Twenty years after their first World Cup, Croatia was mired in a corruption scandal that threatened to jail their best player. And somehow, they still finished second in World Cup 2018.

Back in 1998, Croatia rode the pot-clanging enthusiasm of winning a civil war and a hell of a talented generation into the World Cup semifinals. Twenty years later they rode—well, nothing really. The country’s soccer scene was mired in a corruption scandal that threatened to jail their best players, and they had an unknown coach who had spent three games total with the team. So they took all this and … somehow made it to the final? The world is terrifying and unknowable, and things do not happen for a reason. Croatia making the final of the 2018 World Cup proves this.

The Best Soccer Podcast In The World is a bilingual podcast that tells your soon-to-be favorite soccer stories. The host, Nando Vila, will crack open some of the most iconic World Cup moments, putting them in cultural and geopolitical contexts. From legendary players to silly hairdos to heart-wrenching losses.

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