Canada and the US join the World Cup action

Summary

Global News Podcast (BBC World Service) – “Canada and the US join the World Cup action”
Date: June 13, 2026
Host: Alex Ritson

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Episode Overview

This episode unfolds with the excitement surrounding the start of the 2026 World Cup, highlighting the opening matches for co-hosts Canada and the United States. The podcast seamlessly transitions into major global news, including Elon Musk's historic milestone as the world’s first trillionaire, breakthrough negotiations to end the US-Iran conflict, bizarre Chinese allegations of "spy turtles," a significant development in lupus treatment, and Scotland’s emotional return to the World Cup after 28 years. The tone remains lively, insightful, and brisk—characteristic of BBC’s flagship international news podcast.

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World Cup 2026: Canada and the US Kick Off

[01:14–06:09]

Canada’s Opener in Toronto

• Canada drew 1:1 against Bosnia Herzegovina in their opening match in Toronto.
• Opening ceremony featured Canadian musical icons Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé.

Atmosphere on the Ground:

• Reporter Jessica Murphy and Shaima Khalil paint a vivid picture of Toronto's energized streets:
  • “You saw a sea of Canadian fans…a sea of red walking down this street with chants of O Canada.” – Shaima Khalil, [02:40]
  • "When Canada scored that tying goal, you could hear the cheer. There was no doubt what happened." – Shaima Khalil, [02:50]

USA’s Opener in Los Angeles

• USA defeated Paraguay 4:1 after an Opening Ceremony with Katy Perry.
• Celebrities present: Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Paris Hilton.

Fan Culture & the American Reception:

• “Among the fans…I absolutely love…the ultimate fan look…USA fan jersey, jean shorts, and cowboy boots.” – Shaima Khalil, [03:32]

The American ‘Soccer Fever’:

• Unlike previous World Cups, Los Angeles shows less visible excitement outside the main event zones.
• "Outside of the fan festival...you would be forgiven for not knowing that something is happening here." – Shaima Khalil, [04:32]
• Cultural context: World Cup competes with major local sports fever, like the Knicks in NBA basketball finals.
• "Organisers are hoping that as the tournament goes on…that will pick up." – Shaima Khalil, [05:54]

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Business & Technology: Elon Musk Becomes the First Trillionaire

[06:09–09:32]

• Musk’s SpaceX went public, shares soared 19%, company now valued over $2 trillion.
• "Billionaires are so passé because Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire." – Alex Ritson, [06:09]
• Lily Giamli (Tech Correspondent) explains:
  • Use of wealth: potential for greater political interventions, funding legal actions, new ventures.
  • Example: “Musk spent almost $300 million to help US President Donald Trump win…” – Lily Giamli, [06:49]
  • Broader investment context: SpaceX’s Starlink is profitable, but rocket operations are not.
  • Many Americans now exposed to SpaceX via retirement funds or major stock indices.
  • Market caution: “A quarter of stocks that IPO lose half or more of their value within the first three years…” – Lily Giamli, [08:45]

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Diplomacy: US–Iran Peace Talks Advance

[09:32–13:30]

Details of a Possible Breakthrough Deal

• Both American and Iranian officials indicate peace deal is close.
• Bernd Debusmann (Washington Correspondent):
  • Iran to give up nuclear enrichment; in return, US would lift sanctions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Stepwise, performance-based sanction relief with independent nuclear verification.
  • "This would be very much seen as a victory for the White House if it is in fact what the Iranians have agreed to." – Bernd Debusmann, [11:16]

Iranian Perspective

• Keshia Janaidi (BBC Persian Service):
  • Iranian officials frame it as a win, but tough nuclear issues to be discussed after signing.
  • Strait of Hormuz reopening, with Iran maintaining control and possibly receiving new fees.
  • First time US would sign a document guaranteeing non-interference in Iran’s internal affairs.
  • “Hardliners…say Iran is giving more concessions…more damaging than previous texts.” – Keshia Janaidi, [12:50]

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Quirk in Global Espionage: China Accuses “Spy Turtles”

[16:03–19:45]

• Chinese government claims foreign spies are using “sensor-fitted” turtles and fish to gather data.
• “Spy turtles and spy fish…collecting what the Chinese say is sensitive data, then transmitted overseas by satellite.” – Joanna Keane, [17:02]
• The data—like ocean currents and temperature—could help intelligence build a picture of coastal defense.
• Other spy tech: monitoring buoys, solar-powered “wave gliders,” disguised shipborne equipment.
• "They want stringent checks on equipment...and have called on fishermen to report suspicious devices." – Joanna Keane, [18:13]
• China avoids naming the country behind the alleged espionage; context given of past spy-animal stories (e.g., Russia’s dolphins, harnessed whales).

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India: Ongoing Probe into Air Crash

[19:45–21:16]

• Marking a year since deadly Air India crash (260 dead), probe continues amid speculation of pilot involvement.
• Investigators urge public to avoid premature conclusions.
• “It was essential to establish the truth…to prevent future tragedies.” – Theo Leggett, [20:49]

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Health Breakthrough: “Transformative” Lupus Therapy Shows Promise

[21:16–25:21]

• UK researchers trialing immune “reset” therapy: genetically modifies patient’s immune cells to kill those causing lupus.
  • “What we’ve seen…is truly transformative.” – Professor Carl Peggs, [23:57]
  • Intensive one-off hospital process, but may reduce need for lifelong treatments.
  • Not a confirmed cure, but early remission results bring significant hope.
  • Trials currently in UK and globally; could become routine in years if results persist.
  • “It’s a number of years of trials…as many patients as possible…and then hopefully, as we look down, four or five years from now, we’ll see this as a routine therapy.” – Prof. Peggs, [25:16]

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Special Feature: Scotland’s Return to the World Cup

[25:21–29:21]

• First appearance since 1998; stirs national pride and emotion.
• Paul Lambert (Scotland Midfielder, France ‘98) recalls facing Brazil:
  • “They look great, don't they?...We’re pale and we’re no teeth and Vaseline on your eyebrows. But we gave them our game, we gave them a right good game.” – Paul Lambert, [26:35]
  • “The World Cup growing up was every boyhood dream...the biggest tournament in the world.” – Paul Lambert, [26:57]
  • “We’ve needed this to galvanise everybody and enjoy football again.” – Paul Lambert, [27:02]
• Voices from Linlithgow Rose Ladies reflect multi-generational excitement:
  • “I think Scotland are just…the whole country is going to love it. It’s going to be amazing.” – Kirsty Barnes, [28:23]
  • “Watching your national team go out into the pitch…it’s definitely an emotional moment…” – Lucy McKeon, [29:03]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Billionaires are so passé because Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire.” – Alex Ritson, [06:09]
• “Not everyone is a fan of Elon Musk’s, but there are plenty of people out there who are.” – Lily Giamli, [07:53]
• “A sea of red walking down this street with chants of O Canada.” – Shaima Khalil, [02:48]
• “They look a million dollars and we're from Scotland and we're pale and we're no teeth...” – Paul Lambert, [26:35]
• “Massive breakthrough…what we’ve seen in terms of the patients we’ve treated is truly transformative.” – Prof. Carl Peggs, [23:57]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:14] – Headlines and World Cup Opening Matches
• [02:40] – Atmosphere in Toronto
• [03:32] – Atmosphere in Los Angeles
• [04:19] – American Public's Reaction to Hosting
• [06:09] – Elon Musk Becomes World’s First Trillionaire
• [09:32] – US-Iran Peace Talks and Potential Breakthrough
• [11:58] – Iranian Perspective on Proposed Peace Deal
• [16:03] – China’s Claims of ‘Spy Turtles’ and Maritime Espionage
• [19:45] – India’s Air Crash Investigation Update
• [21:16] – Lupus Immune Reset Breakthrough Interview
• [25:21] – Scotland’s Return to the World Cup

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This episode offers a global rollercoaster: from the thrill of the World Cup’s opening day in North America, to history-making billionaires and peace talks in the Middle East, to science, mystery, and the emotional resonance of sporting dreams revived.

Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

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[Alex Ritson]

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson and in the early hours of Saturday 13th June, these are our main stories. Co hosts Canada and the US get their World cup campaigns underway. Elon Musk becomes the world's first trillionaire. Both U.S. and Iranian officials have indicated that a deal to end the war is within reach. Also in this podcast, spy turtles and

[Joanna Keane]

spy fish have apparently been found swimming in a specific area collecting what the Chinese say is sensitive data which is then transmitted overseas using satellite.

[Alex Ritson]

The Chinese government has accused foreign spies of attaching sensors to turtles. We begin the podcast with the latest from the World cup co hosts. Canada kicked off their tournament a few hours ago, drawing 1:1 with Bosnia Herzegovina in in Toronto. After Mexico began proceedings at the Azteca Stadium on Thursday, it was the turn of Canada to take its place in the spotlight with an opening ceremony featuring homegrown music stars Alanis Morissette and Michael Buble. Our reporter Jessica Murphy was in Toronto ahead of the game.

[Shaima Khalil]

I gotta say it's today that you really felt the buzz in this city. It was just this morning you saw a sea of Canadian fans, just a

[Lily Giamli]

sea of red walking down this street

[Shaima Khalil]

with chants of O Canada. Heading into the stadium grounds behind me. And when Canada scored that tying goal, you could hear the cheer. There was no doubt what happened just

[Alex Ritson]

before we recorded this edition of the podcast, the USA completed their first match against Paraguay. It ended 4:1 to the hosts. And yes, it too was preceded by another opening ceremony. This one featured Katy Perry. The famous names looking on included Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Paris Hilton. I've been speaking to our correspondent in la, Shaima Khalil, who gave us a sense of the atmosphere in the city before the match started.

[Shaima Khalil]

I am among the fans in the iconic Coliseum Stadium here in la. This is the fan festival hub and I'm surrounded by different jerseys. A lot of red, white and blue USA jerseys, but also a lot of Mexico T shirts. And the ultimate fan look that I absolutely love, that I have to tell you about was a USA fan jersey and jeans, shorts and cowboy boots. Not that I can pull it off. I just thought if I were to. To ever want to have a fan uniform, that would be my uniform. And I've seen a couple of those and they looked great. Yes, just a lot of colours and a lot of excitement ahead of the opening game.

[Alex Ritson]

Usually when a country hosts the World cup, it goes football mad. You don't even call it football in America, though. Are they going football mad? Soccer mad.

[Shaima Khalil]

So I've agreed with our producers that I'm going to say soccer, football, football, soccer, and use those two words interchangeably throughout the tournament. But it's interesting that you should say this, Alex, because outside of the fan festival, outside of the zone, if you were dry, if you were to drive maybe half an hour out, you would be forgiven for not knowing that something is happening here, that the World cup is to being hosted by la, by the United States. In fact, some of our BBC sports colleagues were in a taxi and the driver said, wait a minute, the World cup is here? Who's playing? What's going on? And you feel that some of the fans, for example, that arrived here, they were surprised that there wasn't more branding in the airport, for example, or in public transport. Whereas I remember covering the World cup in Qatar, covering the Women's World cup in Australia and New Zealand, and you were immersed in it. It was in your face. And I think it's a couple of things. One, LA is really sprawled out, but also the fact that the world's biggest, the world's beautiful game and the world's biggest football showcase is really competing with a lot. I will remind our listeners that basketball is the big thing here and the Knicks in New York are hoping to make basketball history on Saturday. And that's fever. That buzz has just completely taken the United States by storm. But it is interesting that it has been a slow burn and organizers have been saying it has been slow to pick up. They are hoping that as the tournament goes on, and of course, key to that is how far the US make it into the tournament, that that will pick up.

[Alex Ritson]

Shaima Khalil. Now some numbers to get your head around. Billionaires are so passe because Elon Musk has become the world's first trillionaire. After shares in his SpaceX rocket company were floated on the stock market. They soared by 19% during trading and it's now valued at more than $2 trillion, making it one of the biggest companies in the world. A trillion, of course, is equal to 1000 billion. Lily Giamli is our North America technology correspondent and I first asked her, what can a trillionaire do that a billionaire can't?

[Lily Giamli]

I mean, if it was me, I would go for the unlimited ice cream option. Our colleagues over on BBC Social video, they actually did look at this. What can you buy with a trillion dollars? They found that you could buy every major US sports team or 175.7 billion Big Macs. So there's that. But on a more serious note, I think we're about to find out, and I don't think it's all going to necessarily be positive. I would point you to the 2024 election in which Elon Musk spent almost $300 million to help US President Donald Trump win. And with campaign finance laws being what they are in the us, imagine even more money being deployed in such a way on both sides of the political aisle. I also think it may go into funding more legal action against Musk's rivals, which we've seen some highlights there this past year. And it could also go towards starting new businesses that Musk has been eyeing or interested in developing. We shall see.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah. And SpaceX are investors buying stock for normal investment reasons or something else?

[Lily Giamli]

I think there's a wide range of reasons that investors are interested. Not everyone is a fan of Elon Musk's, but there are plenty of people out there who are. In Silicon Valley, I regularly come across people who firmly believe in Musk's ability to execute on big ideas. And while SpaceX is not profitable, it does include his rocket operation and Starlink, the satellite Internet service. I do want to highlight that there are a lot of Americans who are going to be exp to SpaceX stock, whether they like it or not. And that's going to come via 401k retirement accounts or the stock Portfolios of these individual investors who like to pick a stock index like the NASDAQ 100 and just plunk their money there and see what happens.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, and the slightly unfortunate metaphor for SpaceX, but presumably there are people saying that what goes up must come down, Right?

[Lily Giamli]

I mean, it's possible SpaceX will continue to do well as it did today. We saw a big pop in the stock stock this afternoon, but there's no guarantee the arrow is going to continue to move up and to the right. You know, I, I'll share just one statistic that I think is really interesting. When you look at IPOs or these public listings like what we saw today. A quarter of stocks that IPO lose half or more of their value within the first three years of trading. That's according to one analysis that I've seen. So again, this is not a profitable company, has one profit center in its satellite Internet service Starlink. The rest of it with loses money. So we'll be watching this stock trade closely over the coming weeks and months and years, but there are plenty of skeptics out there.

[Alex Ritson]

Lily Jamali since the US war with Iran began more than three months ago, there have been many claims from Donald Trump that a deal to end it is close. But this time maybe it could be different. It's not just positive noises from the White House. The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi announced on Friday evening that that a statement about the future control of the Strait of Hormuz should be expected soon. It's understood the deal could involve both reopening the crucial shipping route and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports. Our correspondent in Washington, Bernd Debusmann, began by telling us about news from a senior official in Washington about a potential memorandum of understanding, an mou.

[Bernd Debusmann]

What that deal is is a, that Iran would give up its nuclear enrichment program. The highly enriched uranium would be destroyed in place and then removed from Iran. At the same time, the blockade would be lifted and the Strait of Hormuz would be open quite significantly. The official also said that it would require kind of a lasting peace, which in practice means that Iran would have to stop funding proxy militias, for example Hezbollah in Lebanon. Now there's always been the issue of the money, Iran's frozen assets, that there had been some reporting that suggested that the Iranians were insistent that at least part of that money is released once this MOU is signed immediately. The White House for their part says that that's not the case, that this is a performance based deal. So for example, when Iran gives up highly enriched uranium or opens up the Strait of Hormuz, that money would then be released and it would be kind of incremental, step by step, that whenever Iran does something more funds would be released. And they kind of spoke quite a bit about a verification system going forward in which, for example, with the highly enriched uranium that would be independently monitored and verified to make sure that Iran is doing what they've agreed to in the mou. Overall, I think, I mean, these are generally the things that the White House has been insisting since the beginning on the conflict that they want from Iran. There was no mention, however, of Iran's missile program for, for example, going forward. But generally I think this would be very much seen as a victory for the White House if it is in fact what the Iranians have agreed to.

[Alex Ritson]

So what is the view in Iran? Keshia Janaidi is from the BBC's Persian service in Washington.

[Keshia Janaidi]

The Iranian regime and the supporters of a possible deal are framing this as a victory for the Iranian regime. We had Abbas Arakchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, talk to State TV and there are some important or interesting facts in his talks. First of all, although the Americans are saying that Iran has agreed to dismantle its nuclear program, Abbas Arakchi said difficult issues such as a nuclear program have been agreed to be discussed in the 60 day period after signing the MoU. And then the other thing he talked about is about the Strait of Hormuz, which the Americans say that the Iranians have agreed to open it. And Abbas Arakchee says of course Iran is going to guarantee safe passage to all ships. The Strait of Hormuz is going to be be open, but the regime in the state of Hormuz will be different from the time before of the war. And at some time a service has to be paid to Iran because Iran is going to be taking care of the state of Hormuz. And one issue that he talked about is that for the first time in the past 47 years, the Americans are going to sign a document which guarantees their respect for Iran's territorial sovereignty. And they're going to guarantee that they're not going to interfere in Iran's internal issues. But on the other side, the hardliners in Iran, they're not happy about this deal. We just had Hardline MP talking against it and he says this version of the deal, he's seen the draft agreement and he says Iran is giving more concessions to the Americans and it's much more damaging than the previous texts that had been created.

[Alex Ritson]

And Iran had rejected earlier the BBC's Kashia Janadi. Still to come in this podcast we

[Paul Lambert]

are from Scotland and we're pale and we're no teeth and Vaseline on your eyebrows. But we gave them our game. We gave them a really good game.

[Alex Ritson]

You know More from the World cup and Scotland's return to the tournament for the first time in 28 years,

[Shaima Khalil]

We

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[Alex Ritson]

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[Alex Ritson]

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[Joanna Keane]

Well, they're saying that foreign spies are attaching sensors to big maritime animals like turtles and fish to monitor the country's waters. Now these spy turtles and spy fish have apparently been found swimming in a specific area collecting what the Chinese say is sensitive data which is then transmitted overseas using satellite. Now this data they've used examples like water temperature, ocean currents does sound fairly innocent. But the Chinese say this can be used to build up a wider picture of coastal defenses which could then pose a threat to China's national security. Now their social media post is called under the Deep Blue. Undercurrents are surging. Now the Ministry of State Security gives details of other espionage equipment. So we've got an ocean monitoring buoy which is fitted with a sensor on top and has a chain to anchor it down, something called wave gliders. These are devices powered by the waves and solar energy. They have radio communication on board. They can receive real time satellite instructions and then transmit information back to military overseas. And they also talk about shipborne electronic equipment, basically devices that look like normal devices that you on a ship, but they're actually being used for intelligence gathering. So the appeal is the ministry saying, look, maritime security is as important part of national security. They want stringent checks on equipment received from abroad and says companies shouldn't just be casually buying and installing equipment. And of course they've also called on fishermen to report any suspicious looking devices.

[Alex Ritson]

And who are they claiming is behind this spying?

[Joanna Keane]

Well, we're used to, aren't we? Beijing and Western governments trading accusations of espionage. In this case, it doesn't specify which foreign country is apparently using these devices, but it has made claims in the past about espionage and its waters, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, some sensitive areas there. One example in 2024 it said it had identified lighthouses hidden on the ocean floor that could apparently guide foreign submarines and preset the field for battle.

[Alex Ritson]

And this isn't the first time that there have been claims made about the use of marine animals to spy and perhaps carry out missions.

[Joanna Keane]

That's right. Well, in 2023, we had British intelligence saying Russia was using trained dolphins. That was at Sevastopol Naval Base in southern Crimea. They were apparently put in floating pens, used to retrieve objects and deter enemy divers. We also had a beluga whale in 2019, Caugh the attention in Norway because it was wearing a harness. Was it a Russian spy or not?

[Alex Ritson]

Joanna Keen, Investigators in India say they're still examining why a plane crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport a year ago, killing 260 people. The investigation has become mired in controversy, with speculation that one of the pilots on the Air India flight may have been responsible. Relatives of those who died have been marking the anniversary by gathering at the site. Our correspondent Theo Leggett has this report.

[Theo Leggett]

A year after Flight 171 crashed, relatives of those who died held a vigil at the scene of the accident. The plane went down 32 seconds after taking off on what should have been a routine flight to London. A preliminary report released last July revealed that the fuel supply to the engines had been cut off. That prompted widespread speculation that the crash may have been caused by one of the pilots. Since then, there has been a strong backlash from safety campaigners, representatives of those who died and pilots unions. This statement from India's Air Accident Investigation Bureau said significant progress had been made and evidence was currently being analyzed in a comprehensive manner. It urged the public and the media to refrain from speculation or premature conclusions. Lawyers representing victims families said it was essential to establish the truth in order to understand what happened and prevent future tragedies.

[Alex Ritson]

Theo Leggatt Next, what could be a major breakthrough in the treatment of the autoimmune disease lupus. It's a chronic condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, causing painful damage across the whole body. But a new trial in the UK offers real hope for people with the disease. It involves a treatment that acts like an immune reset, which has the potential to remove the need for lifelong treatment. Professor Carl Peggs is director of the Biomedical Research Centre at London's University College Hospital. He told my colleague James Kumarasamy about the work behind the discovery.

[Professor Carl Peggs]

We've been developing a therapy to try and suppress the bad cells that are the cause of lupus. The work that really led to it spans back over the past 10 years we've been developing ways to redirect to genetically immune cells, redirect them to kill cancer cells. And we recognize that we'd be able to use those same technologies potentially in conditions like lupus, to reprogram the immune system to destroy the cells causing the disease and as you rightly say, reset the immune system.

[Alex Ritson]

Tell us a bit more about lupus and what it is like for people with it.

[Professor Carl Peggs]

It's a disorder that more commonly affects women than men. Commonly its onset is in the 20s or 30s and then patients will have to live with it entire life. The disease is manifest, as you say, by the immune system attacking the patient. Most commonly that, that's the, the joints, the muscles. And so a good day for a lupus patient is feeling like they have the flu with achy, swollen joints. But in worst cases it can affect the, the heart, the, the kidneys and the lungs and that can be life threatening.

[Alex Ritson]

How would you describe that, what you have found? It's not a cure, is it? But how would you describe it?

[Professor Carl Peggs]

I think it's far too early to say that it's a cure. The therapies that we've had for lupus for the past couple of decades act by just non specifically suppressing the immune system. So just damping down the problem if you will. What this therapy does is it takes that down a step further so it allows us to really suppress the immune system very deeply for a short period of time and then as the new immune system comes back, it resets. So what changes here is potentially we have a one off treatment that gives a deeper effect and that's what we've seen in the early trials that we don't know if that will be a long term remission or indeed eventually if the disease never comes back a cure.

[Alex Ritson]

Would you describe it as a breakthrough though?

[Professor Carl Peggs]

Massive breakthrough. I think what we've seen in terms of the patients we've treated is truly transformative.

[Alex Ritson]

And just tell us a bit more about the treatment itself.

[Professor Carl Peggs]

So it's a complicated treatment. The patients have to go through quite a lot. They need to come into hospital and we put them on a machine to take their blood out and take out the immune cells, we to make the drug. We then spend about two weeks making, genetically modifying and making the drug. And then the patients come back into hospital, they have to have three days of chemotherapy, which is quite grueling. And then we re infuse the cells and keep them for a further two weeks. So overall it's a long process. They're in hospital for a long time, but once they get out of hospital, we've seen vast improvements in their symptoms and hopefully that continues.

[Alex Ritson]

And this is a trial, isn't it? So how soon might patients actually be able to access this?

[Professor Carl Peggs]

Well, in terms of patients, certainly if they're eligible, they can come on the trials now, but in terms of.

[Alex Ritson]

And then just this is just in the uk. So just to be clear, or there are other countries doing similar things?

[Professor Carl Peggs]

There are. So the initial trials were initiated in Germany and there are a number of trials now worldwide. But in order to turn a trial into a drug, you can buy, if you will and give on the nhs, it's usually a five year journey. So I think it's a number of years of trials. Hopefully we can treat as many patients as possible and then hopefully as we look down, four or five years from now, we'll see this as a routine therapy.

[Alex Ritson]

Professor Carl Peggs, Director of the Biomedical Research Centre at London's University College Hospital. Back to our top story, the World Cup. Once upon a time, Scotland routinely qualified. But then came more than a quarter of a century in the wilderness, leaving a generation of young Scots who've never seen their men's team compete in the tournament. Ahead of their first match against Haiti, Scotland is remembering how it feels. James Cook has this report.

[James Cook]

The last time Scotland's men played in the World Cup, Bill Clinton was in the White House and Google didn't exist. It was a different time. No social media, no Scottish Parliament.

[Alex Ritson]

The teams in the tunnel ready to take the field. I can just imagine what must be going through those Scottish players minds.

[James Cook]

In the opening match of France 98, Scotland took on world champions Brazil. Midfielder Paul Lambert remembers it well.

[Paul Lambert]

You knew who they were. They look great, don't they? They smell great. We, after shaving, things like that, they, they look a million dollars and we're from Scotland and were pale and were no teeth and Vaseline on your eyebrows. But we gave them our game, we gave them a right good game. You know. The World cup growing up was every boyhood dream that, that was the biggest tournament in the world and still is to this day.

[James Cook]

What does it mean to Scotland as a nation being back there now?

[Paul Lambert]

We've needed it, needed this to galvanize everybody and enjoy football again.

[James Cook]

And it's unlikely anyone will enjoy it more than Scotland's famous travelling support, the Tartan army.

[Alex Ritson]

The first Scotland team in 28 years

[Professor Carl Peggs]

to walk out at a World cup

[Alex Ritson]

is just going to be something so special.

[James Cook]

Josh Henderson calls Himself a foot soldier in that army, he's been following the national side for nearly 20 years and he says it's about much more than football.

[Professor Carl Peggs]

We want to express ourselves internationally. We want to demonstrate the sort of

[Alex Ritson]

pride in being Scottish as a distinct

[Professor Carl Peggs]

way of seeing yourself and identifying yourself.

[James Cook]

I've travelled to Linlithgow now to meet a women's football team to chat about the World Cup. But unfortunately the weather here against us, the hailstones are bouncing off the ground. Well, the weather's improved now, which wouldn't be hard. The hail's off, the sun's shining as it sets, and Linlithgow Rose Ladies are now out on the pitch. They're playing a friendly and there's a lot of excitement here about Scotland's men heading out to the World cup finals.

[Kirsty Barnes / Lucy McKeon]

So I'm Kirsty Barnes, I play for Linlithgow Rose and I'm mainly a left winger or a centre mid.

[James Cook]

How will you feel when Scotland's men run out for the first World cup finals they've been in in your lifetime?

[Kirsty Barnes / Lucy McKeon]

Amazing. Amazing. I think you'll have that nerve through you. You'll have the buzz, you'll have excitement and I think Scotland are just. The whole country is going to love it. It's going to be amazing. So My name's Lucy McKeon. I play for Dunlithgow Rose Community Football Club and I am a centre mid striker in the World Cup. I've never qualified since I've been born. I couldn't actually believe what I was watching, to be honest. Everyone's super, super excited. I'm a teacher at a school in Glasgow and you can see the kids are so hyped up as well about it. So exciting.

[James Cook]

And what does that mean for the country back home, for people here?

[Kirsty Barnes / Lucy McKeon]

Yeah, it'll just give us such a great buzz to watch them. Even though it's very, very late at night, seeing your national team go out into the pitch, it's definitely an emotional moment and I think I will be a bit emotional throughout the field game and at the end in the every other game that they play in, everyone's just super excited, sighted, super on board and can't wait to see them do well.

[James Cook]

And that is a sentiment shared right across Scotland.

[Alex Ritson]

James Cook. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail] you can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod and don't forget our sibling podcast, the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Masoud Ibrahim Khalil and the producer was Pete Ross. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time. Goodbye.

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