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We are numb, as Americans, to the attention of the globe and the power structures of our sports leagues. But what if love of country could be simple again? And what if fans had more power than we thought? Pablo feels the football osmosis from the (banned) bestselling author and his old friend turned MacArthur Genius, as they offer a liberal-arts education in the beautiful game — from the fault in our superstar interviews to the damage wrought by Alexi Lalas upon our would-be Neymars and Messis. Plus: a pump-up speech that Ted Lasso would never, ever fantasize about.
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"What the World Cup Can Teach the American Fan, with John Green and Daniel Alarcón" is an episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out. Runtime 40 min. Published June 25, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.