01/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/21/2026 08:26
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Alarcón and Green will tackle questions big and small around international football
Listen to the trailer HERE
WHAT: iHeartPodcasts is teaming up with Daniel Alarcón, host of My Cultura Podcast Network's "Radio Ambulante" and John Green, New York Times bestselling author, for new original podcast series "The Away End," exploring the universal love for international football leading up to The 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico.
Blending their sharp journalistic and reporting skills with their witty friendship banter, Green and Alarcón will examine the love of the game and its unique ability to build connections across borders, cultures and communities. Each episode will feature conversations about memorable matches, childhood memories and special stories that make soccer the world's most important sport.
"Soccer has always been a part of my life, my identity and my story," said Alarcón. "'The Away End' is a celebration of how the game connects us all - especially as we prepare for the 2026 World Cup where John and I will be, at least spiritually, the same age we were when we saw our first game as kids in 1986."
"For me, soccer is a lens through which to consider everything about life," said Green. "Soccer is about hope and community and also corruption and cruelty. It contains multitudes, and I can't wait to explore those multitudes with one of my oldest friends."
WHO: Daniel Alarcón, host of My Cultura Podcast Network's Radio Ambulante, covers Latin America for The New Yorker. He's the author of four works of fiction, including "The King is Always Above the People," 2017 finalist for the National Book Award. He teaches at the Columbia University School of Journalism, in New York. In 2022 Daniel was awarded the Maria Moors Cabot prize, and in 2021 with the MacArthur Fellowship. He is writer, lead reporter and host of "The Good Whale", a project of Serial Productions and the New York Times.
John Green is an author, YouTuber, podcaster, and activist. His bestselling novels including The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska have sold more than 30 million copies and are published in over 50 languages. With his brother Hank, he has cofounded many online video projects, including Crash Course, a series of educational videos that has reached hundreds of millions of learners worldwide. Green's most recent book, Everything Is Tuberculosis, is a #1 bestselling nonfiction history of the world's deadliest infectious disease. Green lives with his wife, the curator Sarah Urist Green, and kids in Indianapolis.
WHEN: "The Away End" will debut ahead of the 2026 World Cup on January 21, 2026 with new episodes released weekly on Tuesdays.
WHERE: "The Away End" will be available on the iHeartRadio app and wherever podcasts are heard.
EMBED CODE:
COVER ART: HERE
About iHeartMedia, Inc.
iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart's broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to both Podtrac and Triton, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, has the highest-reach and most engaged influencers, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.