Remember the Blue & Yellow: Soccer, War, and the Pride of a Nation

No team has ever faced a more impossible task than the Ukrainian Men’s National Soccer Team. On Feb. 23, the team was a month away from playing Scotland, with a trip to the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the line. The following day, their lives and the lives of their countrymen were changed forever when Russia invaded Ukraine, with catastrophic results. Many thousands have died, millions have been displaced, and incalculable damage has been done to Ukraine’s towns and cities. It’s against this backdrop that manager Oleksandr Petrakov and his players embarked on a journey to qualify for the World Cup. Wright Thompson followed the team over the last six months, in nine different countries, including the embattled Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as the Ukrainians showed the world their country’s enduring spirit and commitment, and how crisis and conflict revealed their true character. It’s the subject of the latest E60 special: “Remember the Blue & Yellow” which debuts this Sunday at 5:30 pm ET. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices