Squiz Shortcuts: The FIFA World Cup
6/9/202618 min
The upcoming FIFA men’s World Cup is promising to be one of the most unusual and newsworthy in history. There are more teams, more games and more host countries than ever before - and the presence of the US as one of the hosts (and US President Donald Trump looming large over everything) adds an extra layer of uncertainty. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll take a look at how this tournament is different, some of the big news stories leading in, and what we can expect on the pitch. Squiz Recommends: Studying: This explainer from The Guardian on all things FIFA World Cup Reading: And also this piece that takes a close look at Australia’s team, so you can get familiar with some of the players you’ll be hearing more about… Hosted by Andrew Williams and Anna Pykett Researched by Andrew Williams Got a suggestion for a Squiz Shortcut topic? We'd love to hear it - email us at hello@thesquiz.com.au Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the free Shortcuts newsletter here.
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First 90 secondsAnna Pykett· Host0:00
This is a Squiz Podcast [upbeat music], we're your shortcut to being informed. This podcast is brought to you by BHP. BHP plays a big role in the Australian economy from the tax it pays, the small, local, and indigenous businesses it backs, regional communities it supports, and how it contributes to the broader economy.
Andrew Williams· Host0:19
[upbeat music] The upcoming Men's FIFA World Cup is promising to be one of the most unusual and newsworthy in the history of the tournament. There are more teams than ever before, more games than ever before, more host countries than ever before. And then once you add to that the presence of the US as one of those hosts and US President Donald Trump looming large over everything, you've got an added layer of uncertainty. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll take a look at how this year's tournament is different, some of the big news stories leading in, and what we can expect to see on the pitch. Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. I'm Andrew Williams.
Anna Pykett· Host1:01
And I'm Anna Piket.
Andrew Williams· Host1:02
Anna, welcome to Squiz Shortcuts. Lovely to have you here.
Anna Pykett· Host1:08
A big one. World Cup, doesn't get much bigger than this, Andrew.
Andrew Williams· Host1:11
No, it is a huge event. It is one of, if not the, biggest sporting event in the world. It comes along every four years, and it normally features 32 teams all playing off for the title of the best footballing country in the world.
Anna Pykett· Host1:25
It's been running since 1930 when Uruguay won the first-ever World