News From Your World Cup Country

**Brian Lehrer** (0:08)
Brian Lehrer on WNYC. We're gonna end the show with something a little different. I hope this works. It's gonna be news from your World Cup country, and a little bit of rooting on your team from your country of origin. 212-433-WNYC. One piece of news from your World Cup country, and a little bit of rooting on your team is welcome here. 212-433-WNYC. Obviously, we're inviting listeners who come originally from anywhere on earth where there's a World Cup team competing in North America right now. Root on your team. Give us a phrase, I don't know, like in basketball last week, it would have been Nixon 5 What is it for your World Cup team?
212-433-9692, and share any one news story from your country of origin. So people know a little bit that's not just soccer, about where you come from and what's relevant there right now. You get it? 212-433-WNYC-433-9692. You want an example? England arrived in North America as one of the favorites to win the World Cup. They impressed in their opening group stage match against Croatia, by the way, winning four to two. Meanwhile, back home, 10 Downing Street is about to welcome a seventh UK Prime Minister in 10 years. You've been hearing about Keir Stormer stepping down this week, Makerfield MP Andy Burnham, another member of the Labour Party is expected to replace him. So there's one from England.
Anybody want to do this from your home country? If you're British, okay, I gave the news story, you call up and say, how are you rooting for your home team? As it happens, England this afternoon will play Ghana. I mentioned last week how I was speaking to a local business owner in my neighborhood, who I know who's from Ghana, and he was wearing a Ghana bucket hat to cheer on his team. So he got me curious, what's happening in Ghana that's in the headlines, and something really interesting as it turns out from the AP on Saturday. African and Caribbean leaders in Ghana urge former slave trading nations to issue apologies and reparations over the trafficking of enslaved Africans after a landmark UN resolution in March, declaring it the gravest crime against humanity. They call that the Next Steps Conference, a global conference on basically reparations in the Ghanaian capital of Accra. So, okay, so now you're set up with the two teams playing at 4 o'clock this afternoon, and one thing from the news from their countries of origin, 212-433-WNYC, give us one of yours. You know, every once in a while without the World Cup, we invite listeners to call in and share a news story from your country of origin, whatever it is, to let the rest of the listeners know about something that may not be getting enough press in the United States. What you got like that right now? And you can give a little cheer to your World Cup team, whatever it is, 212-433-WNYC, or you can text 212-433-9692.
Listener just texted, France supporter, terrible heat wave in France right now. So there's an example from France, 212-433-9692.
Another example, South America, Colombia is also off to a good start at the World Cup. They beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in their first group stage match. Luis Diaz, Colombia's in-form player on the left wing, which is not a political commentary, scored a goal and provided an assist. His country, though, has just elected a right wing. This is a commentary. Trump backed populist. Yet another moment in South America's recent ongoing rightward shift to 1-2, 4-3-3. WNYC and, of course, the World Cup is a big news story in and of itself. In some ways, Bosnia and Herzegovina are winless in the group stage so far, they could still advance to the knockout rounds. One way in which that country has already won the World Cup, though, you might say, is that they've given us one of the songs of the tournament. It goes like this.
A little English sprinkled in there. Dubioza Collectives, I am from Bosnia, take me to America, which was originally released in 2011 and then re-released this year with a World Cup themed music video. It's an earworm, isn't it? So let your examples fly from the news of your World Cup country and cheer on your World Cup team. 212-433-WNYC. Call or text, 212-433-9692.
We'll see what you bring right after this.
Brian Lehrer on WNYC. And now to a few minutes of one headline piece of news from your World Cup country. And feel free to cheer on your team in the bargain. Call or text 212-433-WNYC-212-433-9692.
Here's one that just cheers on the country and names the rival. It says, go Argentina, vamos Colombia.