On July 20, the day after Spain saved football by beating Argentina in a dreary final in New Jersey, I did a live interview on Radio 2000 in Cape Town about U.S. perspectives on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We talked about Trump and Infantino, public opinion, Americanization of the World Cup and more.
Click here to listen to my 15-minute conversation with Thabiso Mosia, host of Game On.
I spoke with Sam Turken of WGBH, the NPR station in Boston, about the little-known African boycott of the 1966 World Cup, an event that helps to explain how nine African teams qualified to the round of 32 at this year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Listen to the story here.
Video recording of my conversation with Prof. Sinfree Makoni and the Q&A on March 6, 2026.
Part of the African Studies Global Virtual Forum: Decoloniality & Southern Epistemologies at Penn State University.
A Congolese Life Story, from Colonialism to Globalization.
Video recording of my presentation at the Our Daily Work, Our Daily Lives seminar series on February 18, 2026:
https://mediaspace.msu.edu/id/1_5znccvbt
Courtesy of MSU Libraries Media.
South African radio host Thabiso Tema interviewed me on his Power FM morning talk show, Power Breakfast, about the controversial “FIFA Peace Award” given to President Trump. The conversation provides a historical perspective on the relationship between World Cup soccer and international politics.
Listen to the interview:
Frank Risorto of The Gentleman Ultra Podcast interviewed me about my futbological life. We began with the story of my Global Soccer history course at Michigan State, its origins and evolution. Then I explained the origin of my lifelong support of Juventus (as a Roman no less!) and moving to the United States as a teenager. There was even some time to highlight my academic work in South Africa, and how oscillating between continents has given me unusual outsider/insider perspectives on life and football. My love of Subbuteo—the table soccer game—snuck into the conversation, too!
Enjoy the conversation and, if inclined, share the link.
The Gentleman Ultra podcast on Italian calcio asked me three World Cup questions: Which was your favorite World Cup moment? Favorite game? Favorite team?
Hint: my stories have something to do with the Azzurri and Roberto Baggio. So let me take you back to Foxboro 1994 and Spain 1982. Listen here.