Destination New Jersey: Host tensions, expansion beneficiaries & the Comoros dream
Football Daily
BBC
4.3 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 18 March 2025
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Is the tension between World Cup co-hosts USA, Canada and Mexico a concern? Can Comoros complete the ultimate underdog story? Plus, will Chris Wood and Erling Haaland be firing in the goals for New Zealand and Norway next year?
Kelly Cates and Rory Smith get our countdown to 2026 underway in Destination New Jersey.
JT Batson, CEO & Secretary General of the US Soccer Federation, joins us to discuss their preparations for the tournament. Former New Zealand manager, Ricki Herbert, talks up their chances of making it to next summer’s World Cup 16 years after he guided them to South Africa.
President of the Norwegian Football Association, Lise Klaveness, explains the pressure on them to ensure Erling Haaland and their talented generation can reach the finals.
And we’re joined by former Wolves boss Stefano Cusin as he bids to take Comoros to their first World Cup.
TIMECODES: 02:10 - JT Batson – CEO & Secretary General of US Soccer Federation 17:50 - Stefano Cusin – Comoros manager 26:19 – Ricki Herbert – Former New Zealand manager 39:36 – Lise Klaveness – President of the Norwegian Football Association.
Commentaries on 5 Live/BBC Sounds: Wednesday: Manchester City v Chelsea - Women's Champions League (8pm) Thursday: Greece v Scotland - Men's Nations League play-off (7:45pm) Friday: England v Albania - Men's World Cup 2026 qualifying (7:45pm) Sunday: Manchester City v Chelsea - Women's Super League (2:30pm)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Did you know that you can listen to many of your favorite podcasts first on BBC Sounds? |
| 0:06.9 | Like Friday Night Comedy, where you can hear the latest episode seven days earlier, |
| 0:11.0 | and a week is an extremely long time in politics. |
| 0:14.4 | Good things come to those who don't wait. |
| 0:17.4 | Listen to your favourite podcasts first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:22.8 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:27.7 | The Football Daily podcast with Kelly Kitts. |
| 0:34.9 | Hello and welcome to the Football Daily. |
| 0:37.3 | This is the first episode of Destination, New Jersey. |
| 0:41.1 | It's the start of our countdown to the 2026 World Cup. |
| 0:45.0 | We'll be back in every men's international break between now and the tournament next summer. |
| 0:50.3 | World Cup qualifying now well underway. |
| 0:52.3 | There are 206 teams bidding to claim the 45 places alongside |
| 0:57.4 | the three co-hosts of the USA, Canada and Mexico at next year's tournament. We'll try and pick out |
| 1:03.4 | some of the most interesting stories from right across the footballing world, as well as speaking |
| 1:08.3 | with some fascinating guests,, not least, the athletics |
| 1:12.3 | Rory Smith. Good evening, Rory. I'm very much the least of the fascinating guests, but you're doing |
| 1:16.8 | still in work Kelly trying not to cough. I'm very impressed. I did. I nearly choked with excitement, |
| 1:22.9 | it has to be said. Look, 450 days from the opening match, it might seem a long way away, but we're |
| 1:29.8 | right in the thick of it in terms of qualifying. Everybody's got their eyes on this. And with 48 |
| 1:35.0 | teams, it's going to be a World Cup unlike any other. Yeah, and obviously the expansion, I think, |
| 1:40.6 | was controversial and people will have views on it either way that I don't think either of us are going to be able to change. |
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