World Cup poetry: lines for the beautiful game

The BBC's 'In The Studio' podcast explores how poetry and football intersect during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Poet Ian McMillan, Barnsley FC’s longtime poet-in-residence, reveals how he crafted 'The World Cup is a Shining Poem'—a work born from rhythm, rhyme, and the quiet magic of letting ideas marinate. His process mirrors a football match: structured yet unpredictable, with half-time talks and walks through familiar villages sparking breakthroughs. The episode also features Lee Herrick, California’s first Asian American Poet Laureate, who traces his emotional connection to South Korea through football’s universal language. Ghanaian commentator Joyce Anoyeboa shares how local phrases like 'Wapai Shot Nase Ponyim'—meaning a shot that hit the post—capture the game’s soul in ways English cannot. Together, they argue that football chants, commentary, and even goalkeepers are forms of poetry in motion. The episode closes with McMillan’s freestyle rap-style prediction: England and Scotland both winning the cup in a dreamlike, poetic twist. At its core, the podcast asserts that football isn’t just a sport—it’s a global language of joy, memory, and collective imagination. The real revelation isn’t just that poets write about football, but that football fans are already poets—singing, chanting, and improvising stories in real time. The World Cup becomes not just a tournament, but a living, breathing poem written by millions.