Benidorm or South Beach?

After six unforgettable weeks travelling across the USA, Mexico and Canada, the journey finally comes to an end.From the colour and anticipation of opening day in Miami to the unforgettable atmosphere of the Azteca Stadium, from conversations with supporters from 40 different nations to the highs and heartbreak of following England to the semi-finals, this is a chance to reflect on everything the World Cup became.What did football reveal about identity, connection and belonging? Why did strangers seem so willing to talk? Can we celebrate where we come from without drifting into division? And what happens when the greatest sporting spectacle on earth exists alongside visible inequality and poverty?This isn't a review of the tournament.It's a reflection on the people, places and stories that made it unforgettable.Thank you for listening, sharing, commenting and travelling alongside me. Whatever FAN48 becomes next, I hope you'll stay connected.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#FAN48 #WorldCup2026 #FootballCulture #FootballFans #Podcast #TravelStories #England #Azteca #SportAndCulture #TheBeautifulGame

After six unforgettable weeks across the USA, Canada and Mexico, I'm finally back home.A delayed flight, jet lag, Heathrow, familiar streets and one last fan conversation before the World Cup reaches its conclusion.Watching the final from London rather than inside the stadium gives me chance to reflect on everything this tournament has been, from incredible people and unforgettable journeys to the kind of football we should really be celebrating.It's the penultimate chapter of FAN48 before one final look back at an extraordinary six-week adventure.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#FAN48 #WorldCup2026 #FootballCulture #FootballTravel #Podcast #Argentina #Spain #WorldCupFinal

After England's World Cup dream came to an end, I wasn't sure I wanted to talk about football again.Then I sat down with Turkish fan Eren.Turkey's tournament ended much earlier than England's, but as we talked it became clear that every nation carries its own version of heartbreak. Expectations, identity, politics, hope, disappointment... and the strange optimism that somehow returns before the next tournament.We also compare football cultures, why fans matter more than we realise, and what it's like supporting your country from thousands of miles away.Perhaps the biggest lesson is that while only one nation lifts the trophy, every supporter has a story worth hearing.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#FAN48 #WorldCup #FootballCulture #Turkey #England

After six unforgettable weeks on the road, this wasn't how I imagined the story unfolding.I watched England's World Cup semi-final against Argentina from an Irish pub in Miami, surrounded by fans, hope and nerves. For a while, the dream was alive. Then came the heartbreak.This episode is a raw account of those ninety minutes, the emotion that followed, and the difficult questions sport sometimes leaves behind. Why do some rivalries feel different? How do you separate passion from gamesmanship? And after spending weeks celebrating the way football can bring people together, what happens when it seems to do the opposite?A few days later, with the benefit of some distance and a short break away from football, I'm sharing the episode exactly as it happened.Sometimes stories don't have the ending you wanted.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#FAN48 #England #Argentina #WorldCup2026 #Heartbreak

England are through to the World Cup semi-finals… but before kick-off there was still time to keep on the FAN48 trail.On the journey to the Hard Rock Stadium I finally meet a South African supporter, hearing how football fits into a nation better known for rugby, why this tournament has reignited hope back home, and what it means to travel halfway around the world with family divided between England and South Africa.There’s also an Irish fan trying to support England without looking too English, samba dancers refusing to let Brazil’s exit spoil the party, familiar faces from Mexico reappearing in Miami, and ninety-plus minutes that swing from tension to absolute euphoria as England keep the dream alive.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#England #Norway #WorldCup2026 #ThreeLions #SouthAfrica #Miami #FootballCulture #FootballFans #TravelPodcast #FAN48

Four weeks after the World Cup began, I’m back where it all started in Miami.South Beach is still alive with football. England fans have taken over the Clevelander, Norwegian supporters have painted the bars red, and somewhere along Ocean Drive there’s a Norway party I never quite manage to find.After getting thoroughly booed by hundreds of Norwegians (fair enough!), I make one important decision. For one day, I’m going to stop chasing stories and simply experience one of the biggest matches of my life as a fan.Sometimes the best thing you can do… is put the microphone down.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#WorldCup #England #Norway #Miami #SouthBeach

A packed sports bar in Miami becomes the centre of the football world.From Moroccan fans dreaming of another historic run to Parisians escaping to Florida, from an England supporter torn between Norway and the Three Lions to a brilliantly honest conversation about grief, friendship and British humour, this episode captures everything that makes a World Cup special.There are stories about football, family, identity and belonging, plenty of laughs, a few margaritas, and a reminder that sometimes the best moments of a tournament happen nowhere near a stadium.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#France #WorldCup2026 #Miami #FootballCulture #Morocco

Pitch 25 in Houston claims to be where the city comes to watch football, so naturally that’s where FAN48 heads next.From Portuguese fans hoping Cristiano Ronaldo has one final World Cup run in him, to a Sri Lankan former cricketer chasing a new life in Texas, a Spanish supporter living in Houston, and eventually… one elusive Belgian.Along the way there’s talk of Houston’s huge international community, the growth of football in the United States, American patriotism before kick-off, cowboy boots, conspiracy theories, and why some sporting dreams never quite disappear.Sometimes the stories aren’t inside the stadium. They’re sitting around a table with a drink, waiting for the next match to begin.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#WorldCup #Houston #Portugal #Spain #Texas

For years I’d dreamed of visiting one of football’s greatest stadiums. This episode is the story of finally walking through the gates of the Azteca.From the streets of Mexico City as anticipation builds, to packed metro trains, thunderstorms, delayed kick-off, tequila, songs, chants and one of the most unforgettable atmospheres I’ve ever experienced, this became far more than just England versus Mexico.Along the way I meet generous Mexican supporters, fellow England fans making the same pilgrimage, and discover that even fierce football rivalry can sit comfortably alongside warmth, humour and genuine hospitality.Then comes ninety minutes (plus what feels like another ninety) of football that had everyone on the edge of their seat.Whether you were watching from home or were lucky enough to be there, this was a night I’ll never forget.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#FAN48 #MexicoCity #Azteca #England #WorldCup2026

What do a 2,000-year-old ball game and the biggest football match in modern Mexican history have in common?In this episode I swap the fan parks for the ancient city of Teotihuacán, where a simple question about sport uncovers evidence of one of the earliest organised ball games ever played. Long before football, the people of central Mexico were playing with rubber balls beneath the shadow of the pyramids.Back in Mexico City, World Cup fever is impossible to escape. Football shirts are everywhere, locals are counting down to England v Mexico, and bars are packed as Cape Verde threaten one of the shocks of the tournament against Argentina.Along the way there are conversations with travellers, Australians dissecting another penalty shootout heartbreak, and an unforgettable chat with Andrés, a passionate Mexican fan who explains why his country is “crazy”, “surreal” and ready for what could become one of the biggest nights in its football history.History, football and anticipation all collide as the road to the Azteca reaches its final stop.Host: Rob Shaw CameronFAN48: fan48.infoInstagram: @fan48podWhatsApp: +44 7518 715948#MexicoCity #Teotihuacan #England #WorldCup2026 #FAN48