World Football
Southampton relegation: What’s it like to be relegated as a Premier League player?
Southampton set the unwanted record of being the earliest team to be relegated in Premier League history after their relegation was confirmed in April 2025. So, what’s it like as a player to be relegated and is the gulf getting bigger between England’s top-flight and the second-tier? Former Premier League defender and current Sierra Leona captain Steven Caulker joins World Football’s Delyth Lloyd and George Addo to discuss. Image: Dejection for Southampton players at the final whistle after relegation was confirmed during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Southampton FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 6, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images)
7 Apr 2025 - 10 min 08 sec
Arminia Bielefeld: The football team putting their city on the map
What do Australia, the US state of Wyoming and the German city of Bielefeld all have in common? They're all locations subject to satirical conspiracy theories that claim they don't exist. The 'Bielefeld conspiracy' remains one of the most popular Internet jokes originating in Germany, but their third-tier football team are well and truly putting them back on the map. Arminia Bielefeld have become the first team outside the top two divisions to knock four Bundesliga sides out of the German Cup in one season on their way to a surprise appearance in the German Cup final. World Football's Delyth Lloyd is joined by football reporter Mani Djazmi, who's been finding out more. Photo: Supporters of Bielefeld cheer their team during the 3. Liga match between Arminia Bielefeld and Erzgebirge Aue at Schueco Arena in Bielefeld, Germany. (Credit: Getty Images for DFB)
6 Apr 2025 - 07 min 56 sec
Muller & De Bruyne: Leaving legends legacies
As Thomas Muller and Kevin De Bruyne get ready to leave their clubs at the end of the season, how will they be remembered? Thomas Muller has played the most games in the history of Bayern Munich with 743, while he is third on their all-time scorer's list with 247 goals and has won two Champions Leagues and 12 Bundesliga titles among 33 trophies in total with the German giants. German football expert Constantin Eckner joins World Football's Lee James to look back at Muller's legacy. It's also the end of an era for Kevin De Bruyne, who announced that he'll be departing when Manchester City's season concluded. The 33 year old has won 16 trophies since joining City from Wolfsburg in 2015, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023 - scoring 106 goals in 413 appearances in all competitions for City. So how will he be remembered? The former Premier League goalkeeper Brad Friedel and former Tottenham and Ireland defender Stephen Kelly shared their thoughts. Photo: Thomas Mueller of Bayern Muenchen is injured during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena on February 23, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Credit: Sampics/Getty Images)
5 Apr 2025 - 16 min 21 sec
How are US travel measures impacting global football?
World Football’s Isaac Fanin finds out more about how "travel measures" introduced by US President Donald Trump led to Zambia's women's team withdrawing four United States-based players from their squad for a tournament in China. The Football Association of Zambia announced captain and BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year Barbra Banda, Racheal Kundananji, Prisca Chilufya and Grace Chanda would miss the Yongchuan International Tournament. This comes after President Trump signed an executive order to draft a list of countries that will mean a partial or full suspension on visitors from some nations. It is unclear if China is on the proposed list, but non-American residents have experienced increased difficulty in re-entering the country in recent months. Sydney Mungala, communications manager at the Football Association of Zambia, tells World Football about the impact on the team’s preparations and the players and how it should be treated as a “wake up call” to other nations about the changes in the US. Image: Gianni Infantino, president of the Federation International Football Association (FIFA), right, and US President Donald Trump, centre, during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, March 7, 2025. (Photographer: Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
4 Apr 2025 - 08 min 28 sec
First Matildas: Recognising Australia’s 1975 Asian Cup pioneers
Imagine having to wait 50 years for your work to be officially recognised. That’s what happened to the women of St George Women's Soccer team, who represented Australia in the 1975 Asian Ladies Football Confederation tournament held in Hong Kong. For years, their efforts were overlooked by the football authorities in Australia. Now, Football Australia will recognise those players as the "First Matildas" by awarding them cap numbers ahead of Australia's game against South Korea. World Football’s Mani Djazmi tells John Bennet the inside story. Photo: The St George Women's Soccer team, now known as ‘the first Matildas’ at Sydney Airport on August 21, 1975. (Credit: Fairfax Media via Getty Images)
3 Apr 2025 - 15 min 18 sec
How did the German minnows stun Bayer Leverkusen?
Arminia Bielefeld captain Mael Corboz speaks to World Football’s Mike Williams after the German third-tier side stunned defending champions Bayer Leverkusen to reach the final of the German Cup. Bielefeld won 2-1 to become the first team outside the top two divisions to knock four Bundesliga sides out of the German Cup in one season. The club had already beaten Union Berlin, Freiburg and Werder Bremen before their victory over the reigning Bundesliga champions. Image: Joel Grodowski and teammates of Arminia Bielefeld celebrate victory after the DFB Cup Semi Final between DSC Arminia Bielefeld and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Schueco Arena on April 01, 2025 in Bielefeld, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
2 Apr 2025 - 15 min 51 sec
Copa Libertadores: Can anyone stop the Brazilian domination?
It’s the battle of the best in the Copa Libertadores – as teams from across South America compete in their version of the Champions League. The past six editions have all been won by Brazilian clubs – and four of those finals have been all Brazilian affairs. So, can anyone stop Brazil’s domination? World Football’s John Bennett is joined by BBC football reporter George Addo and Brazilian football journalist Renata Mendonca to discuss. Image: Players of Botafogo celebrate with the trophy after winning the tournament following the Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2024 Final between Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo at Estadio Más Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti on November 30, 2024 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
1 Apr 2025 - 07 min 49 sec
Marta: Brazil’s global icon
Marta is a Brazilian phenomenon. A six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, record goal scorer who’s even the hero of her opponents, but where did her love of football begin and what challenges has she faced in her incredible 20 year career? This is the story of Brazil’s global icon. Amongst others, you’ll hear from her former Brazil coach Pia Sundhage, Uefa’s head of women’s football Nadine Kessler, Marta’s Brazil teammate Cristiane and Marta’s first coach in Rio, Helena Pacheco. Marta burst on to the global stage as a 17-year-old at the 2003 World Cup and secured a breakthrough move to Sweden soon after, landing in snow at the airport. It was a world away from her home in Brazil. Yet in the five years in Sweden, Marta would arrive as a young talent and leave as the biggest global star the game has ever seen lighting up the 2007 World Cup; bamboozling the USA defence with her dribbling, speed and flair and one of the best goals on the grandest stage. Now with a cabinet full of medals and trophies, she topped her final appearance in a competitive match for Brazil by winning silver at the Paris Olympics. A fitting finale for Marta - who transformed the women’s game. Image: Marta of Brazil celebrates a penalty during the Women's Football Semi Final between Brazil and Sweden on Day 11 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 16, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
8 Nov 2024 - 55 min 18 sec
USA's 99ers and Chastain's iconic photo
This is the story of the day when the USA women’s national team, dubbed the 99ers, became instant stars and how one photograph of match winner Brandi Chastain went on to inspire a nation. 2015 World Cup winner Heather O’Reilly takes you back to the start of the decade to uncover the challenges the women’s game faced during the 1990s with journalist and long-time sport reporter Kelly Whiteside all the way to 10 July 1999 - the day the 99ers won the World Cup 5-4 on penalties against China on home soil in front of record breaking crowds. 25 years on from this historic moment, hear from 99ers Joy Fawcett, Mia Hamm, Carla Overbeck, USA goalkeeper Briana Scurry and Brandi Chastain, plus hear from Robert Beck, the Sport Illustrated photographer who captured the most iconic photo in women’s football. Produced by Sophia Hartley for the BBC World Service Image: Captain Carla Overbeck #4 of the US Women's Soccer Team raises the World Cup Trophy, as the team celebrates their victory over Team China in the Championship match of the FIFA Women's World Cup at the Rose Bowl on July 10, 1999 in Pasadena, California. Team USA defeated Team China 5-4 in sudden death after two overtimes. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
1 Nov 2024 - 37 min 58 sec
The speech that changed women’s football
Hear the untold story of how a science teacher from Oslo made a speech that would change the future of women’s football. In 1986, Ellen Wille became the first female to speak at a FIFA Congress and in a room full of men demanded women should have a FIFA World Cup and play football at the Olympics. Then FIFA President Joao Havelange and Vice President Sepp Blatter accepted the challenge, although it did take some time. Within two years FIFA staged a Women’s Invitational Event, and still not ready to call it a FIFA World Cup in 1991, the Women’s FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football for the M M’s Cup took place. That’s not easy to say! Finally – although it took nine years – in 1995 Sweden hosted the first FIFA Women’s World Cup and, significantly for Ellen, it was her home nation Norway who lifted the trophy. Caroline Barker went to Oslo to track down Ellen Wille. She speaks to former president of the Football Association of Norway, Per Ravn Omdal; current President Lise Klaveness; and Norway’s 1995 World Cup winners Hege Riise and Linda Meladen. Presented by Caroline Barker Produced by Sophia Hartley for the BBC World Service Photo: Ellen Wille speaking to the BBC World Service (Credit: BBC)
10 Oct 2024 - 36 min 21 sec