Football podcasts have become a huge part of modern football coverage, but very few have been around as long as Football Weekly. Launched by The Guardian in August 2006, the podcast has now been running for two decades, making it one of the longest-running football podcasts still producing regular episodes.
While many of today’s biggest football podcasts are relatively new, Football Weekly has built its audience over many years. The show has changed presenters and contributors and formats during this time, but its basic formula has remained remarkably consistent.
Presented by Max Rushden, the podcast brings together a constantly changing group of journalists, writers and broadcasters. That gives Football Weekly a different feel from many football podcasts, where the same small group of presenters appears in every episode.
A Podcast with Almost Two Decades of History
Football Weekly can trace its origins back to the 2006 World Cup, when The Guardian launched The World Cup Show with James Richardson. Following its success, Football Weekly launched at the end of August that year and has remained a regular fixture ever since. In its early days it was just a weekly podcast, but its popularity has seen its regularity ramp up.
The show has gone through several changes since those early days. For one, it was only a weekly podcast, a more fitting format given the name of the show. Host James Richardson eventually left in 2017, and this was a blow as he is a very popular figure. However, his replacement, Max Rushden has done a fine job taking over as presenter. Some of you may recognise Rushen, because he had already appeared on the podcast and became the main host at the start of the 2017/18 season.
Despite these changes, Football Weekly has maintained its identity. This longevity is particularly impressive in an increasingly crowded podcast market. Many of the football podcasts competing for listeners today did not exist when Football Weekly first began.
The podcast has also remained closely linked to The Guardian’s wider football coverage. It benefits from a large pool of journalists and writers, giving it access to people who are already covering the biggest stories across the sport and have access to players and managers.
The Hosts and Rotating Cast
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Max Rushden is the closest thing Football Weekly has to a permanent host, while Barry Glendenning is another consistent presence. Beyond those two, however, the line-up can change considerably from one episode to the next. Recent episodes have featured contributors including Nicky Bandini, Lars Sivertsen, Jacob Steinberg, Sam Dalling, Jonathan Wilson, Philippe Auclair and Mark Langdon. There are also plenty of other journalists and broadcasters who appear throughout the season.
This is one of the things that makes Football Weekly unusual. Rather than listening to the same three or four people discuss football every week, listeners get a different combination of personalities, expertise and opinions. There is an obvious downside to this approach. If you particularly enjoy one contributor, you might not hear them on the next episode. Equally, you may find yourself enjoying some contributors more than others. However, the constantly changing line-up keeps the podcast fresh and means that different areas of expertise can be brought into the discussion.
More Than Just Premier League Football
The Premier League is naturally a major focus of Football Weekly. With three episodes every week during the season, there is plenty of time to discuss the biggest matches, managerial decisions, transfers, controversies and talking points from England’s top flight. However, the podcast does not restrict itself to the Premier League. The EFL, women’s football, domestic cup competitions and European football can all feature. The Guardian’s journalists also give the show a genuinely international perspective, with contributors regularly discussing leagues and clubs across Europe.
This breadth is one of Football Weekly’s biggest strengths. A single episode can move from a Premier League title race to the Championship, before discussing the FA Cup, Women’s Super League or Champions League. The format means there is also room for stories that might not receive much attention elsewhere. Rather than simply discussing the biggest clubs and players, Football Weekly can explore a much wider range of football stories.
Analysis Mixed with Plenty of Nonsense
Despite being produced by a major newspaper, Football Weekly does not take itself too seriously. Rushden described the show’s approach in 2017 as ranging from proper analysis of matches in the UK and Europe to serious issues away from the pitch, while also including “some complete nonsense”. That description still fits the podcast today.
The balance between serious discussion and humour is important. Football Weekly can spend several minutes discussing tactics, refereeing decisions or a major football controversy before moving into something considerably more ridiculous. Barry Glendenning has been particularly important to this side of the podcast. His dry humour and willingness to embrace the absurd have been part of Football Weekly’s identity since its earliest days. As a result, the podcast can appeal to listeners who want more than straightforward football analysis. It is informed without feeling like a formal discussion between pundits.
A Different Take Every Episode
The rotating panel gives Football Weekly another advantage. Different contributors bring different areas of knowledge, personalities and opinions to the show. Jonathan Wilson, for example, can provide a very different perspective from someone whose work focuses primarily on English football. Nicky Bandini brings extensive knowledge of Italian football, while Lars Sivertsen regularly offers insight into Scandinavian and European football.
That means there is rarely a single viewpoint dominating every episode. Listeners hear disagreements, alternative interpretations and different perspectives on the same story. It also means the podcast can adapt to whatever is happening in football. With three episodes each week, there is enough room to cover breaking stories while still looking at wider issues affecting the game.
Three Episodes Every Week
The regular schedule is another major part of Football Weekly’s appeal. During the football season, the podcast generally produces three episodes each week, giving listeners regular opportunities to catch up with the latest developments. That frequency allows the show to cover a huge amount of football. A weekend review can focus on the Premier League and other domestic action, while another episode can examine European competitions or a major story away from the pitch.
It also helps explain why Football Weekly has remained relevant for so long. Football changes quickly, particularly during the season, and producing several episodes every week means the podcast can respond to those changes rather than simply providing a weekly review. During major tournaments, the schedule can become even more extensive. The 2026 World Cup, for example, saw Football Weekly produce World Cup Daily episodes covering the tournament’s biggest matches and stories.
How to Listen to Football Weekly
Football Weekly is available through all the major podcast platforms. You can listen through Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music, while the Guardian also hosts the episodes directly on its website. The Guardian’s website provides an option to download the audio, which is useful for anyone who wants to listen offline.
For those who prefer watching rather than listening, full episodes are also available on YouTube. This gives listeners the opportunity to put faces to the many voices involved in the podcast. It has also regularly taken its show on the road, holding live events where Rushden, Glendenning and other contributors bring the Football Weekly format to audiences around the UK.
Football Weekly may no longer be the only major football podcast on the market, but its longevity sets it apart. After first appearing during the 2006 World Cup, it has survived changes in presenters, technology and the wider podcast industry. Two decades later, it remains a regular source of football discussion.
For listeners who want a mixture of Premier League analysis, European football, EFL stories, women’s football, humour and plenty of different opinions, Football Weekly offers something few other pods do. You might not get your favourite contributor every time, but that unpredictability is part of what keeps the podcast interesting.