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World Cup Pregame Special: Breaking Down the 2026 World Cup

The World Cup is finally here! And as if Trevor’s World Cup Watch Party on YouTube wasn’t enough, every Monday throughout the tournament Trevor and his football frenemy Joe Opio will drop a special World Cup bonus episode of What Now? to break down the drama, brilliance, heartbreak, controversy, and occasional chaos that make the Beautiful Game the Beautiful Game. In this World Cup preview episode, Trevor and Joe get into who did (and didn’t 😬) make the cut to represent their country, whether England is once again being dramatically overrated (Joe said it, @ him), and the surprisingly controversial new halftime show planned for the final. Whether you can name every member of Brazil’s squad or you only tune in once every four years, Trevor and Joe will be with you for every twist and turn of football's biggest tournament. New bonus episodes drop Mondays at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. If you haven't already.... Subscribe to the channel here: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify 00:00:00 - Welcome to the World Cup Journey 00:02:02 - The Biggest World Cup Ever & The New Halftime Show 00:08:00 - Brazil's Emotional Squad Announcements & Neymar's Return 00:13:40 - João Pedro's Snub and the Pain of Missing the World Cup 00:19:15 - Messi, Spain and the Players Fighting Back From Injury 00:21:50 - England's World Cup Debate Begins 00:30:50 - Tuchel's Squad Selection and England's Chances 00:46:45 - World Cup Selection Drama Around the World 00:51:05 - The Last Dance of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar 00:55:05 - Can Portugal Win With Ronaldo? 00:58:30 - Iran, Politics and the Unique Power of the World Cup 01:03:30 - World Cup Predictions, Dark Horses and African Teams 01:07:15 - New Nations, American Fans and Growing the Game 01:10:20 - Why the World Cup Brings the Entire World Together 01:13:20 - Final Thoughts and Outro

Trevor NoahhostJoe Opiohost
Jun 9, 20261h 13mWatch on YouTube ↗

Episode Details

EPISODE INFO

Released
June 9, 2026
Duration
1h 13m
Channel
What Now? With Trevor Noah
Watch on YouTube
▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

The World Cup is finally here! And as if Trevor’s World Cup Watch Party on YouTube wasn’t enough, every Monday throughout the tournament Trevor and his football frenemy Joe Opio will drop a special World Cup bonus episode of What Now? to break down the drama, brilliance, heartbreak, controversy, and occasional chaos that make the Beautiful Game the Beautiful Game. In this World Cup preview episode, Trevor and Joe get into who did (and didn’t 😬) make the cut to represent their country, whether England is once again being dramatically overrated (Joe said it, @ him), and the surprisingly controversial new halftime show planned for the final. Whether you can name every member of Brazil’s squad or you only tune in once every four years, Trevor and Joe will be with you for every twist and turn of football's biggest tournament. New bonus episodes drop Mondays at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. If you haven't already.... Subscribe to the channel here: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify 00:00:00 - Welcome to the World Cup Journey 00:02:02 - The Biggest World Cup Ever & The New Halftime Show 00:08:00 - Brazil's Emotional Squad Announcements & Neymar's Return 00:13:40 - João Pedro's Snub and the Pain of Missing the World Cup 00:19:15 - Messi, Spain and the Players Fighting Back From Injury 00:21:50 - England's World Cup Debate Begins 00:30:50 - Tuchel's Squad Selection and England's Chances 00:46:45 - World Cup Selection Drama Around the World 00:51:05 - The Last Dance of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar 00:55:05 - Can Portugal Win With Ronaldo? 00:58:30 - Iran, Politics and the Unique Power of the World Cup 01:03:30 - World Cup Predictions, Dark Horses and African Teams 01:07:15 - New Nations, American Fans and Growing the Game 01:10:20 - Why the World Cup Brings the Entire World Together 01:13:20 - Final Thoughts and Outro

SPEAKERS

  • Trevor Noah

    host

    Comedian and TV host; creator and host of the podcast “What Now? With Trevor Noah.”

  • Joe Opio

    host

    Comedian and writer; co-host/regular contributor on “What Now? With Trevor Noah.”

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of What Now? With Trevor Noah, featuring Trevor Noah and Joe Opio, World Cup Pregame Special: Breaking Down the 2026 World Cup explores trevor Noah and Joe Opio preview 2026 World Cup chaos The hosts frame 2026 as the biggest World Cup ever—48 teams across the USA, Mexico, and Canada—arguing the expansion will add new nations, storylines, and logistical quirks.

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