Football Weekly takes the World Cup conversation to SXSW
Football and pop culture collided in Austin, Texas last week as Football Weekly recorded a live show from the SXSW festival with the World Cup fast approaching. Hosts Max Rushden and Barry Glendenning brought the podcast on stage and were joined by Alexander Abnos, The Guardian’s senior US soccer editor, alongside Brendan Hunt, the actor and writer best known for his role on the hit series Ted Lasso.
The live session leaned into the growing sense of anticipation around international football’s biggest tournament, using the SXSW setting to widen the conversation beyond the usual sporting audience. According to the original Football Weekly report, Rushden and Glendenning travelled to SXSW and were joined on stage by Abnos and Hunt with “only a few months to go before the World Cup.” Those details were reported by Football Weekly via The Guardian. Source: The Guardian (Football section).
From Richmond to Austin: Ted Lasso’s football crossover
Hunt’s appearance underlined how football storytelling has moved into the mainstream, with Ted Lasso helping introduce new fans to the culture, language and emotion of the game. On stage, Hunt’s presence offered the podcast a bridge between the sport’s traditional media world and its expanding entertainment footprint—particularly in the United States, where football continues to fight for attention in a crowded sporting landscape.
For Rushden and Glendenning, the SXSW stop was also a reminder that major tournaments now live far beyond the pitch. The World Cup build-up is as much about narrative, identity and expectations as it is about tactics—topics well suited to a festival environment built for big conversations.
Infographic: Live at SXSW
Location: Austin, Texas (SXSW festival)
Show: Football Weekly (live recording)
Hosts: Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning
Guests: Alexander Abnos (The Guardian), Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso)
Theme: World Cup countdown
Key Takeaways
- Football Weekly recorded a live show from SXSW in Austin as the World Cup nears.
- Brendan Hunt joined the stage lineup, highlighting football’s growing crossover appeal through Ted Lasso.
- Alexander Abnos provided a US-focused lens as interest around the tournament builds stateside.
- The festival backdrop reflected how World Cup discourse increasingly blends sport, culture and media.
With the tournament approaching, Football Weekly’s SXSW episode served as a snapshot of football’s evolving place in the broader entertainment conversation. The guest list—equal parts journalism and television—captured where the game sits right now: deeply rooted in tradition, but increasingly shaped by new audiences and new platforms.
