Heroes & Humans of Football artwork

Soccer · Immaterial

Heroes & Humans of Football

by Immaterial

Listen to the stories behind football's biggest names, hosted by Simon Kuper and Mehreen Khan. "Hosts Simon Kuper and Mehreen Khan know their stuff." – The Guardian "The most interesting football podcast of the moment." – NRC, a leading Dutch daily Heroes & Humans moves beyond the traditional boundaries of sports commentary to explore the lives of football's most interesting figures. Whether episodes are about Messi, Abramovich, Cruyff, Şükür or Haaland, this is the go-to podcast for football audio-biographies. Released once weekly on Thursdays. Simon Kuper, acclaimed by Time Magazine as "one of the world's leading writers on soccer," and an awarded Financial Times columnist, brings a three-decade career of interviewing and understanding the personalities that define the world’s greatest sport. Having attended the last nine World Cups and boasting Europe's largest football library, Simon's insights are rooted in a profound depth of knowledge and passion for football. Mehreen Khan, whose day job is as the Economics Editor at The Times, believes football is a "brilliant shortcut in how to understand societies, economies, and politics". She is a football obsessive and die-hard Chelsea fan. With her ability to intertwine socio-political narratives with pop culture savvy, Mehreen stands out in the football podcasting landscape. Her presence as one of the few female voices adds a valuable dimension, broadening the conversation for listeners. Mehreen was previously the FT’s Brussels correspondent, before moving to The Times in 2022. She started her career in sports journalism at the Daily Telegraph in 2014, and wrote a football blog that touched on themes including Russia’s breakaway Muslim separatism, German multiculturalism, and the earth-shattering magnificence of Andrea Pirlo. Follow @heroesandhumans everywhere. Instagram TikTok Facebook X Visit our website for news and updates: heroesandhumans.com

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Geoff Hurst: The Last Boy of '66 - Living with Glory's Shadow

What happens when your greatest moment becomes both a blessing and a burden? This is not just the story of Geoff Hurst's World Cup hat-trick but a deeper exploration of a

Jan 16 2025
1 h 34 min

The Super Agents: How Mino Raiola Changed Football's Transfer Market Forever

How did a pizza waiter from Haarlem become one of football's most influential figures? This is the story of Mino Raiola, the super-agent who transformed the football tran

Jan 9 2025
1 h 46 min

Football and the trenches: The 1914 Christmas truce

In 1914, 110 years ago exactly, British and German troops came up from the trenches to meet in no man’s land and play football. This remarkable event, known as the Christ

Dec 19 2024
49 min

The Brazilian Ronaldo and the 1998 World Cup Mystery

12 July 1998, Paris. It’s the FIFA World Cup – France vs. Brazil. Brazil has the unstoppable Ronaldo (O Fenômeno – the Phenomenon) on their side, and crowds are expecting

Dec 12 2024
1 h 22 min

Live with Roddy Doyle: Roy Keane, Chelsea, Ireland & more

Our first-ever live show, recorded at the Kilkenomics Economics & Comedy Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland.  The sold-out event saw Simon and Mehreen take to the stage, discu

Dec 10 2024
1 h 02 min

Who is Manchester United’s new manager Ruben Amorim?

Manchester United has seen numerous managers come and go since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. With Erik Ten Hag now put to pasture, who is the new Portuguese millennial m

Dec 5 2024
50 min

Eric Cantona: Art, violence, and the remaking of English football

Eric Cantona is the epitome of Rimbaud and Rambo: an artistic poet and violent, tough man. So how did this paradoxical player transform Manchester United in the 1990s? An

Nov 28 2024
1 h 17 min

Megan Rapinoe: When soccer gets political

Megan Rapinoe is one of soccer’s most talented players, yet has an influence and legacy that extends far beyond the pitch. How did one American sportswoman become such a

Nov 21 2024
53 min

Cristiano Ronaldo’s battle for longevity

No footballer in history has had a career at the top for as long as Cristiano Ronaldo. Nearing his 40th birthday, when will it be time for Ronaldo to finally retire? And

Nov 14 2024
55 min

Cristiano Ronaldo: The alcoholic's son who became a workaholic

Vain, disciplined, consistent: Cristiano Ronaldo is a football legend like no other. How did this hyper-athletic, prone-to-cry Portuguese player become such a dominant fo

Nov 7 2024
1 h 00 min

Pogba: Brilliant, Betrayed, Banned.

Paul Labile Pogba is, according to host Simon, one of the most gifted players of all time. How did an international, record-breaking superstar become embroiled in a mess

Oct 31 2024
1 h 00 min

Maradona: Downfall

By his late-20s, superstar footballer Maradona had it all: copious wealth and record-breaking transfer fees, a rockstar lifestyle, and a glittering presence at the World

Oct 24 2024
54 min

Maradona: From the slum to world champion

Only a few people can say they carry the weight of a nation on their shoulders – and football superstar Diego Maradona was one of them. This episode, the first of a two-p

Oct 17 2024
1 h 04 min

Johan Neeskens: A Silent Legend in Total Football

In this special bonus episode, Simon and Mehreen pay tribute to the legendary Dutch footballer Johan Neeskens, who passed away suddenly at the age of 73. They reflect on

Oct 15 2024
37 min

Mauricio Pochettino: A new face for US soccer

Argentine football manager Pochettino has always been the type to fly under the radar – both as a player and a coach. Is it his time for the spotlight by bringing the US

Oct 10 2024
1 h 22 min

The reign of Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson spent 26 seasons as the coach of Manchester United – winning more trophies and accolades than any other manager in the history of football (although Pep may

Oct 3 2024
1 h 28 min

The making of Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson, the omnipotent, omnipresent orator, is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time. This episode tracks Ferguson’s early life and

Sep 26 2024
1 h 27 min

Sepp Blatter & the FIFA corruption scandal (ft. the man himself)

In 2010, the footballing community was shouting about corruption. FIFA had just awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. Something didn’t sou

Sep 19 2024
1 h 09 min

N'Golo Kanté: The humble superstar

Defensive midfielder N’Golo Kanté has left a huge legacy on football, yet hardly anything is known about him. How did this humble, fame-shy footballer become so beloved b

Sep 12 2024
49 min

The fall of José Mourinho

Charismatic and polarising football coach José Mourinho always has one single goal for his teams: to win, no matter what. It’s this mentality that led him to awards, acco

Sep 5 2024
59 min

Chart trend

Position in the Soccer chart (US), last 90 days.

#19
all-time peak
55
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Heroes & Humans of Football ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 19, 2026).

#192 NEW Soccer US

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Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Heroes & Humans of Football, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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