Jason Cowley and Stephen Bush are joined by Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University, to discuss France's victory in the 2018 world cup final, and whether Croatia were in fact the better team on the day. They also reflect on how the French team's progress has intersected with domestic politics, and what its success might mean for President Emmanuel Macron's centrist vision for his country. Finally, they analyse the England team's run at the tournament, and look ahead to what could be next for the likeable young players who captured the country's imagination over the past few weeks.

Get in touch with questions and comments on Twitter: @JasonCowleyNS, @stephenkb or @ns_podcasts.

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Jason Cowley is joined by NS contributing writer John Bew and Alison McGovern, the Labour MP for Wirral South, to discuss England's performance in the tournament so far, as well as the ways in which different teams, coaches and players — from the Colombian side to Gareth Southgate to Mo Salah — are handling the pressure to deliver good results. They also check in on how the north African teams are faring and look critically at the appearance of political symbols on the pitch, especially in relation to historic tensions in the Balkans.

Get in touch with questions and comments for future episodes on Twitter: @JasonCowleyNS, @stephenkb, @johnbew or @ns_podcasts.

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Jason Cowley and Stephen Bush are joined by guest David Winner, the author of Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football, to discuss the relationship between the World Cup and national identity. They also look at the way the patriotism displayed by fans intersects with politics, particularly in England and Germany, and make their predictions for the rest of the tournament.

We'll be back with weekly episodes throughout the 2018 World Cup, so make sure you're subscribed in your podcast app so you don't miss out on more analysis and predictions.

Get in touch with questions and comments for future episodes on Twitter: @JasonCowleyNS, @stephenkb, @dwinnera or @ns_podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.