Guardian Football Weekly
Hosted by Guardian Football Weekly
A witty, daily football recap from The Guardian, blending expert analysis with the distinct, long-running banter of its regular panel of journalists.
Effectively the audio equivalent of a group of knowledgeable, witty friends dissecting the day's football news in a pub. While rooted in tactical discussion and journalistic insight, the show's identity is defined by the chemistry and recurring inside jokes between host Max Rushden and his regular panel. The conversation balances serious analysis of on-pitch events with irreverent humor and personal anecdotes.
“The show's blend of high-level journalistic insight with a consistent, self-referential humor sets it apart from more straight-laced tactical shows. The recurring comedic bits, particularly the focus on panelist Mark Langdon's daily diet, create a unique club-like feel for long-time listeners.”
Who hosts this show
Guardian Football Weekly is an award-winning football podcast from the UK's Guardian newspaper, hosted by Max Rushden. The show, which began in 2006, features a rotating panel of journalists and correspondents breaking down the latest action from the Premier League, European and international football. Rushden has hosted since 2017 and is regularly joined by core panelists like Irish sports journalist Barry Glendenning to review results, discuss news, and preview upcoming matches. During major tournaments like the World Cup, the podcast airs daily.
Credentials & credits
- Host, The Guardian's Football Weekly podcast (Max Rushden)
- Former host, Soccer AM on Sky Sports (Max Rushden)
- Former host, talkSPORT (Max Rushden)
- Deputy Sports Editor, guardian.co.uk (Barry Glendenning)
- Sportswriter, The Guardian (Barry Glendenning)
- Digital Football Editor, Racing Post (Mark Langdon)
Other ventures
- Host, Stan Sport football coverage (Max Rushden)
- Columnist, Guardian Sport (Max Rushden)
- The Fiver, The Guardian's daily football newsletter (Barry Glendenning)
- Minute-by-minute match reports, The Guardian (Barry Glendenning)
- Contributor, talkSPORT (Mark Langdon)
- Contributor, Stan Sport in Australia (Mark Langdon)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02Kick off mixup | Max and Barry's World Cup Diaries episode 23Jun 27, 2026 · 42s
- 03Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay suffer shock exit from the World CupJun 27, 2026 · 1 min
- 04Is this the Republic of Ireland's favourite team at the World Cup?Jun 27, 2026 · 1 min
- 05France earn favourites tag and Cape Verde make history | World Cup DailyJun 27, 2026 · 43 min
- 06Ecstasy for Ecuador and draw puts Australia through | World Cup DailyJun 26, 2026 · 43 min
Notable episodes
- 01France earn favourites tag and Cape Verde make history | World Cup Daily
Showcases the podcast's classic blend of celebrating an underdog's historic achievement (Cape Verde) with analysis of a tournament favorite (France) and personal panel banter.
- 02Ecstasy for Ecuador and draw puts Australia through | World Cup Daily
A prime example of the show's humor, featuring a debate on hotels vs. apartments, a viral clip of a player yelling "Michael Jackson!", and Mark Langdon's "mac and cheese bridge".
- 03Mark Langdon's vegetable count | Max and Barry's World Cup Diaries episode 24
A short clip that perfectly encapsulates one of the show's most famous and long-running signature bits, highlighting the unique humor that defines the podcast.
What you'll be asked on this show
The show uses a panel discussion format led by host Max Rushden, who guides a rotating cast of two to three journalists through match recaps and news. While structured around the day's events, the format allows for significant tangents and comedic bits. The tone is informal, conversational, and often satirical.
Questions Guardian Football Weekly keeps coming back to
- “What did you make of the [game/event] then?”
- “How many vegetables today?”
- “Can we just talk about [specific play/moment]?”
Signature segments
- · Mark Langdon's vegetable count / food diary
- · Mark Langdon as the 'bracket man' for tournament permutations
- · Discussing Barry Glendenning lookalikes
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show primarily features a recurring stable of football journalists and correspondents rather than one-off celebrity interviews. Guests like Philippe Auclair, Archie Rhind-Tutt, and Mark Langdon are regulars who bring specialized knowledge from their respective beats (e.g., European leagues, betting analysis).
- Barry Glendenningon France earn favourites tag and Cape Verde make history | World Cup Daily
- Mark Langdonon France earn favourites tag and Cape Verde make history | World Cup Daily
- Philippe Auclairon France earn favourites tag and Cape Verde make history | World Cup Daily
- Archie Rhind-Tutton Ecstasy for Ecuador and draw puts Australia through | World Cup Daily
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast features host-read advertisements for major brands like Apple Sports and football-related companies. Given its association with The Guardian and a large, dedicated following, it likely attracts sponsors targeting a knowledgeable and engaged football audience.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Guardian Football Weekly
People also ask
- Who is the main host of Guardian Football Weekly?
- The main host is Max Rushden, a radio and television presenter who has hosted the podcast since 2017.
- Who are the regular panelists?
- The most frequent panelist is Barry Glendenning, deputy sports editor for The Guardian. Other common regulars include Mark Langdon of the Racing Post, and journalists like Philippe Auclair, Archie Rhind-Tutt, Jonathan Wilson, and Barney Ronay.
- How often does the podcast come out?
- During the regular season, the podcast typically releases three episodes a week. During major tournaments like the World Cup or Euros, it becomes a daily show.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a panel discussion where host Max Rushden guides several journalists through the latest football news, match results, and upcoming fixtures, mixed with significant comedic banter.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- Guardian Football Weekly is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and full video episodes are posted on YouTube.
- What kind of football does the show cover?
- The show focuses on the Premier League but also provides significant coverage of the Champions League, major European leagues (La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga), and international football.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Football Weekly podcast | The Guardiantheguardian.com
- [02]Max Rushden - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]Barry Glendenning - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [04]Mark Langdon | Racing Postracingpost.com
- [05]Philippe Auclair | The Guardiantheguardian.com
- [06]Archie Rhind-Tutt's Profile | The Guardian, ESPN Journalist | Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [07]Football Weekly - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
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