my moments.
00:01:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah You've got two daughters.
Uruguay's World Cup History and Current Form
00:01:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Right, okay, we are continuing. We're continuing our deep deep, deep, deep, deep dive into teams that qualified for the World Cup. Last week we were in Africa, at the top end of Africa, talking about Morocco.
00:01:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are crossing the seas, going to the continent of South America today, and all the discussion is around Uruguay.
00:02:20
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:02:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I could feel like I could just let let that run, actually. I like that. ah just It's a really nice, jolly kind of... mean, I'm looking outside and the storm is coming. We're expecting a storm here in the yeah UK. And it's quite frankly, it's arriving, looking outside the window here.
00:02:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's raining and it's windy and it's not really nice at all. That was a nice, warming national anthem, Ken.
00:02:53
Ken Davies
No, didn't like it. but that da No. Well, you know what really annoyed me about the national anthem was the gaps. can can can and la literally and little It's just the gaps are too long.
00:03:10
Ken Davies
The gaps are just too long. ah So, you know, it's the kind of thing if you were dancing to it, you'd have go. i It's just no.
00:03:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's like one ah It's like one of those, what's what's the what's the kid's game where you play with when the music stops, you have to stand still?
00:03:24
Ken Davies
Yeah, it's like that.
00:03:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
can't remember what it's called.
00:03:25
Ken Davies
It's like that.
00:03:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:03:27
Ken Davies
Oh, but yeah, it's like that. So, no, it doesn't work for me as national anthem because you imagine like running to war or something and that's which is what you want and that's nothing. It's of... Stop. And then you just go...
00:03:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah imagine if you were charging, if there's 30,000 people, chris nothing and they all stop.
00:03:41
Ken Davies
Charge for Aquarians!
00:03:45
Ken Davies
Yeah, no.
00:03:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then... again
00:03:46
Ken Davies
You're like a sitting target, aren't you? So, no, it's not winning the World Cup of National Anthems for me, I'm afraid.
00:03:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Disappoint me. i thought you'd to I thought you'd be right on that.
00:03:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, OK.
00:03:57
Ken Davies
la
00:03:58
Ken Davies
Sorry, I'll just get over it now.
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, we are, are of course, ah going to focus on some World Cup news before we get going with a deep dive
World Cup Ticket Pricing and Comparisons
00:04:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
into Uruguay. Ken, we'll bring you then the history of Uruguay in the World Cup.
00:04:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll look at five key players. We'll look at how they line up. Thank you.
00:04:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
about israel and should they or should they not play in next year so well cup ken's got some details of who has written in we've had a couple of people write in about that yeah we've got everybody's favoriteite time of the week of course we come when it's time for kenny's quiz And we'll finish the podcast, as we always do, with some predictions. But to kick us off, to kick us off, let's have some breaking news in the world. well yeah
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I can always tell whether what what mood Ken is in with how vigorously he shuffles his papers when the news music comes on.
00:05:07
Ken Davies
Yeah, it's been long week.
00:05:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, you a shuffling like a good one there.
00:05:09
Ken Davies
Oh, thank you very much. i think I feel feel yeah full of the joys of autumn.
00:05:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Particularly energetic shuffle.
00:05:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, a couple of bits and bobs to bring you from the world of the World Cup news in the last few days. and We talk a lot about ticket prices. on the podcast because it's an interesting topic, let's face it.
00:05:17
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:05:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
We all want to know how much we're going to pay when we go and watch our teams next year. Some of the prices have been, well, in fact, all of the prices have been announced really for this year. And they've caused, as they were always going to do, because this is the same story every single World Cup, they've caused a storm because everybody thinks it's too expensive.
00:05:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
They range the group games. Let me start with with the cheap tickets. The group games cheapest tickets for the group games are $60, which is, you know, what, about 40 quid?
00:05:54
Ken Davies
Reasonable. That's reasonable for a World Cup.
00:05:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I thought that wasn't bad at all.
00:06:00
Ken Davies
Reasonable.
00:06:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, they are they are the kind of furthest away from the pitch. So if you're playing in San Francisco...
00:06:05
Ken Davies
Are they in the stadium?
00:06:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, no, no, the $60 ticket's in New York. but But so thank you thanks for ruining that gag.
00:06:13
Ken Davies
Oh, right, sorry, mate.
00:06:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Anyway, prices kind of continue. all the way up to the World Cup final, where you're looking at the cheapest price is $2,000, just over $2,000.
00:06:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which, look, is that is the ifer that's really expensive.
00:06:29
Ken Davies
Right.
00:06:29
Ken Davies
That's
00:06:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
For a cheapest price, that's really expensive, isn't it?
00:06:35
Ken Davies
ridiculous.
00:06:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's face it.
00:06:37
Ken Davies
Ridiculous. ridiculous
00:06:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And don't forget, folks, don't forget they're introducing dynamic pricing here. So if loads of people buy the $60 ticket, that $60 ticket is going to go up to about $80 or $90 pretty quickly, i would have thought.
00:06:53
Ken Davies
Resell them. I mean, is there a market in it? We could all buy a load of tickets for $60 and sell them for $75 and retire on the proceeds.
00:07:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, you'd have to buy a lot of tickets if you're going to retire on $15 markup.
00:07:05
Ken Davies
I intend to.
00:07:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:07:07
Ken Davies
Everyone.
00:07:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good luck with that, I'm sure. ah Yeah, lots of lots of kind of breakdowns of tickets. And as you go through the competition, they just get more and more and more. Now, which is obvious.
00:07:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, that's that's always going to happen. But I think ah think the difficulty here is getting a head around Americans and the USA particularly sort of attitude towards ticket prices.
00:07:29
Ken Davies
All
00:07:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, know obviously all this is set by FIFA, but The USA's attitude towards ticket prices is that they are far more expensive in the USA than anywhere else kind of in the world because but I think, you know, they're always amazed. We're here in the UK, obviously. They're always amazed at how cheap ticket prices are here in the UK to go and watch things.
00:07:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know you're big into American sports, Ken, but ticket prices in America are generally more expensive, aren't they?
00:07:52
Ken Davies
yeah Yeah, you you'll you'll pay easily pay $60, $70, $800 for a baseball game. There's 156 of them a year for every team, something like that.
00:08:04
Ken Davies
Same for NFL. You won't get any change out of $100 for a ticket in the NFL yeah of any of any use. so So, yeah, they are used to expensive expensive ticket prices.
00:08:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, the Ryder Cup, I mean, the cheap right cheapest Ryder Cup tickets were something $750. Yeah.
00:08:25
Ken Davies
Yeah, it's it's part it's it's part of the sporting culture over there.
00:08:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
<unk>
00:08:28
Ken Davies
You just pay a lot of money for
00:08:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's going to be a shock to the rest of the world because, I mean, those ticket i mean that that ticket price is is is not far off. Some of those double what people were paying in Qatar.
00:08:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the the England Supporters Club or whatever they might be called, something whatever equivalence is, have obviously been very critical of this. I think they've worked out they'll cost about three and a half three to three and a half thousand quid ah to go and watch England, providing they get to the final and win it, which, Ken, we all know they will.
00:08:38
Ken Davies
Yeah?
00:08:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah That's what's what's three and a half thousand pounds in dollars. About six.
00:09:01
Ken Davies
It's about 2,750 pounds. No, it's about 200... Well, £29,000 is about $4,500. Good we've
00:09:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. No, that's wrong then, isn't it?
00:09:08
Ken Davies
got those media tickets in it. Did not get yours?
00:09:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
No. £3,500 in dollars is what?
00:09:13
Ken Davies
All right.
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so £4,500 to $5,000, yeah. It will cost, if you are an England supporter, roughly. Good job thatre not going to get to the final then, eh?
00:09:24
Ken Davies
who you got those media tickets and
00:09:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, yeah, all the freebies that Ken's...
00:09:27
Ken Davies
you know that you
00:09:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, yeah, I got mine. Well, no, to be fair, I gave mine back. I didn't i didn't want to because I'm sitting with Donald and Gianni in their seats.
00:09:33
Ken Davies
Oh, right.
00:09:35
Ken Davies
Oh, fair enough then.
00:09:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, how it is. So, yeah, ticket prices, again, causing a little bit of concern, people moaning about they're expensive, but it is what it is. And guess what? Everybody will buy them and games will be sold out and people will go because that's what happens.
00:09:48
Ken Davies
Correct, correct, correct. And it'll be even it more expensive next time.
00:09:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
the Yeah, exactly. The official ball has been named this week and have been announced by FIFA. And the ball, what do you think the ball's called, Ken?
00:09:58
Ken Davies
Bobby the Bull. ah No, I don't.
00:09:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bobby the Ball. Exactly that. The official ball by FIFA has been announced and it's called, not Bobby the Ball, Triunda, which is a Spanish word meaning three waves.
00:10:11
Ken Davies
Right. Right. Okay. Yeah. And is it designed in those kind of three kind of things? Has got those panels and those kind of shapes or something?
00:10:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, it's just waves. So it's not even like a ball. It's just waves.
00:10:24
Ken Davies
Right.
00:10:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's got three colours, isn't it? Sorry, the word I was looking for was colour. It's three colours to represent the USA, Canada and Mexico.
00:10:35
Ken Davies
Exactly.
00:10:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
it it's It looks very nice, but ultimately it's football.
00:10:39
Ken Davies
Exactly.
00:10:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ultimately, it's football, like the last football and like every other football we kick around.
00:10:44
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:10:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah so But it looks very good. I do like the look of it. It's very colourful.
00:10:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's very nice.
00:10:47
Ken Davies
Is it as good as a Wembley Trophy, 1975?
00:10:50
Ken Davies
Orange with black paint.
00:10:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:10:54
Ken Davies
It's beautiful as that, opening that on a Christmas morning.
00:10:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:10:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I don't know. i probably wasn't born then.
00:11:00
Ken Davies
Fair enough. Okay. A few people.
00:11:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
was that was it Was it massive, like made out pigskin and leather with with laces on the top of it, like the old was?
00:11:02
Ken Davies
No.
00:11:06
Ken Davies
No. No, it was orange, rubber, black, but but it was a beautiful thing and it smelt of Christmas. Anyway, don't get me off of that.
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I thought the last thing that you got that was i thought the last thing you got was was orange and made out of rubber ah was something entirely different.
00:11:16
Ken Davies
Donald
00:11:20
Ken Davies
Trump. Right. Right.
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Something entirely different. Right, and what else going on in the news Kick-off time. So FIFA have announced that it's considering moving so some kick-off time to next year's Summer World Cup. to the early hours of the morning UK time, but but obviously it will affect you around the world, essentially moving everything on a few hours because of the extreme heat in the UK. Now, this is something you and I, Ken,
Potential Changes in World Cup Scheduling
00:11:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
talked a lot about, a lot about in summer. And we urged, did did we not?
00:11:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
We urged FIFA to move the kickoff times, to get out of the extreme heat. in the hottest times in the afternoon because players and supporters and everybody was complaining and it was too hot for players to play, too hot for supporters to watch. So it looks like they've listened to you, Ken, particularly, I'm sure.
00:12:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they're going move to us.
00:12:05
Ken Davies
and If they really listen to me, they'll ban extra time.
00:12:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're not listening to you at all. So what we found, really interestingly, this is such an English thing, by the way, What's happened over here is it was announced that some kickoff times might be midnight in the UK.
00:12:23
Ken Davies
Yes, sir.
00:12:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
So currently, right, so let me take a step back. So currently kickoff times are expected to be 5 p.m. UK time, 8, 11 p.m. yeah and 2 a.m. and And thinking of moving some of those back.
00:12:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
So predictably, very predictably, The first story that hit the media after this were after this was announced is that pubs are now going to be open a ah lot longer during the night so that so that people can watch the games.
00:12:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
um it's It's the English culture, isn't it? The first thing, right, what time is the football and is the pub open?
00:12:59
Ken Davies
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it is, but it's going to be a bit weird sitting in the pub at half past three in the morning cheering them on, though.
00:13:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
It will, but you can just go straight to work though, can't you? That'd be a good thing.
00:13:09
Ken Davies
Imagine, imagine the walkie shape after that.
00:13:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
is know.
00:13:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be carnage.
00:13:13
Ken Davies
Oh, dear.
00:13:14
Ken Davies
I know.
00:13:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be carnage. But it's good to see that they are they are adapting. Player welfare is very, very important. And we want we want a good competition. we want players to be safe. We want spectators to be safe. And I think it's a good thing that they are moving kick-off times. And then very lastly, very lastly, England scored out today, Ken.
00:13:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
no Jude Bellingham, no Grealish, no Adam Wharton.
00:13:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Out of those three, the worst um the the least surprised I about Bellingham. I didn't think he was going to get in it. I was quite surprised about Grealish, given the form that he's been in. And I'm very perturbed, very perturbed, that no there's no Adam Wharton.
00:13:39
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:13:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't understand. that's the but That's the one I don't understand. Bellingham, you can understand. Grealish, you can kind of understand. Wharton, you cannot understand in any way, shape or form.
00:14:01
Ken Davies
No, I'm on spot.
00:14:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because he's been playing and ah he's been playing ah central role in the Crystal Palace side in the Premier League that is absolutely flying.
00:14:08
Ken Davies
tear
00:14:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he's a great player.
00:14:10
Ken Davies
tearing the league apart yeah that I mean I don't know what he has to do to be quite honest I quite understand the other two who have been off I mean Grievous has been playing great but i mean it's I'd like to see a bit more of it before he gets makes it into the England team I don't think he's that great at international level but ah yeah I'd like to see Wharton in the team think that makes a lot of sense
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I know I would. I would. The whole Bellingham thing
Controversial England Squad Selections
00:14:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
is a bit of a funny one because the, yeah I mean, Tom Suckel has been forced to kind of come out and say today that, oh, there's no feud and there's nothing there.
00:14:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah there's There's just a backdrop of Bellingham that just feel that they don't really get on very well. it's a bit of It's a bit of a funny one. and More importantly than that, Ken, on a very hyper-local level to you and I,
00:14:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Derby County's Patrick Agjeman, who's our new striker that we love and adore, has been called up to the US s men's national team squad. So I'm very happy about it.
00:15:01
Ken Davies
Very good. Very good. I just hope he learns to run straight and keep his feet and find the net.
00:15:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm very pleased for him. I think he's...
00:15:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he did fall over quite a lot last week, didn't he?
00:15:08
Ken Davies
So far, there's no evidence of that from Derby County at the moment. But I'm sure...
00:15:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah no i thought he played I thought he played well the other night. In the face of, in the face of and American supporters, if you're in the US listening to this, obviously Adjaman has signed for my team and sort of Ken's half team, Derby County.
00:15:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we're watching him every week. He's just come into the team. He had a hernia up at the start the season. He's just come into the team. And he's a little bit like Bambi on ice. And he's a little bit what we might call raw. But there's there's you can see there's stacks of potential.
00:15:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
And when we played on Tuesday night against Charlton in a rather disappointing draw, But you can see that he he can hold the ball up well. He's strong. He's quick. He really looks to attack at all all times. His first thought is get the ball down and kind of go forward.
00:15:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I really like him. And I think that, yeah, he'll but he'll play tomorrow.
00:15:53
Ken Davies
I'm looking forward to seeing him tomorrow, to be honest.
00:15:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I certainly silly hope he does. And we'll see how he develops. But there we go.
00:16:00
Ken Davies
so
00:16:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that is your World Cup news for this week. Let's get into Uruguay then. Let's get into Uruguay. And to kick us off, as we always do, just a bit of context to where we are at the moment. And Ken, you're going to bring us a little bit of history of Uruguay in the World Cup.
00:16:15
Ken Davies
Yeah, interesting, actually. I mean, Uruguay are one of the originals. fact, you could argue they are the original. In fact, when they ah had to woke up in twenty and not thirty the World Cup, which they won, they'd already...
00:16:31
Ken Davies
before that, won two equivalent of World Cups because the Olympic Committee decided in 24, I think it was 24 and 26 or 28, to have like ah essentially a World Cup for professional players.
00:16:49
Ken Davies
Uruguay won both of those. So when they started World Cup in 1930, they were the obvious choice because they were the best team in the world. And guess what? They won it. So they won the first one.
00:17:01
Ken Davies
They also won in 1950 in Brazil. ah And essentially, certainly in the early stages of South American football, they were the powerhouse.
00:17:13
Ken Davies
Just to put that into context, the first game they lost in the World Cup was in the semifinal of the 1954 match.
00:17:25
Ken Davies
welcome ninety fifty four World World Cup. Now, just an interesting question, Nick. They won the World Cup in 1950.
00:17:37
Ken Davies
They beat Brazil 2-1 in the final in a game that became known as that Maracanãzo, because it was played in the Maracanã Stadium. What do you reckon was the official crowd of that game?
00:17:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's played at the Maracona.
00:17:56
Ken Davies
it's
00:17:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think you're looking at World Cup final.
00:18:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think you're looking at something like about 170,000. I think there'll just be a massive, massive amount of people in the stadium.
00:18:08
Ken Davies
nowhere near 170,000. It was 173,850. now going give you that one. That was the official paid attendance.
00:18:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, so close. I was so close.
00:18:20
Ken Davies
yeah now i'm going to give you that one the that was the official paid attendance Loads of people went in without paying. The if unofficial estimate of the number of fans at that ground was over 220,000 people.
00:18:36
Ken Davies
and I mean, 220,000 people haven't watched Derby in about 10 years. That in one game, in one game, that's absolutely astonishing. So...
00:18:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
so you got So you had 173,000 who did pay for tickets and 30,000 Scousers who didn't. 47.
00:18:51
Ken Davies
fifty 47,000 Scousers that went over there to Uruguay.
00:18:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
point seven Yeah.
00:18:56
Ken Davies
Now, you know what's interesting?
00:18:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a joke about Liverpool fans, by the way, because they're renowned for like getting in the grounds without having buy tickets.
00:18:59
Ken Davies
Yeah, sorry about that.
00:19:02
Ken Davies
Don't go there. Right. that Now, you know what's interesting about Uruguay? Going full circle. So, obviously, they won it in 1930. They are the first team qualified for 2030.
00:19:16
Ken Davies
So, they're already qualified for the 2030 World Cup, even though it's not being played in Uruguay. Because they are, yeah, it's come up commemorative.
00:19:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
is that is that Is that because it's kind of anniversary thing?
00:19:27
Ken Davies
you were We're letting you into 2030. I couldn't believe that when I was doing the research. By the way, where's 2030 being played, by the way?
00:19:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's all over the place, isn't it? It's like it's Portugal, Spain and is it Morocco?
00:19:39
Ken Davies
It is.
00:19:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:40
Ken Davies
Well, you're on fire today. So it is. but But as well as those three teams will automatically be be qualified, so are Uruguay, which I thought was quite interesting.
00:19:51
Ken Davies
So actually, by the way, after their golden period of 1930 to 1950 and 1954, kind of went off the boil. They've had a couple of good... They've qualified 14 times in all. They're always qualifying.
00:20:04
Ken Davies
They had a fourth place in 1970 in the big ah famous Brazilian team that won that. They were fourth in 2010. Quarter-finalists in 2018 in Russia as well. So it's been patchy, but you remember that kind of golden generation that they had.
00:20:20
Ken Davies
I think it was like Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez and people like that.
00:20:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
be positive.
00:20:25
Ken Davies
and that They were a very good team in the 2010s. The form in qualifying for Conbermol or from Conbermol has been pretty good. They never really in any danger of not qualifying.
00:20:39
Ken Davies
Played 18, won 7, drawn 7, lost 4. They were ahead of Brazil. We finished in 5th place. Looking back over the last 10 games, as we tend to, Over 2024 and 2025.
00:20:51
Ken Davies
It's been okay. Played 10-1-3. Drawn 4. Lost 3. Losses to Argentina. No disgrace in that. ah Peru and Paraguay away. ah Victories against Colombia, Venezuela and Peru in the return match.
00:21:07
Ken Davies
It's not been a fantastic track record. it's i mean We all know Con Barmol is a pretty intense competition. So you have to be pretty decent at...
00:21:17
Ken Davies
To to do that, but they are ranked as we always finish with a good rank. Don't we over love rank? They're currently 15th They've always been a top 20 team really though. They did spend 2015 to 2020 in the top five So they've always been a right up there and But actually, at the start of the century, 1999, there was lowest 76th in the world.
00:21:49
Ken Davies
But since then, they but had a very rapid climb. So by 2012, so 12 years difference, 13 years difference, they went from 76th to 2nd.
00:22:01
Ken Davies
second I mean, that's a climb. Now, they've settled back down a little bit into the teens range, which it feels about right, finishing fourth in
Uruguay's Current FIFA Ranking and Team Strategy
00:22:11
Ken Davies
Convormont. So currently 15th, reasonable form, but a fascinating history.
00:22:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
All
00:22:17
Ken Davies
So that's the kind of background of Uruguay.
00:22:27
Ken Davies
I think your mic's off, Nick.
00:22:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
right.
00:22:34
Ken Davies
It's not.
00:22:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it.
00:22:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I love that little beat drop halfway through. ah Okay, we're going to have a look at five key players then ah that are going to superstar for Uruguay. And one of are the joys of doing this podcast, people, one of the joys of doing this podcast is you look into these teams, you look into these countries, and you suddenly realise, oh, they're really good.
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've got some really good players. And players that you kind of know and appreciate and recognise, you might not know which countries they play for. And I kind of come across some players who you go, oh, God, no, ma'am, I didn't know he was Uruguayan.
00:23:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
No wonder they've been ranked second or third or fourth in recent years, even though, in um and are ranked 15th now. The 15th is not a bad world ranking at all. So we're going to pick out five players here. And as always, i always like to start with a goalkeeper. And the goalkeeper is Sergio Roche.
00:23:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's been the Uruguayan goalkeeper since 2022. He's been a regular in the sticks. He's got 34 caps, plays for Internacional in ah Braville in Serie A. During World Cup qualifying, had a good qualifying campaign. He's made 37 saves. He's only conceded eight goals.
00:23:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Impressive.
00:23:42
Ken Davies
Good.
00:23:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Impressive. An excellent shot stopper, very well known very wellknown for his leadership, but... He's not the quickest. So he doesn't play. He's a bit of an old-fashioned keeper. No sweeper-keeper here. you won't find him You won't find him rushing out of his goal playing you know playing like Edison or Allison or players like that.
00:24:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:24:01
Ken Davies
go Sweeper-keeper.
00:24:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, just straightforward goalie. Kick it at me, I will save it. Thank you very much. But don't ask me to do much of my feet. Yeah, I'm a bit like you.
00:24:10
Ken Davies
I like that.
00:24:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know, yeah, that's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:24:11
Ken Davies
I like that in a whole piece.
00:24:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah He's a goalkeeper. The heartbeat and the superstar of the Uruguayan team is undoubtedly Federico Valverde, who is widely considered to be one of the best midfielders in the world. Plays for Real Madrid. He's a defensive midfielder. He's 27 years old, so very much in his prime. In fact, he's been you he's been Madrid's most used player.
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Most used player in each of the past two seasons.
00:24:41
Ken Davies
Well, you don't get to be that, you, without being an absolute superstar?
00:24:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Heading up to past seasons.
00:24:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no exactly exactly that. ah Things aren't going so well for this season, though. There's a bit of an ongoing debate. So Madrid have got a bit of an injury crisis at right back. And there's a bit of an ongoing but debate about, essentially, should he fill in at right back? Because he can.
00:25:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he's made it very clear to all and sundry that he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to. And there's been a little bit of... There's friction going on, I think, between him and the manager and the supporters. He hasn't fitted into... Xavier Lonzo, isn't it, the manager now at Real? He hasn't fitted into his system or his style of play as well as he had done in the last couple of seasons. And there was a very very curious incident this week when Real were playing in a Champions League, whereby he did all the pre-match media...
00:25:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
but then didn't play. And that's very unusual. there's a kind of acceptance that if you do the pre-match media, you're going to be playing. He was named on the bench. Then when the team went, the subs started doing their warm-up, he was seen to spend most of it just walking around with his hands behind his back and not warming up.
00:25:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then he didn't get on the pitch at all. So, something going on there, mate.
00:26:00
Ken Davies
There is something going on there.
00:26:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Something going on there. But for Uruguay, he's a superstar. 71 caps and probably their most important player. ah Next up is ah a let's go, where should we go Let's go, let's go defence. Let's go defence.
00:26:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Ronald Araujo, Araujo, Araujo, I think is the way to pronounce it. 26 years old, he's defender at Barcelona.
00:26:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
He is ah rock solid. 24 caps for Uruguay. Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr., who's a player who we love very much on this podcast, has described him as the best defender I have ever faced.
00:26:37
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:26:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's very strong and he's very good. Sadly, the Barcelona fans don't think so at all. And he's been a regular target over the last couple of years for the Boo Boys.
00:26:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
um They're not convinced about his ability to defend and particularly in key moments of games. They are not ah totallyly totally ah taken by him.
00:27:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Last couple of days, there's been quite strong media links actually with Liverpool, with the transfer to Liverpool. We all know the state of the Liverpool defence, so they're probably going to be linked with every defender under the sun right now.
00:27:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
In fact, I'm expecting a call from Arnish Lott at any moment.
00:27:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But...
00:27:14
Ken Davies
I wouldn't be surprised.
00:27:15
Ken Davies
They're as porous as a sponge, aren't they, to be honest, at the moment.
00:27:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they are. So, you know, we might find we might find him turning up at Anfield at some stage. But again, good defender and plenty of experience and will no doubt feature for Uruguay next season.
00:27:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Playing alongside Valverde in defensive midfielder is my third player, fourth player, one, two, three, fourth player, ah Lucas Torreira, 29 years old, another DM, formerly of Arsenal, now playing at Galatasaray. And the reason he's in this week's list...
00:27:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
is because he was absolutely brilliant this week against Liverpool. He dismantled the he took on the Liverpool midfield single-handedly and dismantled them. He was so good.
00:27:55
Ken Davies
Very impressive.
00:27:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah he might not have made the list.
00:27:55
Ken Davies
Has galatasaray.
00:27:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Galatasaray were very, very, very good. and Yeah, he may not have made the list, I don't think, last week, but he was so good this week that I thought I'd put him in there.
00:28:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
105 caps for Uruguay. So, you know, yeah, very, very impressive. Interestingly, he comes from Freybentos, Ken.
00:28:17
Ken Davies
Yeah. Love, delicious.
00:28:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which is where the pi um' where the pie comes from.
00:28:20
Ken Davies
Delicious. Yeah, it is. And I haven't had a Freybentos for ages. They're wonderful.
00:28:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
either.
00:28:27
Ken Davies
We should have a Freybentos party when Uruguay will work
00:28:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
You see them. We should... They should, yeah. So Freybentos, for people who don't know this, is a pie that you find in a tin. It looks particularly unappetizing, but it was like one of those things, I think, certainly in the, what, in the 1980s when everything used to be...
00:28:43
Ken Davies
up. They'll be going years. Sixty...
00:28:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, but I think in their heyday, the heyday in the kind of 70s and 80s where our parents and grandparents used to sort of feed us lots of things that came out of a tin, which might explain quite a lot, I think.
00:28:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It might explain quite a lot.
00:29:00
Ken Davies
There's nothing wrong with Afray Bentos, I reckon if you buried Afray Bentos and went back to it 50 years later, you'd be it would be fine.
00:29:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:08
Ken Davies
but You know what?
00:29:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
The state pie was always good. I'm not going to lie.
00:29:09
Ken Davies
um
00:29:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
The state pie was always good. Anyway, I don't know whether Frey Bentos pie comes from Frey Bentos, but that's...
00:29:15
Ken Davies
Well, it's a bit of coincidence if it doesn't, isn't it?
00:29:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
good
00:29:17
Ken Davies
Let's to be honest.
00:29:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think that But I do know that's where Lucas Torreira comes from. Okay, and my final player then out of the five is our old friend, our old friend Darwin Nunes, who, yeah, I know, know.
00:29:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Funny lad, Darwin Nunes. He's very well known here in the UK for his rather opinion-splitting time, shall we say, in the Premier League, which some might say was joke
00:29:41
Ken Davies
Profit is the word that springs to mind.
00:29:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, profligate comical is another word ah that springs to the wind.
00:29:47
Ken Davies
Yeah. Wasteful.
00:29:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But just wasteful is another word, but equally brilliant on his day.
00:29:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brilliant on his day. Just when you don't expect it.
00:29:53
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:29:54
Ken Davies
We'll just wait for that day to...
00:29:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, mate, don't be so harsh. ah He'd come on and he would score a couple of goals out of absolutely nowhere. So he'd been at Liverpool for three years and he arrived there with a massive fanfare. Don't forget this.
00:30:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
He'd scored 34 goals in 41 games for Benfica, arrived at Anfield. Everybody thought, this is it. It was a record fee at the time, if I remember correctly. It was about £64 million. pounds And Liverpool had high hopes, but it just never it just never happened.
00:30:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Never happened for him.
00:30:25
Ken Davies
No.
00:30:26
Ken Davies
Never looked like that.
00:30:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he scored, what, 40 goals 143 games for Liverpool. forty three games to live no
00:30:34
Ken Davies
All do due respect to Benfica, if you're scoring goals in the Portuguese league, it is not the same.
00:30:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we have this chat regularly, don't we, on on the Daily Premier League podcast, which I'm about to do a shameless plug for because Ken and I do a Daily Premier League podcast, which is out every day.
00:30:44
Ken Davies
It's not the same.
00:30:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's really good. And we talk about Premier League stuff. And we talk about players. We chatted the other day about, because we were talking about Liverpool and Florian Verts, about how players can, know, coming to the Premier League, how hard is it?
00:31:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
even if you are a top, top, top, top player in wherever else you are. Because we're seeing lots of players come and quite a lot of them struggle when you don't expect them to. And Darwin Nunes was certainly one of those. And as Ken says, his stint very largely characterised by erratic finishing.
00:31:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Chaotic play and a lack of composure in front of goal. So Liverpool reorganised their front line this this summer and they wanted to spend a shed load, a shed load of money on Alexander Izak.
00:31:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah And in order to do that, they had to sell Darwin Nunes. They sold him to the Saudi pro league club Al Hilal for £46 million. pounds They made a, what, £20 million loss on him almost.
00:31:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, yeah, that's good luck to him. Good luck to him. Look, for Uruguay, though, he's done well. He scored 10 goals in the last 19 internationals. He's expected to play a lot in the Saudi. So if he has a good season there, he'll come in to the World Cup next season on fire, mate.
00:31:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
You don't look at all convinced by that, do you?
00:32:01
Ken Davies
I'm far from convinced. And I've had look at the formations over the last couple of couple of games. And i've got a feeling he's he's missing out to, or he's losing out to, Aguirre. He seems to be the the the the recent addition under Bielsa.
00:32:14
Ken Davies
And I think they fancy Aguirre more than they fancy yeah Darwin Nunes.
00:32:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they may well be too fair. I had three three players here I was going to talk about, and Aguirre was one of them. Agarte at Man U was one of them, and Ben Tenker at Tottenham was the other one.
00:32:23
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:32:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, too fair.
00:32:25
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:32:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can only do five. and I chose Nunes because he's a good talking point.
00:32:30
Ken Davies
He is a good talking boy and he's a good player on his day, but he's just at that day and he comes back once every year. As we know, by the way, and as Marcello Bielsa knows, as we're about to talk about, it pays to get your team right.
00:32:45
Ken Davies
paid to get your team selection right. Here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time, a lot of time, selecting our delivery partner. We chose Zencastr because Zencastr makes it easy to bring your vision to life, share it with your audience, wherever they may be.
00:32:58
Ken Davies
With 4K video recording, easy AI editing, and top-tier distribution tools, all in one place. And that's the key thing. It's all on one platform. If you've got a story to tell, tell it with Zencastr. Check the show notes for more details.
00:33:11
Ken Davies
You'll be very pleased you did.
00:33:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we've talked about a little bit around some key players and we've touched on a couple outside of the five that I've picked. How do they line up, Ken? What sort of formation are we to expect from Marcelo Bielsa and his Uruguay team? I presume it's the same formation that he's played everywhere else he's been.
00:33:30
Ken Davies
Well, interesting. ah Generally, yes. and The answer to that is, well, I do.
00:33:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah You don't know the answer to that, do you? You don't know. That was a...
00:33:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you? Okay.
00:33:39
Ken Davies
do.
00:33:40
Ken Davies
He's always a 4-3-3 merchant, Bielsa. And guess what? Uruguay traditionally played a 4-3-3. Looked over the last four five games terms of their setup is, it's 4-3-3.
00:33:52
Ken Davies
Apart from one, one dabble, into 4-2-3-1 territory in the 2-0 victory at home against Venezuela. Aguirre leading the line in the last few games.
00:34:07
Ken Davies
And the acid test on this, in terms of formation, I think, is what does a team look like against the best teams in the world? And, of course, they played Argentina away. Doesn't get much harder than that, which they lost 1-0, by the way.
00:34:19
Ken Davies
He played a 4-3-3. So I think we can, with confidence, say, The Marcello Bielsa will be playing a 4-3-3 in World in the well
00:34:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, excellent, excellent. Right, we're going to move on. And before we move on to everybody's favourite time of the week, which is, of course, Kenny's quiz. Ken, I'm keen to get a sense from you. I'm keen to get your opinion on this because there's we talked last week around what's going on with Israel and a kind of growing...
00:34:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
lobby within UEFA and the UEFA countries in Europe to have Israel suspended from the World Cup. Now, there's been a bit of movement on this this week. Gianni Infantino and FIFA have come out and said, look, it's not for FIFA to get involved in geopolitical discussions when it comes to football.
00:35:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
and it's up to UEFA kind of to decide. UEFA, there's lots of talks going on behind the scenes about this, we believe, but nothing official yet.
00:35:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
We don't know where they're going to have a meeting yet or where they have formal it's going to be. Of course, this is against the backdrop of a proposed peace deal in the Middle East, and ah that's what's being driven by Donald Trump in America.
00:35:27
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:35:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it may well be that that everybody's just sitting and waiting to see how that pans out before taking this discussion any further. um Ken, we've had a couple of letters in and or emails in from people about this, asking whether Israel should take place.
00:35:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
So look, we've had these comments from Infantino this week. Is that, and essentially, it was it felt to me like very much a buck-passing exercise in as much as, look, FIFA banned teams and countries before, but we know how tight Infantina is with America and Donald Trump.
00:36:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
He wouldn't want to upset Trump, who's a big supporter of Israel, by taking any action directly. And by saying that, oh, you know what, it's got nothing to do with me, it's up to UEFA, is that passing the buck or or is he right?
00:36:21
Ken Davies
oh Well, I think we've got to remember that the FIFA is quite a decentralized structure. ah the the the various elements of FIFA, UEFA, and ComboMOL, and CAF, and all those things, do have quite a lot of decision-making power within the FIFA structure and organization.
00:36:43
Ken Davies
So, in one sense, Infantino is right to respect the independence of the individual regions, if you like, to to make decisions that that specifically affect that region.
00:36:58
Ken Davies
So I do get, I kind of get that. I can i can i couldn't understand that. that I think, though, what I was less enamored by was this statement that yeah FIFA can't solve geopolitical issues.
00:37:20
Ken Davies
No one's expecting FIFA to solve the geopolitical issue. But I think it's wrong and I think it's weak to say FIFA can't express geopolitical.
00:37:37
Ken Davies
an opinion on geopolitical issues. Because as we've seen, you know when when countries are beyond the pale, to put it that way, in terms of the way they're acting or their political actions, FIFA quite often has expressed an opinion, fact, gone further than that, and actually made their participation in and world football impossible, South Africa, for example, back in the day.
00:38:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
back in the day.
00:38:07
Ken Davies
So I think from from Russia currently.
00:38:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah well well russia russia currently. russia currently
00:38:13
Ken Davies
Yeah, exactly right. So I think... Infantino is playing a political game here because ah I think that is the message that Trump would have wanted him to point out and say, actually, leave the politics of the politicians. Let's concentrate on the football.
00:38:30
Ken Davies
It's a bit naive, I think, as ah as a ah so as a statement or as a position. But I think we can't forget you know where the World Cup is going to be played. I think there is quite a lot of political pressure from America on Infantino at FIFA just to...
00:38:46
Ken Davies
don't do anything that is going to destabilize the situation, which, you know, essentially, I think they've got hopes, might be able to get to move move forward. Now, you know, whether whether that hope is justified or not is another matter.
00:39:01
Ken Davies
But i think I think it's quite a political statement by Infantino.
00:39:06
Ken Davies
But i think it's I think it's a slightly weak one. that was That is what I would say.
00:39:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree that I'd imagine there's a lot of pressure from the US government on Infantino not to rock the boat at a time when they're trying to get a peace deal over the line in that part of the world.
00:39:17
Ken Davies
Yes.
00:39:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think we'll see the same from UEFA. They'll just sit and wait and see how this plays out. But it's very interesting to see that if there is pressure from America and FIFA, sorry, pressure from America on FIFA not to disclude Israel, not to suspend them, yet there's massive pressure on UEFA from its member countries to suspend Israel, what's going to happen? Because that that means there's a massive disconnect between UEFA and FIFA.
00:39:52
Ken Davies
Yeah, my money would be on FIFA ah winning the argument.
00:39:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we'll see. We'll see where that plays out. It's a very interesting talking point and it will it will rumble on.
00:40:00
Ken Davies
Yeah, it is.
00:40:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
and many It may look it may may now just be off the agenda for quite a few weeks as we see how the political side in Israel and Gaza plays out.
00:40:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it is something that no doubt, a decision has to be made at some stage and we'll wait and see what that decision is.
00:40:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's all new, all new music for everybody's favorite time of the week. It's Kenny's quiz.
00:40:45
Ken Davies
I'm ready. I'm ready. Excited.
00:40:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Did you enjoy that? Because you've you've been moaning at me for months and months and months about intro music to Kenny's quiz.
00:40:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I've got new music for you now.
00:40:51
Ken Davies
It was the worst.
00:40:52
Ken Davies
It was the worst music I've ever heard.
00:40:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you prefer that?
00:40:55
Ken Davies
Yeah. Much prefer it. Thank you.
00:40:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, well, we'll make that the new music for Kenny's quiz.
00:41:00
Ken Davies
Excellent.
00:41:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
New music, but same old, same old, is everybody's favorite time of the
00:41:03
Ken Davies
Yeah, it's not a great performance, I'm afraid, but at least...
00:41:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we'll see. We'll see.
00:41:06
Ken Davies
i least
00:41:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Play along at home. Play along at home, everybody. Ken's looking particularly cool with his pipe in his mouth, sucking sucking furiously the Freybentos, which is loaded into it.
00:41:14
Ken Davies
Frey bentos.
00:41:18
Ken Davies
Mmm, delicious.
00:41:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah um I wonder if you can get steak and ale pie-flavoured tobacco to put in your pipe.
00:41:22
Ken Davies
I'll
00:41:27
Ken Davies
ah tell you what about frey bentos is so have to go back onto it. There was an umami, umami flavour. You know the umami flavour now that everyone keeps going on about.
00:41:38
Ken Davies
It is...
00:41:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've never heard that. What's that? What's that?
00:41:39
Ken Davies
It's that meaty, salty, glutamate, Montessori and glutamate kind of taste that is a big... People talk about it a lot now. It's it's the sixth or fifth taste that's been classified like sour, sweet, all that. There's umami.
00:41:57
Ken Davies
In fact, if you could put umami in a tin, you'd end up with fray bentos.
00:42:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:42:04
Ken Davies
FYI.
00:42:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very good. Yeah, so two bits of two bits of update for you. First of all, the the game where children stand still where the musical when the music stops that neither of us can remember the name of is it called Musical Statues.
00:42:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And that's right.
00:42:18
Ken Davies
That's
00:42:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the second bit is Freybentos Pies do indeed originate from the town of Freybentos in Uruguay, which is home of the Liebig extract of meat companies. That doesn't sound right.
00:42:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, there's a factory there that produced tin meats and later and pies for export to the UK. So there you
00:42:37
Ken Davies
I mean, food are the gods, to be honest.
00:42:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, nothing wrong with Right, Kenny's quiz, people.
00:42:41
Ken Davies
Louis Suarez used to able to bite all the way through him, including the tin.
00:42:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
You can just bite could just bite the tin, yeah, just eat it.
00:42:46
Ken Davies
I'm all right.
00:42:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm not going to open the tin, I'll pick it. I'm just going to eat the tin. Like Jaws out of the out of the James Bond Do you remember Jaws out of James Bond?
00:42:52
Ken Davies
yeah
00:42:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's massive metal teeth.
00:42:56
Ken Davies
Wow. who
00:42:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
He could open a fray bentos pie. Jaws could, like a good one. Right, Kenny's quiz. ah My inspiration this week has come from all around. Three questions about Uruguay. Do join in, shout the answer out at home. to your mobile phone or whatever device you're listening to this on.
00:43:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the first question revolves around a quote that's been taken directly from the FIFA website when I was when i was looking at Uruguay. And it is this.
00:43:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Marcello Bielsa. Marcello Bielsa? Marcello Bielsa?
00:43:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is it Marcello or Marcello?
00:43:26
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:43:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
think it's Marcello. It is Marcello. Marcello Bielsa loathes defensive football like Uruguayans loathe foreigners stirring Yerba Mate with a bombilla. So my question to you, Ken, is what is a bombiglia?
00:43:27
Ken Davies
Marcello.
00:43:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
The quote from the FIFA website is, Marcello Bielsa loathes defensive football like Uruguayans loathe foreigners stirring Yeba Mate with a bombiglia. And I hope I pronounced Mate right.
00:43:55
Ken Davies
Yeah, well, I imagine it would be bombilia. Bombilia
00:44:03
Ken Davies
is a Spanish word, isn't it? So I would imagine there must be something you stir, Mate, with, which everybody else would traditionally do, but they'd never do it in Uruguay because it's it's ah it's just a it's never done.
00:44:22
Ken Davies
I suppose bombilia must be some kind of spoon.
00:44:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
what What is yerba mate?
00:44:29
Ken Davies
It's drink, isn't it?
00:44:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
What type of drink, though?
00:44:32
Ken Davies
Tea? Some kind tea?
00:44:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, OK. Well, you know what? It's Friday. I'm feeling in a generous mood.
00:44:40
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:44:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'm going to give you that. I'm give you that. A bombilia is a metal or cane straw with a filter at the end, which is used to drink yerba mate, which is a type of herbal tea.
00:44:55
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:44:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the filter at the end of the straw prevents the leaves from being sort of sucked up and sipped along with the liquid.
00:45:02
Ken Davies
Yeah, that makes sense.
00:45:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
And therefore, you're meant stir it because if you stir it, it disrupts the filtration system and the leaves get sucked up and you you end up with leaves in your mouth.
00:45:10
Ken Davies
I knew that. I knew that.
00:45:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
You didn't know any of that, and you said it was a spoon. But you did kind of talk before about stirring it, and you knew what the tea was. So it's good enough for me, mate.
00:45:18
Ken Davies
Hey, thanks. Come on, run.
00:45:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm in a very generous mood.
00:45:22
Ken Davies
Come on. Come on, roll now.
00:45:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I'm like VAR. I'm like VAR.
00:45:26
Ken Davies
no, you're not there. The game's kicked off.
00:45:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
didn't i i can never I can never make the same decision twice.
00:45:29
Ken Davies
game's kicked off again.
00:45:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wouldn't have given that last week, but i'm going to give it this week because that's what I'm doing.
00:45:32
Ken Davies
Thank you, mate. It's nice to get mes scale not off. Not often I get one out of one.
00:45:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, correct. And this is an easy this ah an easy one for you, this one, because I didn't think you were going to get that one. So I included an easy one. So between which two countries is Uruguay located?
00:45:49
Ken Davies
I'm presuming Brazil and Argentina.
00:46:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll tell you what, mate, there's one to go you could go.
00:46:01
Ken Davies
What?
00:46:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
You could get a full house for the first time ever.
00:46:04
Ken Davies
I
00:46:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are on episode 30 Road to World Cup 26 podcast. Ken's never got three out of three in Kenny's quiz.
00:46:11
Ken Davies
know, my pipe is shaking.
00:46:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I hope that's all.
00:46:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:46:14
Ken Davies
I'm not talking this one,
00:46:19
Ken Davies
are I? Well,
00:46:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think after all your surgeries, they're still there, to be honest with
00:46:24
Ken Davies
I wouldn't make it, to be honest.
00:46:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
um right question three let's see i hope you're doing well guys everybody out there who's listening to this i hope you've got two out two if not you've got a chance to redeem yourself if so you can get three out three you haven't here's a chance to redeem yourself what symbol can you find in the yellow sun in the uruguayan flag what symbol can you find in the yellow sun in the uruguay flag
00:46:43
Ken Davies
What symbol?
00:46:48
Ken Davies
I was banking on the fact you were going to ask me what was in the right-hand corner of the European flag. I actually knew that. But I don't, for the life of me, know what's in the circle.
00:47:01
Ken Davies
I mean, for some reason, I've got... you remember Teletubbies? And right there's that face in the sun.
00:47:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:47:09
Ken Davies
I've got a feeling it is face, though. um've got a feeling is a face though
00:47:16
Ken Davies
I can't be right though, can I? I'm going to say a face, a human face.
00:47:25
Ken Davies
Now I can't hear that, Nick. I don't know whether you've got that, and whether I've got that right or wrong. You have to tell me. Yay!
00:47:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
got it right.
00:47:33
Ken Davies
a
00:47:37
Ken Davies
ya
00:47:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a human face. it's it's It is. And it's I don't know um ah don't know what else you thought it was going to be. You know, you said at the start of that answer, oh, I know what's in the top right of the European. There isn't anything else.
00:47:52
Ken Davies
No, but i um I can picture the flag. I've not seen I never do any homework for these things. I can picture the flag with with the sun's rays coming out.
00:48:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:48:00
Ken Davies
But i didn't I thought for some reason it could be a shield.
00:48:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no, it's a human face. me it's human face
00:48:05
Ken Davies
Yeah, but I won't think you can.
00:48:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's red it's red and it's sorry It's blue and white stripes.
00:48:08
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:48:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then in the left-hand corner, it's ah it's a sun with a human face in it.
00:48:11
Ken Davies
Uruguay are my favourite FIFA World Cup team now, after that.
00:48:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to play this again because this has clearly changed your entire life.
00:48:20
Ken Davies
Yeah. Though I can't hear it, but it's still great.
00:48:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
so that's new music for Kenny's quiz. New music for Kenny's quiz.
00:48:32
Ken Davies
And it was
00:48:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's bought him unbelievable luck because he's got three out three. And I hope there's loads of them.
00:48:36
Ken Davies
it worked. There's no looking wrong. ah You used the word looking then, and it's not appropriate.
00:48:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
To be fair, I shouldn't. um I've learned my lesson here. I'm never going to be. i'm like I'm not going to give you and answer now that you get wrong. Because I shouldn't have given you Spoon because Spoon was the incorrect answer. So don't get too cocky.
00:48:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Before we move on to having a look at my channel, anybody else?
00:48:51
Ken Davies
to that. Thanks, Christopher.
00:48:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
A word, Kenny, if you would, from our sponsor.
00:48:57
Ken Davies
Yeah, I will gladly give you that um because I'm feeling very, very pleased myself. The Global Sports Podcast Network is partly with Bionique, the world's most personalized supplements because your body is unique. My body is certainly unique today because without knowing what deficiencies you have, taking off-the-shelf supplements might mean that you're not getting enough of the nutrients you need. You may be getting too many of the ones you don't need. So Bionique actually provides you 100% tailor-made supplements for you, designed deliver precisely what your individual body needs, exactly right level. So click the link on the show notes, use the code GSPN2025, you'll get an unbelievable 40%. said your first purchase.
00:49:40
Ken Davies
off your first purchase
00:49:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Okay, thank you very much indeed for that. Right, okay. We are going to finish the last bit of the podcast ah by doing two things. Firstly, having a look at the manager and then predicting where we think Uruguay will finish in the World Cup.
00:49:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Difficult prediction, I think, for this one. Very difficult prediction. But let me talk about, first of all, no don't why are you making that face?
00:50:00
Ken Davies
don't it's that difficult.
Marcelo Bielsa's Coaching Style and Predictions
00:50:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, I just thought you had constipation.
00:50:03
Ken Davies
Having said that, i'm I'm on a roll, aren't I? Nothing's difficult for me today.
00:50:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
you're on a roll. You've got to joke about that. You've got a very long running joke about about that, which which we're just not going to do now. Right. Okay. So we're going to have a look at the manager for ah for Uruguay. And it's my favourite manager.
00:50:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is, of course, the legendary Marcello Bielsa. And he's probably my favourite manager going into the World Cup next year.
00:50:32
Ken Davies
Why?
00:50:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's a guy we know well in the UK from his time at Leeds United. is high action.
00:50:37
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:50:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hi, Perez. Attack, attack, attack, attack, attack.
00:50:39
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:50:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
attack attack attack He's known as El Loco, which in in real terms is known as as the madman.
00:50:43
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:50:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he's just fabulous entertainment. He's fabulous entertainment. To the point where and when he arrived at Leeds, he ordered players to pick up the litter around the stadium for three hours to illustrate how long it took supporters to save up for a ticket, to work for a ticket.
00:51:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
He put his bed in the office at Ellen Road so he could sleep there because then he could work more. He would pour up to over 100 hours of video for every single game.
00:51:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not only that, and you remember this, Ken, he used to spy on teams. So there was a big, the spy gate was involving our team, well, my team anyway, not yours.
00:51:20
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:51:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah my team, Derby County, ah where a head of a game against Leeds United, we found somebody spying in the bushes at the training ground with a pair of binoculars. And it turned out it was one of the Leeds training staff.
00:51:38
Ken Davies
Absolute disgrace.
00:51:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
yes
00:51:39
Ken Davies
Absolute disgrace.
00:51:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, absolutely nuts.
00:51:40
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:51:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then it turns out that they did it for every game. So every single time you played Leeds, when you were training, Leeds would send one of their staff to break into stroke, well, maybe not break into, but certainly hide around the bushes at the entrance to your training complex and spy on you doing training.
00:51:59
Ken Davies
It is weird. He has got a mad professor aspect, air to him, hasn't he? he's kind of He's doing things the Bielsa way that no one else would consider to be sane often.
00:52:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, well, exactly that. But what a manager. what are what you the teams that he produces are absolutely absolutely fantastic.
00:52:21
Ken Davies
Did he have a bit of a reputation, though, for actually pushing his teams too hard?
00:52:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:52:26
Ken Davies
And therefore, they were great in the first half of the season and then fell off a cliff in the second half.
00:52:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was normally the last couple of months of season because he trained them so hard and he made them play so hard and it was run, run, run, run.
00:52:33
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:52:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
run Certainly when he's at Leeds, they suffered a little bit from that.
00:52:40
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:52:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
A little bit of burnout.
00:52:40
Ken Davies
Injuries and fatigue and all those good things.
00:52:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. so I mean, they did get to the playoffs under him, where they were very, very, very, very famously beaten by Derby County in an epic game at Ellen Road, and which is the first time the first time in the championship where a team had lost the first because we lost the first leg at home, and then got on to win the second leg to to get to the final.
00:52:47
Ken Davies
Oh, yeah.
00:52:54
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:53:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But it was a joy to watch. He's the second foreign manager to qualify Uruguay for the World Cup. ah The first being Juan Hoburg, who was also Argentinian manager in 1970.
00:53:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
But if he when he takes Uruguay to the World Cup next year, he will become the first manager... to qualify for the World Cup and manage the team at a tournament with a third different nation, which would be an extraordinary feat.
00:53:31
Ken Davies
wrong
00:53:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
So his qualifying has been good. He's played 29. He's won 15, drawn eight, lost six. I just think, I mean, he he would sit on his bucket, wouldn't he? would sit on his bucket ah on the touchline and everything about him is crackers. But the football that he played, I love him. I mean, Pep Guardiola once described him as the best coach in the world, if you remember that.
00:53:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that from Pep Guardiola is something else. Most, if I would say vast majority of players who play under him think he's unbelievably brilliant. And they, I've read loads of quotes this week when researching this from players who say, he's changed my game, he's developed my game, he's been the best coach I've ever worked for.
00:54:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Loads of players say that.
00:54:10
Ken Davies
yeah it's easy easy
00:54:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, some don't, some that he's bombed out don't. But he's a great manager. And I think he's one of those managers that adds so much to the game of football.
00:54:17
Ken Davies
He is, to me, like the footballing Einstein. He's kind of, you think there's a genius in there. But like many geniuses, he's, I think he's on...
00:54:31
Ken Davies
I was about say on the spectrum. I think he's got his very own spectrum. He's got a spectrum no one else is on. he's he's He's got that, just that genius, I'm going to do it my way, and it's very, very idiosyncratic.
00:54:44
Ken Davies
You won't seen anything like this before, but you know what? It works. And i the game, the sport, the world, needs more people like Marcello Bielsa.
00:54:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, it does. No, it does. It does.
00:54:57
Ken Davies
Make it more interesting.
00:55:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, i think I think it's great. I mean, look, ah so I mentioned a moment ago that Uruguay would be the third team he's taken to the World Cup. In case you're wondering which the other two were, it was Argentina in 2002 and then he was manager of Chile in 2010.
00:55:16
Ken Davies
It was you were a good team then.
00:55:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
They were a good team. Yeah, he's done well. He's done well wherever he's gone. So I'm very much looking forward to seeing a Marcelo Bielsa Uruguay at the World Cup next year. I think it could make waves.
00:55:29
Ken Davies
Interesting.
00:55:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, okay. So that's Bielsa and we can talk I think we'll be talking a lot more about him in the run-up to the World Cup. Next year, we're going to finish the podcast. It's been a long one today, mate, isn't it?
00:55:40
Ken Davies
Yes, good.
00:55:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
55 months.
00:55:41
Ken Davies
It's been entertaining though. And highlight, of course, who the three of three.
00:55:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe Zancaster in its magical editing thing can edit all the time. We're going to finish with our predictions. Ken, I'm going to come to you first. How do you think Uruguay are going to get on next year?
00:55:58
Ken Davies
I think they will not be quite the force that we might be talking this time in the sense of they finished fourth in the combo male qualification.
00:56:15
Ken Davies
It was okay, but ah it's it's not it's not magnificent. The last 10 games have been ah been okay, but they're not being fantastic.
00:56:26
Ken Davies
ah they've they've you know They've lost against you know Peru. They've lost against Paraguay. There's some good teams in South south America. There's some better teams than Uruguay, to be honest.
00:56:38
Ken Davies
I can think of three. ah South American teams are better than Uruguay. So therefore, they are going to be a dangerous opponent.
00:56:50
Ken Davies
I think there they're worthy of their 15th place in the world rankings, but I don't see them getting further than round of 16. Yeah,
00:57:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, you've done it again, mate. You've done it again. That's exactly why I've got them, round of 16.
00:57:07
Ken Davies
yeah i think that's right.
00:57:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
I initially thought about quarterfinals. I initially thought that.
00:57:11
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:57:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
and then And then exactly like you, I'm thinking, right, well, look, Argentina are better than them. Ecuador are better than them.
00:57:18
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:57:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm expecting Brazil to be better than they are now.
00:57:20
Ken Davies
Brazil are better than
00:57:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
who finished Who finished third in in qualifying?
00:57:23
Ken Davies
that.
00:57:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because Argentina finished top.
00:57:28
Ken Davies
I think it was.
00:57:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was Paraguay. Argentina finished top and Ecuador second.
00:57:33
Ken Davies
Ecuador, sir.
00:57:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let me just have a look to see you finished third. Yeah, no, Colombia finished third.
00:57:41
Ken Davies
Colombia. Colombia.
00:57:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
So three teams with a better World Cup qualifying campaigns. We are expecting, between you and I, Ken, we are expecting a strong South Americans showing, aren't we, next year? We've discussed this.
00:57:52
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:57:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
We think teams from South America and Central America should do very well just because climax, they're used to playing in that part of world.
00:57:55
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:58:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And of course, there are going to be the big hitters in Europe who are expected to do well and potentially potentially one or two from Asia who who might, you know, we talked about, they might surprise people. So,
00:58:00
Ken Davies
Mexico are good team.
00:58:10
Ken Davies
We talked about Morocco last week. I mean, they look a good team.
00:58:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly, yeah. So getting to the quarterfinals is going to be a real bun fight, and I can't quite see it. ah can't quite see it too much.
00:58:20
Ken Davies
I don't think they're top eight. I just don't think they're top eight. and Nothing in there in their qualification process would suggest that they are fourth best team fourth best team in in South America.
00:58:34
Ken Davies
Brazil are better than them and will be better than them. So, yeah, I think I'm fairly confident that it's around 16 for me.
00:58:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, okay. Yeah, I'm going to do exactly the same.
00:58:44
Ken Davies
I'm going to the group stages, okay, but I think I'll just come up to a better team at that point.
00:58:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
mean
00:58:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, for sure. Good. Well, that brings us to the end of this podcast. We've got it in in just under an hour, so that was a relief.
00:58:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we hope you've enjoyed it. Where should we go next week? Kenny?
00:58:57
Ken Davies
what
00:59:02
Ken Davies
oh I don't know. no do you fancy?
00:59:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we've got some qualifiers coming up. So ah some stage, in some stage, next two or three weeks, we're going to have to round up all the qualifiers because there's some very, very important games ah coming up.
00:59:09
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:59:17
Ken Davies
Yeah, I've run out.
00:59:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah your your Your country and my country are meeting next week, by the way, in ah in a friendly game, England versus Wales.
00:59:22
Ken Davies
Ignore your whales.
00:59:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, playing at Wembley on Thursday.
00:59:26
Ken Davies
Right. Well, good good luck to whales on that one.
00:59:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sponsored by the Alzheimer's Society, by the way, that game.
00:59:29
Ken Davies
but
00:59:32
Ken Davies
Really? Really?
00:59:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's loads of games in there.
00:59:34
Ken Davies
There's loads of gags. Yeah. Yeah.
00:59:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
its
00:59:37
Ken Davies
Yeah. It's...
00:59:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah i be again um' I'm a big fan of the outside society for ah for personal reasons so you're good for them and but yeah so we can where where we've got a couple of countries left to go have qualified so far right okay in okay so let's leave it because we've got nine seconds before ah we hit the hour mark so thank you very much indeed it'll be a surprise until then have a great weekend to everybody thanks Ken and look after yourselves look after each other goodbye
00:59:47
Ken Davies
ah Well, we have, but can't remember what they are. Because...
00:59:54
Ken Davies
It'll be a surprise. It'll be a surprise.
01:00:01
Ken Davies
See soon.