The Away End with Daniel Alarcón and John Green
Two novelists and longtime friends use international soccer as a lens to discuss culture, politics, literature, and life.
This is a warm, intellectual conversation between two old friends who happen to be celebrated authors. They use soccer—specifically the World Cup—as a framework to explore everything from the poetics of Lionel Messi's movement to the politics of national identity. The show blends high-brow literary references with genuine, unpretentious love for the game and its surrounding fan culture, making it feel like eavesdropping on a particularly insightful chat at a pub.
“Unlike tactical soccer analysis podcasts, The Away End's strength is the hosts' novelistic perspective. Their friendship provides a comfortable, humorous dynamic, and their ability to weave in personal anecdotes and cultural criticism makes the show unique.”
Who hosts this show
Bestselling authors Daniel Alarcón and John Green, friends since they were teenagers, host a podcast that uses the World Cup and international football as a jumping-off point. More than just a sports show, The Away End explores politics, literature, and culture, examining how the global love for soccer reveals deeper truths about who we are.
Credentials & credits
- Daniel Alarcón: Novelist, MacArthur Fellow, Assistant Professor at Columbia Journalism School.
- John Green: Novelist ('The Fault in Our Stars'), YouTuber (Vlogbrothers, Crash Course).
- Daniel Alarcón: Co-founder and Executive Producer of 'Radio Ambulante' podcast.
- John Green: Printz Medal and Edgar Award winner.
- Daniel Alarcón: BA in Anthropology from Columbia University, MFA from Iowa Writers' Workshop.
- John Green: BA in English and Religious Studies from Kenyon College.
Other ventures
- Daniel Alarcón: Radio Ambulante (podcast), The New Yorker (contributing writer).
- John Green: Vlogbrothers (YouTube channel), Crash Course (educational YouTube series), The Anthropocene Reviewed (podcast and book).
- John Green: VidCon (co-founder), Project for Awesome (annual charity event).
- Daniel Alarcón: Author of 'At Night We Walk in Circles' and 'Lost City Radio'.
- John Green: Awesome Socks Club & Awesome Coffee Club (charity-focused subscription services).
- John & Hank Green: Foundation to Decrease World Suck (nonprofit).
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Americana Culture with an Achy Breaky Heart Vibe and Unforgettable MomentsJun 24, 2026 · 47 min
- 02Eliseo's Love of SoccerJun 24, 2026 · 47s
- 03USMNT's New Chant Is CLASSJun 24, 2026 · 48s
- 04Messi's Incredibly Slow PaceJun 24, 2026 · 29s
- 05Pochettino's Redemption, Alarcón vs. Jordan and the First Days of the World CupJun 17, 2026 · 49 min
- 06World Cup Brackets, Predictions, and an Enigmatic, Beautiful ManJun 10, 2026 · 46 min
- 07Pochettino's Folly, Spain Deep Dive and Sweet Sweet MusicJun 3, 2026 · 49 min
- 08Victory Lap for Arsenal & A Super-Sized Listener MailbagMay 27, 2026 · 56 min
Notable episodes
- 01Americana Culture with an Achy Breaky Heart Vibe and Unforgettable Moments
John records from a barge in France while the hosts offer a memorable description of Lionel Messi's unique, seemingly slow-paced genius.
- 02Pochettino's Redemption, Alarcón vs. Jordan and the First Days of the World Cup
Daniel recounts the emotional experience of watching the Cape Verde vs. Spain match with a friend who had personal ties to the Cape Verdean team.
- 03World Cup Brackets, Predictions, and an Enigmatic, Beautiful Man
The hosts launch a listener bracket competition with signed books as the prize and have a lengthy, humorous debate about a controversial player celebration.
What you'll be asked on this show
This is a two-host conversational show, not an interview podcast. The hosts, Daniel Alarcón and John Green, often record remotely and are occasionally joined by their producer, Sean, for recurring segments. The tone is a mix of witty banter, personal reflection, and sharp cultural commentary.
Signature segments
- · Listener bracket competitions
- · Asking the producer a soccer question
- · Vocabulary questions
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show does not feature external guests. The only other recurring voice is the show's producer, Sean, who occasionally participates in segments.
- Seanon World Cup Brackets, Predictions, and an Enigmatic, Beautiful Man
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Based on the episodes reviewed, the podcast does not appear to feature sponsors or advertisements.
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.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of The Away End?
- The hosts are novelists John Green ('The Fault in Our Stars') and Daniel Alarcón ('At Night We Walk in Circles'), who have been friends since high school.
- What is the format of the podcast?
- It's a conversational podcast where the two hosts discuss international soccer, using it as a lens to explore culture, politics, literature, and personal stories. It is not an interview show.
- Is this a podcast for soccer experts?
- No, it's accessible to casual fans and even non-fans who are interested in the hosts' perspectives on culture, life, and politics through the prism of sport.
- Do they have guests on the show?
- No, The Away End does not feature interviews. It is a conversation between the two co-hosts, sometimes including their producer, Sean.
- Is the podcast still being released?
- Yes, based on recent episode dates from June 2026, the podcast is actively releasing new episodes.
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]The Away End with Daniel Alarcón and John Green - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [02]Daniel Alarcón - MacArthur Foundationmacfound.org
- [03]Daniel Alarcón - Columbia Journalism Schooljournalism.columbia.edu
- [04]John Green - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [05]Radio Ambulante - About Usradioambulante.org
- [06]John Green - Book Reporterbookreporter.com
- [07]Hank and John Green: Changemakers 2023 | Moneymoney.com
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