About
There’s nothing quite like a soccer goal. As the 22nd Men's World Cup approaches in November 2022, this podcast takes a look back at the history of the World Cup, through the lens of 22 of the most iconic goals ever scored in the greatest sporting event on earth. Listen along as The Ringer’s Brian Phillips leads you on a breathless tour of nearly a century of World Cup history—from triumphs to tragedies, and everything in between. This is not a soccer podcast, it’s a history book on a rocket ship to the moon. (OK, fine, it is technically also a soccer podcast.) 22 Goals is also available in Spanish and Portuguese.
Creator
The Ringer
host
Reviews
Episodes(5)
19 | Pelé (1958)
In the series finale of 22 Goals, Brian looks back at one of soccer's most momentous beginnings: the childhood and early career of Pelé, the player who defined the modern game. From his origins as a barefoot boy playing soccer on the streets of Brazil to his breakout performance at the 1958 World Cu
18 | Carlos Alberto (1970)
How did soccer become "the beautiful game"? What does it mean for a game to be beautiful? Brian looks back at Brazil's 1970 World Cup team, a team that starred Pelé in his prime, and a goal that introduced millions to the ideal of o jogo bonito during the first World Cup ever broadcast on color TV.
17 | Michael Owen (1998)
After confessing a truly embarrassing secret—so embarrassing, oh my God—Brian looks back at the English Golden Generation, one of the most celebrated and reviled groups of athletes ever. It's a nonstop carnival of toxic tabloids, broken metatarsals, amazing hair (David Beckham), slightly less amazin
16 | Lionel Messi (2014) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2018)
With the two greatest players of their generation playing in what may be their final World Cup campaigns, Brian revisits their best moments in the tournament. We'll also talk about the most riveting athlete rivalries in sports. How did Messi and Ronaldo come to be as inextricably linked as Bird and
15 | Landon Donovan (2010)
As the U.S. men's national team gears up for its first game of the 2022 World Cup, Brian remembers Landon Donovan's last-gasp winner against Algeria in 2010. We'll talk about the elusiveness of joy, the magical consistency of the U.S. women's team, and the many wonderful ways in which Donovan's goal