5 live's World Football Phone-in

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Expert answers to your questions in World Football: The Phone-in from BBC Radio 5 live's Up All Night programme.

BBC Radio 5 live


    • Jun 3, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 2h 27m AVG DURATION
    • 237 EPISODES

    4.7 from 295 ratings Listeners of 5 live's World Football Phone-in that love the show mention: best football show, south american, sid lowe, brassel, tim is the best, keeps the show, best football podcast, pundits, soccer podcast, rotating, football fan, african, knowledgable, sean, period, experts, don't know, program, game, politics.


    Ivy Insights

    The 5 live's World Football Phone-in podcast is the ultimate football show for any fan of the sport. With a panel of knowledgeable experts and engaging hosts, this podcast provides in-depth analysis, insightful discussions, and a sense of community among listeners from around the world. Since its inception in 2000, it has become one of the best podcasts in the footballing world.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the panel of experts who bring their wealth of knowledge to every episode. From Tim Vickery's expertise on South American football to Jon Arnold's insights on North American soccer, each expert adds a unique perspective to the discussions. The hosts, Dotun Adebayo and others, ensure that the show flows smoothly and keeps the listeners engaged. Additionally, the callers contribute to lively conversations and provide different viewpoints from around the globe.

    Furthermore, this podcast goes beyond just discussing football on a surface level. It delves into various cultural aspects surrounding the game and explores how football impacts societies and nations. The discussions often touch upon politics, history, and social issues that intersect with football. This added layer of depth makes it not only informative but also thought-provoking.

    However, one potential downside of this podcast is that it may sometimes be overwhelming for casual fans or those who are not well-versed in global football. With extensive discussions about players from different regions, historical references, and tactical analyses, it can be challenging for newcomers to fully grasp all aspects discussed.

    In conclusion, The 5 live's World Football Phone-in podcast is an exceptional source of football analysis and conversation from around the world. With its diverse panel of experts and engaging hosts, it offers a comprehensive understanding of the game while also exploring its cultural significance. Though it may have some challenges for newcomers to follow along completely, it remains an essential listen for any dedicated football fan seeking to enhance their knowledge and engage in insightful conversations about the beautiful game.



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    Latest episodes from 5 live's World Football Phone-in

    Let's Party Like It's 1979! On the Phone!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2025 160:19


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Jonny Bentley to talk all things football and settle the argument of the ages! Donny Osmond or David Cassidy? Who is top of the 70s pops?

    WFPI – Dotun & Tim & Seth makes three

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 158:34


    Carlo Ancelotti to leave Real Madrid to coach Brazil? 20 year anniversary of the Glazer ownership at Manchester Utd? Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis confronts Nuno Espirito Santo on the pitch? All of footballing life is here.

    Goalkeepers caught by surprise

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 158:37


    Tim Vickery and James Young discuss why South America is requesting a 64 team format for the 2030 World Cup?

    If You're Good Enough…

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2025 156:39


    Dotun, Tim and Jonny discuss footballers who have improved with age & enjoyed extended careers, as well as those players who've made an instant impact at a young age. Plus memories of Bobby Moore in goal, Sir Alf Ramsey's response to a transfer request, and tributes to Kevin de Bruyne as he approaches the end of his Man City career.

    Fish and Football

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2025 158:29


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Jibril to discuss club traditions, strange player of the match awards and Brazils downfall.

    A New England

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 157:20


    Dotun and Tim are joined from Algeria by African football expert Maher Mezahi. They talk about England's first matches under new manager Thomas Tuchel, whether style or results are more important and what it's like for Muslim players during Ramadan.

    Tuchel on top

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2025 146:43


    Dotun and Tim are joined by our Berlin footballing "correspondent", Mark Meadows and the team look ahead to England's next games and the national team manager's first squad. Are teams playing too many games? As Liverpool lose two big matches there are questions to answer.

    Manchester United

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 154:27


    Dotun, Tim and Seth talk about the significant financial challenges of Man United ..the roots of football...the merits and demerits of covering songs...(don't ask!)

    A Shirtname for Ollie D

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 159:57


    Ollie D joins the select band of Brazilian shirtname holders in this edition. The final adjudication comes from Joe in Cincinatti, Clayton in Leyton and Paul in Cambridge. Another vexed issue resolved by Tim, Dotun and Mark Machado. Also on the menu tonight - interim managers, do they work? What's going on with club budgets and do we need replays in the FA Cup?

    Footballing heroes, unexpected meets and "nooooooo!"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2025 156:53


    Footballing heroes, unexpected meets, birthday shares and remembering Roberta Flack.

    When the Lights Go Out

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 154:09


    Hugh MacDonald joins Dotun and Tim for lively football conversation. Floodlight failure in the Czech republic, great European comeback nights & Aberdeen turn the tide

    A shoulder to cry on OR The home of the pregnant pause?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 160:42


    Carnage for Spurs as loss piles upon loss. Who can Tim and Dotun turn to for comfort? And a day that goes down in infamy as James Young is outed as having forgotten his shirt-name! The horror of it.

    After the thrill is gone

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025 158:08


    Has the thrill gone from the transfer window deadline? Dotun, Tim and Mark discuss.

    Great Comebacks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 148:47


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Mark Machado to discuss the greatest comebacks in football.

    Can Nottingham Forest win the Premier league?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 153:05


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Paul Sarahs to discuss Forest, The Club world cup and more...

    Jazz football, Sheffield mergers and Guardiola's influence

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2025 156:03


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Djibril Diop and callers want to talk about Guardiola's influence on modern football, Nottingham Forest's lofty league position, playing Sunday league football, inconsistent refereeing and whether Josh Windass will move to Brazilian club Santos. There's also time for Scritti Politti's song Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry for Loverboy) featuring Miles Davis and related jazz discussion!

    Arise Sir Gareth

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2024 158:26


    Legendinho Tim Vickery and ‘Viva Mark Vegas' Mark Meadows join Dotun for the final WFPI of the calendar year. Tim, Mark & callers discuss Southgate's legacy, after the former England men's manager is awarded a knighthood in the New Year's Honours list. Plus Forest fans toast their team's brilliant start to the season, and referees prepare to announce VAR calls to fans in stadiums for the first time. And are Manchester United really in a relegation battle after losing five league games in a calendar month for the first time in over sixty years?

    Santa Football is coming to town

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2024 158:09


    Dotun is joined by Tim Vickery and Maher Mezahi

    City in trouble, Forest on form and America's biggest WFPI fan

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 157:42


    New York's biggest WFPI fan pays a visit from across the pond, as we talk Man City's bad luck, Forest on form, and a tour of UK football destinations for our resident American.

    Darts, short shorts and railways

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2024 158:26


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Paul Sarahs to discuss football and everything in between. Is darts a real sport? Author, Martin Amis had his doubts...

    World Football Phone in-

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024 155:58


    Dotun, Tim and Seth discuss football club nicknames and whether they need a rebrand?

    Fall of a Football Empire?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 159:24


    Dotun is joined by Tim Vickery and James Young

    5 Live's World Football Phone-in

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 159:02


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Djibril Diop to ponder the footballing questions of the day... This edition looks at the bittersweet moments in football.

    WFPI - Whither MotD?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2024 159:30


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Maher Mezahi and Patrick Wetzels to ponder the big footballing question of the day... who replaces Gary Lineker?

    WFPI - Front foot or back foot?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 148:17


    Dotun and Tim are joining by Jonny B and Mark M to ponder which is better the better defensive strategy: a good aw-fence or a good dee-fence... And what happens when expensive players get a new boss?

    That's Amorim

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2024 156:00


    As Man Utd seek yet another new manager after the sacking of Erik ten Hag: just who is Rúben Amorim and what might the Sporting boss bring to the Old Trafford dugout?Plus: Brazil cries foul as Vinicius Jr is overlooked for the Ballon d'Or in favour of Rodri. But is it a Real shocker or are the complaints unjustified?Paul Sarahs & Portuguese football expert Zach Lowy join Dotun and Tim to discuss the burning issues of the moment.

    Sibling Soccor

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 157:49


    A southern hemisphere flavour tonight as Dotun and Tim are joined by the Springbocca Junior, Mark Gleeson from South Africa. Too much power in too few hands is one of the themes explored tonight. And what about siblings in soccer?

    An England manager and a song in our hearts

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2024 156:51


    Dotun and Tim are joined by our travelin' Manc, James Young. And this time we're talking about potential England managers, the risk of strikes and too much football.

    WFPI - When Spurs get spursier

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 157:13


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Mark M to ponder value for money, the number of games being played and Spurs getting "spursier". And it's a shirt name for one caller to the WFPI

    Players we should remember

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 137:08


    Who is the player from your era that you'd want to tell the next generation, about?

    What puts your town on the footballing map?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 158:21


    Dotun is joined by the legendinho Tim Vickery and freelance journalist and broadcaster Hugh MacDonald to discuss what puts your town on the footballing map?

    How do you play Football?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2024 160:14


    This week Dotun is joined by Tim Vickery and Maher Mezahi.

    WFPI - Apology accepted, Captain Needa

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024 157:16


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Paul Sarahs to talk voices and more. With the death of James Earl Jones - most famous as the voice of Darth Vader - the panel ask; what makes a great commentary voice? Planning? Preparation?

    WFPI - No take-backs, no refunds

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2024 155:53


    Dotun and Tim are joined by the Hallam Brazil, Seth Bennett to talk national and international football. One of the questions tonight; who went on too long? The players who held on long past their prime, why did they do it?

    WFPI - BENE 'N' HOT

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2024 153:59


    In this edition Dotun and Tim are joined by new bug, Jonny Bentley and superfan MIguel in California. Will Jonny make the grade? What will his shirtname be? And with the news of the death of Sven-Göran Eriksson the team look back at his career.

    12 In Dog Years

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2024 150:43


    Dotun and Tim are joined by the now seriously well travelled James Young. As the season starts rolling we're asking - who's well placed, who's going to do well and how will Chelsea get 40-odd players onto the field? And it's a shirtname for our super Eagles fan, Ovie!

    WFPI - The Pre-season Lookahead

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 157:06


    Tim and Dotun are joined by Maher for the pre-season lookahead. But who will win the Battle of the Fats Dominoes? Hat-tricks in opening matches - how many can you remember? And whither, Ipswich?

    WFPI - The Battle of the Westerns!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2024 158:04


    Who did it better? Bonanza or High Chaparral? BUT WAIT! Who's that in the distance? Could that be Rawhide? Dotun and Tim are joined by Mark Gleeson to talk Olympic football, the value of a derby and much more!

    Wot no Legendino?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2024 157:27


    Mark Machado comes off the subs bench as for the first time in decades Tim V is hors de combat. But Dotun's got Jibril in Berlin onside and we're making do. Who is Ovie's "He How Shall Not be Named"? And what shirtname has Jibril nabbed?

    Funny Football Phrases

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2024 157:54


    Now the dust has settled from the Euro's, Dotun and Tim are joined by Algerian football journalist Maher Mezahi to discuss which phrases you only hear in football, and why there is no Team GB presence at this year's Olympics in Paris.

    BERLIN, the Aftermath with MM2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2024 157:34


    Dotun and Tim are joined by Marks Meadows and Machado to kick over the traces of Euro 24. Could Southgate have done things differently? Will he survive the next few weeks and months? What happens at the World Cup in Miami in '26? Callers and the panel have their own thoughts tonight.

    WFPI - Euros 2024. The Final Countdown

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2024 152:59


    With the semi-finals in the offing Dotun and Tim are joined by a veritable legion of guests!

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