I’ve been looking forward to writing this article for a long time. Soccer (or football, depending on where you’re from) is my favorite sport. Well, it’s been the sport I’ve loved the longest anyway.
Soccer, like any sport, has a bunch of great podcast options for fans. In this article, we’ll look at our picks for the best soccer podcast.
Note: If you’re a soccer fan, you’ll probably notice that I haven’t gone with all of the super-obvious choices here. These are just the ones that I think are the best!
Table of Contents
TIFO Football Podcast: Best Soccer Podcast
TIFO Football Podcast is my pick for the best soccer podcast out there at the moment.
I find that soccer podcasts do one of two things well:
- Give an enjoyable listening experience.
- Look at the x’s and o’s of the game.
TIFO stands with a foot on each side, which is very refreshing. Sure, they take more of a focus on the data and analytical side of the game, but you don’t need to be heavily into stats and data to understand what’s going on.
TIFO started as a YouTube channel and has been incredibly popular. If you’re a soccer fan, you’ve probably seen one of their videos before. Here is one of my favorites.
The podcast also has great guests from all parts of the game. I find it really interesting when they have coaches on to talk tactics and how coaches make their decisions.
They’ve recently joined forces with The Athletic, which should mean they’re in for a big future.
You can listen on any podcast app or with The Athletic.
Men In Blazers: Best Comedy Soccer Podcast
Men In Blazers is arguably the biggest Soccer podcast on the planet, and it’s even stretched out into other media forms. You can find their TV show on NBCSN these days too.
I’ve been a Men In Blazers listener for a while now, and I know I’m not alone. Their podcast has bounced around a while. I think I first heard of them when they become a small part of Bill Simmons’ Grantland back in the day.
Anyway, The MIB is a great laugh and doesn’t take the game too seriously. You may not get the most in-depth soccer analysis, but you will have a good time. There’s also the odd interview, which is usually insightful too.
StatsBomb: Best Soccer Analysis Podcast
When it comes to sports analytics and data, Soccer is way behind sports like Basketball and Baseball. However, the times are ‘a changing, and StatsBomb is one of the businesses at the forefront of doing so.
Their podcast is a great listen as they talk stats, transfers, and game-analysis with an obvious analytical frame. Hosts Ted Knutson and James Yorke have experience at the club level, working with some prop teams in Europe too, so you know they’re coming from a place of experience when they talk.
StatsBomb also has a bit of a soccer analysis training set up on its website too. I’ve taken one of their analysis courses, and it was pretty good! A lot of great info from these guys.
Honorable Mention: The Double Pivot Podcast is also a great listen for analytically minded fans.
ESPN FC: Best Roundup Soccer Podcast
The ESPN FC feed is a bit of a mish-mash of a few different things. It’s mainly audio from the ever-popular ESPN FC TV show that comes on what feels like every time you turn on ESPN.
I really like having a feed like this covering their show for those who would otherwise miss it. Actually, now that I think about it, I can’t believe more panel TV shows don’t turn their show into a podcast feed…
Anyway, the podcast is great for those who either don’t have ESPN or don’t have the time to sit and watch the soccer show. It’s great for a basic roundup of what’s going on in the big leagues, along with some banter between the hosts.
Honorable Mention: The Football Weekly Podcast
I couldn’t put ESPN FC here and not Football Weekly. It’s easily one of the biggest podcasts out there that discusses Soccer, and while I don’t listen all the time, I’ve heard a lot of good things.
Zonal Marking Podcast: Best Tactical Analysis Podcast
One Soccer podcast on my must-listen list every week is the Zonal Marking Podcast on The Athletic.
Presented by Ali Maxwell and Michael Cox, who literally wrote the book on zonal marking…
See!
Anyway, the podcast goes over the game with a tactical focus, which is a great change of pace, as a lot of soccer talk tries to go about the game in a general roundup sense. I’d much rather look at one team or game a week and go in-depth instead of skimming the top and going over the week’s scores.
You can listen on any podcast app or with The Athletic.
Final Thoughts
Like I said earlier, this is my view on the best soccer podcasts out there. I’ve tried to give a good range of types of podcasts, so hopefully, you’ll find something here that you like!
