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Important update on 1476AMStuds Up: England loom for All Whites as World Cup hype builds
Sport Nation • April 22nd, 2026 3:50 pm
Tune into Studs Up! with hosts Daniel McHardy & Riccardo Ball, 6pm Wednesdays, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
With leagues around the world reaching their climaxes and the FIFA World Cup 2026 just 50 days away, Studs Up! hosts Riccardo Ball and Daniel McHardy dive into all the footballing action.
With the All Whites preparing to take on England in a warm-up for their World Cup campaign, the boys are also interested in how the English squad will shape up for the tournament, and they’re not confident head coach Thomas Tuchel will make the right decision when it comes to his squad depth.
“If you’re Thomas Tuchel and you’ve got to pick a striker to take the World Cup to back up Harry Kane, who would you go with?” Ball asked.
“Strangely I’d take the guy (Danny Welbeck) who’s scored 13 goals this season,” McHardy replied.
“But that means nothing to Thomas Tuchel. Remember, Thomas Tuchel is the smartest person in the room, he knows more than anyone.”
A fall from grace has hit one of the biggest underdog stories in world football, as 2015/16 Premier League champions Leicester City suffered back-to-back relegations, falling all the way down to the third tier of the English football.
"They've got an $85 million training base, which will look right at home in League One." Ball joked.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 commences on Thursday, June 11 with matches hosted across Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Sport Nation will also be commentating the All Whites matches against Iran, Egypt and Belgium live on all New Zealand frequencies, and the Sport Nation app.
Listen to the full podcast below:
