{"podcast":{"title":"First Touch '26 World Cup Podcast","slug":"kickback-26-7606085","podcast_index_feed_id":7606085,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/kickback-26/","website_url":"https://kickbacksoccer.com/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/18b0ac78-0fa4-4703-b61d-878064448fa7/firsttouch26-podtile-062326.png","author":"Kickback Soccer Media","episode_count":112,"summary":"First Touch is the home for World Cup 2026 storytelling and modern soccer coverage guiding fans from the road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and beyond. From premium podcasts and original series to smart analysis and cultural context, First Touch brings new, emerging, and diehard fans inclusive, American-driven perspectives on the stories shaping the global game, from now, through World Cup 2026, and into soccer’s future.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T10:18:22.450637+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kickback-26-7606085"},"episode":{"title":"World Cup Cult Heroes w/Musa Okwonga & Carlos Queiroz w/Eric Krakauer - Ep 9. First Touch Weekly","slug":"world-cup-cult-heroes-w-musa-okwonga-carlos-queiroz-w-eric-krakauer-ep-9-first-touch-weekly","published_at":"2026-04-17T14:15:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kickback-26-7606085/world-cup-cult-heroes-w-musa-okwonga-carlos-queiroz-w-eric-krakauer-ep-9-first-touch-weekly","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kickback-26-7606085","url":"https://kickbacksoccer.com/","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/77821811-830c-46db-aba4-5e033f120b60.mp3","summary":"This week host David Gass explores the characters that make a World Cup Special—the journeymen coaches, the big personalities, the cult heroes. To do so, Gass is joined by Eric Krakauer to discuss the winding and crazy coaching career of Carlos Queiroz, the newly appointed manager of Ghana. We are then joined by our friend Musa Okwonga from the Stadio podcast to define what it means to be a World Cup “cult hero” and and spotlight a handful of players who embody the spirit, drama, and mythology of world’s biggest tournament. 1:05 News On US Sporting Director Leaving For Saudi Arabi 2:25 Carlos Queiroz Hired By Ghana And What Makes Him Special w/Eric 13:20 What Makes A World Cup Cult Hero 16:45 Six Cult Heroes From Our Hosts","meta_description":"This week host David Gass explores the characters that make a World Cup Special—the journeymen coaches, the big personalities, the cult heroes. To do so,…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1979,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/kickback-26-7606085/episodes/world-cup-cult-heroes-w-musa-okwonga-carlos-queiroz-w-eric-krakauer-ep-9-first-touch-weekly/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kickback-26-7606085/world-cup-cult-heroes-w-musa-okwonga-carlos-queiroz-w-eric-krakauer-ep-9-first-touch-weekly.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}