The 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup

So, gentlemen, Russia 2018.

We finally come to that part in the series.

Oddly enough, Jack, I know exactly where you were for this because we were working on it together.

Yeah, we were, mate.

My first tournament while working at Tool Sport.

Yeah, no, I remember it absolutely vividly.

Those days of 10am, 2pm and 5pm games and getting to the office and watching the whole day just unfold itself.

And there was also those weekend shows that we're not allowed to talk about.

No, we can't talk about it.

We've signed NDAs.

And Mr Hepworth, where were you during Russia 2018? And I think this was just before we started to get to know each other, wasn't it?

Yeah, I had known Carlsberg or Jack Oben, as he's actually commonly referred to, for probably about two years before we got to know each other.

I would have been just breaking out into my career within sales.

Yeah, it was an interesting World Cup.

I've got some very fond memories of watching many of these games in pubs, at home, with friends.

And of course, it was the last World Cup we had before this one that was actually held in the summer.

So in many ways, it feels like we haven't had a proper World Cup in about eight years now.

Yeah, do you know, that's a great point.

I was thinking this myself after Qatar in 2022, which if listeners are unaware, was during the winter period.

It actually does feel like a really, really long time since a World Cup summer because it actually is.

It's eight years.

And I don't know about you boys, but when I was making the notes for this show and sort of on thinking back on that World Cup, I mentioned it in the intro.

This does feel like the World Cup that sort of started this era of football that we're in now.

Like this is when the stars emerged.

I mean, Mbappe was what, 18 at the time? when they won it with France but it was also like the first World Cup that had ever been held in Russia and obviously this is when a lot of the FIFA issues started to rear their head so I feel like this was like a an unusual period in time.