The Golden Boot Podcast

In this episode, Chris and J.P. discuss the FIFA The Best Awards for men's and women's football, Erling Haaland's contract situation at Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona's improvement under Xavi, and Aston Villa's exciting transfer window.

In the final segment of his five-part capstone project, Christopher Williams combines research and interviews with fans, journalists, marketers, professors, and content creators to answer the following the questions: why is soccer only just becoming so popular in the United States, and what can Americans do to continue to develop the country's passion for it? With insight from renowned American soccer journalist Grant Wahl, Emerson College sports communication professor Chris Toronyi, and avid soccer supports, Williams analyzes the impact exposure has had on soccer's popularity and how U.S. soccer can benefit from grassroots community relations, fan clubs, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): "Good Times" by SENSHO License code: KLTGR1ZDFWDTPYHD

Atlanta United has one of the most passionate fan bases in Major League Soccer, and it holds one of the largest average audiences in world soccer. How did a club that was only founded in 2017 become the epicenter of soccer's growth in America? Christopher Williams spoke to Atlanta United season ticket holder Will Dean about how the club engages with the community. Dean explains that the club's Station Soccer program is one of the many ways Atlanta United is growing the game in Atlanta and creating new fans.

Following the purchase of Newcastle United by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, JP, Chris, and Sam discuss the reasons and effects of the purchase on English football. All three hosts also discuss the Ballon D'or 30 man shortlist and give their Top 5, as well as answering the biggest question of all: Why is Jorginho on it?

Chris and J.P. discuss the differences between Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United and Lionel Messi at PSG after their first games at their new clubs. They also break down Barcelona's catastrophic start to the season under Ronald Koeman, and they debate about the futures of Koeman at Barcelona, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United, Mauricio Pochettino at PSG, and Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. are joined by Sam DeCoste and Jaime Vega to preview the 2021-22 Premier League season. Each person provides their view of certain teams' business in the summer transfer window, and they predict  which teams will finish in the top four, who will be the top scorer, who will be the player of the season, and who will be the player to look out for.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. are joined by Sam DeCoste to discuss Lionel Messi officially completing his move to Paris Saint-Germain. They  explain how they think he'll fit in the team and their expectations for PSG in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. They also discuss how they think FC Barcelona will do this season in the post-Messi era.

In this episode, Chris is joined by Sam DeCoste to discuss FC Barcelona's announcement that Lionel Messi will leave the club this summer. They explain how the club go itself into this situation, and Chris explains his theory that Barça is bluffing to put pressure on LaLiga to expand its salary cap. In the case that Messi does leave the club this summer, Chris and Sam brainstorm possible destinations for him, and they describe how grateful they were to have seen Messi play in person for Barça.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. are joined by Argentina fan Sam DeCoste to discuss the Copa America and EURO 2020 Finals as well as their favorite moments from each tournament. They also discuss Gareth Southgate's future as England manager, what the future holds for Italy and Argentina, and who their early favorites are to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. recap the quarterfinals and semifinals of EURO 2020. They also preview the final between England and Italy, and they give their thoughts and predictions about the match.

In the episode, Chris and J.P. are joined by Colombia and COMNEBOL fan Manuel Palau to discuss the Copa America quarterfinals and semifinals. The three of them then preview Saturday's final between Brazil and Argentina and predict who they think will take the trophy home.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. recap the Group Stage of the Copa America and preview the quarterfinal matchups of Peru vs. Paraguay, Brazil vs. Chile, Uruguay vs. Colombia, and Argentina vs. Ecuador. They also predict which teams will advance to the semifinals of the tournament.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. recap the EURO 2020 Round of 16 and preview the quarterfinal matchups of Spain vs. Switzerland, Belgium vs. Italy, Denmark vs. Czech Republic, and England vs. Ukraine. They also predict which teams they believe will advance to compete in the semifinals.

In an episode that was recorded prior to the start of the tournament, Chris and J.P. predict the winners of the Group Stages of EURO 2020. With the Round of 16 now underway, tune in to see which host got the most predictions right. Both hosts also predict the winners of the tournament.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. recap how the season finished in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Primeira Liga, and Liga MX. They also give their thoughts about the UEFA Champions League and Europa League finals.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. break down the standings in each of Europe's top five leagues heading into the final match day of the season. They discuss Alisson saving Liverpool's Champions League hopes with a last-minute header, Chelsea and Leicester battling for top four, Lewandowski tying Gerd Müller's goal record for a single season, the battle for LaLiga's crown, and race for Champions League spots in Serie A.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. discuss Manchester City vs. Chelsea in the Premier League and Champions League final, Edinson Cavani's new contract with Manchester United, the four-team LaLiga title race, the possibility of Juventus playing in Serie B and the Europa League, Neymar's new contract with PSG, and much more.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. host a forum for Premier League fans whose clubs were involved in the European Super League. They are joined by Frankie Rowley (Liverpool), Birk Buchen (Chelsea), Camilo Fonseca (Arsenal), and Andrew Lin (Tottenham), and together they discuss their opinions of their clubs' owners, the future of ownership in football, and the consequences each club should face for joining the Super League.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. react to Sunday's news of the creation of the European Super League by 12 of the biggest clubs in the world. Safe to say, they weren't pleased.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. create their own starting elevens composed of who they view as the top players under the age of 23 throughout the world. The only caveat: they weren't allowed use Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe, which made for a substantially tougher task, but made the squad selections significantly more interesting.

Chris and J.P. return to recording via Zoom while quarantining due to COVID-19 (apologies for the technical difficulties with the audio). In this episode, they discuss Jesse Lingard's incredible form, Inter Milan walking away with the Serie A title, the close title race in Ligue 1, Bayern falling to PSG in the Champions League, Real Madrid exposing Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive mistakes, Dortmund being robbed of a draw against Manchester City, and Manchester United defeating Granada.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. go head-to-head and compare their individual all-time best starting elevens. Some players overlapped on both teams, while other choices promoted heavy discussion between the co-hosts. Did your favorite players make their lists? Listen to find out!

In this episode, Chris and J.P. are joined by Cade Bandera for an interview to discuss his role as a Community Brand Liaison for Major League Soccer's newest franchise, Austin FC. They discuss how Cade got involved with the club, the job of a Community Brand Liaison, Austin FC's background, how Austin has reacted to the club, how Austin and other parts of Texas are creating a fan culture for the team, and Cade's expectations for the club's inaugural season.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. discuss the Manchester Derby, Liverpool's loss to Fulham, Gareth Bale's impressive form, Der Klassiker, Dortmund advancing and Juventus and Cristiano Ronaldo crashing out of the Champions League, Barcelona's new club president, and Joachim Löw's announcing he will leave Die Mannschaft.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. are joined by special guests Declan, an Everton supporter, and Jaime, a Chelsea fan, to discuss their teams' seasons thus far; the title races in the Bundesliga, La Liga, and Serie A; Manchester United drawing AC Milan in the Europa League; Bartomeu being arrested and Barcagate; and predictions for the Champions League.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. discuss if the Haaland vs. Mbappe rivalry is the new Messi vs. Ronaldo rivalry, the future of Liverpool, Hudson-Odoi's controversial substitution, Everton's historic Merseyside Derby win, the first leg of the Europa League Round of 32, and the future of Barcelona and Messi.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. discuss Martin Ødegaard's loan move to Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Tigres playing in the FIFA Club World Cup, Manchester City running away with the Premier League, Jürgen Klopp's behavior as Liverpool derails, Sergio Ramos' transfer saga, Real Madrid's struggles, Lionel Messi's leaked contract, and Borussia Dortmund crashing in the Bundesliga. We also thank all of you for making us the 110th most-streamed soccer podcast in the United States on Apple Podcasts this past month!

In this episode, former President of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Sunil Gulati, joins Chris and J.P. for an exclusive interview to discuss his tenure as U.S. Soccer President, America's youth soccer system, the success of the USWNT, and the promising future for MLS and the U.S. Soccer.

In this episode, Chris and JP discuss the Premier League results playing into Manchester United's favor, AC Milan taking control in Serie A, Santos' statement regarding Messi beating Pele's goalscoring record, and the Globe Soccer Awards winners. We also hold a special awards ceremony for our 2020 football awards.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. discuss Manchester United challenging Liverpool in the title race, Bayern ending the year strongly, the fastest goal in Serie A history, Messi breaking Pele's goalscoring record for a single club, USMNT players facing off in La Liga, Americans on the move to major European clubs, and the upcoming must-see matches of the week.

In today's episode, Chris and J.P. discuss the current 10+ club Premier League title race, updates in the Bundesliga, Serie A, and La Liga, UEFA Champions League and Europa League draws, The Best FIFA Football Awards, León's Liga MX championship, and Columbus Crew's MLS Cup title.

In today's episode, Chris and J.P. talk about the latest results in the EPL, Bundesliga, and Spain. As well as wrapping up the Champions League group stage. They weigh in on the Messi vs CR7 debate, and the future of Arsenal and ManU.

In this episode, Chris and J.P. talk about all the recent Champions League Games. From Leipzig’s late winner against Istanbul to Liverpool’s temporary goalkeeper. As well as their predictions for UEFA Team of 2020 and the addition of MLS and Liga MX.

In this special segment, Chris and J.P. discuss their individual football backgrounds. Chris talks about his English heritage, unique opportunity to train under Manchester United coaches, and trip to Iceland during Euro 2016, and J.P. discusses growing up in the U.S. and Mexico, his passion for Cruz Azul and Bayern Munich, the impact Argentinian football had on him, and being family friends with former U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati.

In part two of this special segment, Chris and J.P. discuss the rest of their football-related trips while studying abroad in the Netherlands last spring. The two recap their trip to Manchester to see Manchester United vs. Club Brugge, J.P.'s trip to Scotland, and Chris' trip to Liverpool to see United vs. Everton.

Chris and J.P. break down Tuesday's UEFA Champions League Group Stage results, which saw Real Madrid continue to struggle and underdogs Shakhtar Donetsk take command of Group B, and they predict the outcomes of Wednesday's matches. J.P. also dives into his fantasy team's performance (spoiler: it's not doing too hot).

In part one of this special segment, Chris and J.P. discuss some of their football-related trips while studying abroad in the Netherlands last spring. The two recap Ajax vs. PSV in Amsterdam, their trip to Prague, experiences with Roma and Lazio in Rome, and seeing Lionel Messi score four goals vs. Eibar at Camp Nou.

Chris and J.P. discuss the UEFA Nations League matches from the weekend, such as Portugal vs. France, the Netherlands' uncharacteristic start under new boss Frank De Boer, the COMNEBOL World Cup Qualifiers, Cristiano Ronaldo's positive COVID-19 test result, and predict the upcoming Nations League and Champions League matches.

Chris and J.P. discuss Aston Villa's thrashing of Liverpool, Manchester United's state of turmoil, deadline day transfers, Champions League groups, and preview this weekend's biggest matches—the Merseyside Derby, Milan Derby,  and Villa vs. Leicester.

Chris and J.P. discuss last week's routings of Manchester City and Bayern, the new handball rule, Manchester United's transfer rumors, and predict the upcoming UEFA Awards and weekend's biggest matches.