For Roger Bennett, Soccer’s ‘A Pleasure that Hurts’

What this episode covers

The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup officially kicks off this week and for the first time it will be hosted by three countries across North America. First, we preview the epic tournament with global soccer reporter Meg Swanick to learn what we can expect from this year's Cup, the key players to watch, and which country is likely to take home the title. Then, we’ll sit down with one of the most influential voices in sports, a man who’s been at the forefront of bringing soccer to American audiences. Roger Bennett is a British-American journalist and founder of Men In Blazers, the largest independent soccer media network in North America. We’ll hear about his latest book, We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Sporting Event, where he shares his favorite memories from World Cups past and the ways soccer tournaments can help unite a divided world. Show Notes We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Sporting Event | Roger Bennett Check out the Men in Blazers Podcast  A World Cup for a continent that’s falling apart | POLITICO From national pride to fascism: how countries have used the World Cup to build identity | The Guardian The Swan Dive with Megan Swanick on Substack Show Credits Host: David Greene Executive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom Grahsler Senior Producer: Michael Olcott Producer: Michaela Winberg Associate Producer: Bibiana Correa Talent Booker: Britt Kahn Engineers: Mike Villers, Charlie Kaier Tile Art: Bea Walling Theme Song: Emma Munger Sports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network