The World According to Football
Trevor Noah takes a unique look at the world through its most popular game. More than any other sport, soccer functions as a mirror to society. Sometimes that shows us the best of ourselves, other times, the very worst. Across five episodes, Noah uncovers stories from the USA, Brazil, France, Qatar and the UK, looking at players and coaches fighting against the status quo and ultimately posing the critical question: if we can reform soccer, can we reform the societies it reflects?
- 2023-2023
- 1 season
- Showtime Networks
- Documentary, Sports
Trevor Noah takes a unique look at the world through its most popular game. More than any other sport, soccer functions as a mirror to society. Sometimes that shows us the best of ourselves, other times, the very worst. Across five episodes, Noah uncovers stories from the USA, Brazil, France, Qatar and the UK, looking at players and coaches fighting against the status quo and ultimately posing the critical question: if we can reform soccer, can we reform the societies it reflects?
Season 1 Episode Guide
5 Episodes 2023
Episode 1
Episode One Brazil
Fri, Dec 1, 2023
Brazilians are known to be crazy for soccer. Crazy for men's soccer. For forty years, women in Brazil were banned from even playing the Beautiful Game. Narrator Trevor Noah reveals how a new generation of Brazilian female players has begun to claim their place in the pantheon of soccer greats and how they are campaigning for greater women's rights across Brazil.
Episode 2
Episode Two USA
Fri, Dec 8, 2023
Unlike most countries around the world, the US goes by a pay-to-play system in soccer. While this system works for private academies and for anyone who can afford club soccer, it means that poorer players are left out. That in turn can keep grassroots talent from making it to the highest level.
Episode 3
Episode Three UK
Fri, Dec 15, 2023
The Premier League is the ultimate cauldron of soccer competition. Billions of fans watch every year, and in an age of social media scrutiny there is almost nowhere for players to hide. We hear from former Premier League greats, including Tim Howard, about how the world's most scrutinized league can test your mental health.
Episode 4
Episode Four France
Fri, Dec 22, 2023
Trevor takes a deeper look into the complex relationship between race, immigration, nationalism and soccer in France - and wonders whether the spirit of soccer can truly be a salve for race relations in France and beyond.
Episode 5
Episode Five Qatar
Fri, Dec 29, 2023
A World Cup brings with it an immense global spotlight. Qatar spent billions to bask in that spotlight, but its plan went awry. Trevor investigates whether the world's biggest sporting event can bring about true social change.