Soccer Bedtime Stories

Once Upon a World Cup: The 4 Journeys of Balogun, Quiñones, Irankunda, and Ayari

Send us Fan MailFour players. Four national teams. Four remarkable journeys to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.In this episode of Soccer Bedtime Stories, discover the inspiring stories of World Cup goal scorers Folarin Balogun, Julián Quiñones, Nestory Irankunda, and Yasin Ayari.Follow Balogun’s path from an unexpected birth in Brooklyn to representing the USMNT, and Quiñones’s journey from Colombia to the Mexico national team. Learn how Irankunda’s family escaped conflict in Burundi before he became one of Australia’s brightest soccer stars, and explore how Ayari’s Swedish and Tunisian roots shaped his journey to the World Cup with Sweden.Their goals may have appeared as simple numbers on the scoreboard, but behind each one was a powerful story of family, migration, identity, sacrifice, and belonging.This is Once Upon a World Cup: The 4 Journeys of Balogun, Quiñones, Irankunda, and Ayari—an inspiring soccer bedtime story for kids, families, young athletes, and World Cup fans of all ages.Sleep well and dream big, soccer friends. Support the showSupport the show! Become a member and have access to fan art, new episodes, shout outs, story input,  educational resources and the Soccer Bedtime Community. To become a Soccer Bedtime Stories Member Visit us at Buzzsprout!We would love to hear from you and connect with other soccer/football lovers from around the world! Leave a comment, email or find us on social media.Find us on Instagram: MySoccerBedtimeFind us on Facebook: SoccerBedtimeStoriesAlso excited to launch our first story coloring pages, you can find them at: The Soccer Teacher by Soccer Bedtime Stories

Once Upon a World Cup: Vozinha, the Man Who Stopped Champions

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a goalkeeper from a tiny island nation faces Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, and two of the most powerful teams in world soccer?In this episode of Soccer Bedtime Stories, discover the remarkable journey of Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha—the man who stood tall against World Cup champions Spain and Argentina. Facing superstars such as Messi, Yamal, Rodri, Nico Williams, and Julián Álvarez, Vozinha produced one unforgettable save after another, carrying the hopes of Cabo Verde on his shoulders.From Cabo Verde’s historic scoreless draw against Spain to an unforgettable showdown with Messi and Argentina, Vozinha showed that courage is not measured by the size of your country, the fame of your opponents, or the final score. It is measured by your willingness to keep standing tall when the whole world is watching.Once Upon a World Cup: Vozinha, the Man Who Stopped Champions is an inspiring soccer bedtime story about perseverance, national pride, and believing that no opponent—and no dream—is ever too big.Perfect for young soccer fans, families, and anyone who loves Lionel Messi, Cabo Verde, and inspiring FIFA World Cup stories. Settle in, close your eyes, and travel with us to the magical world of soccer, where the grass is green, and the crowds are loud.Listen now and discover how Vozinha and the Blue Sharks captured hearts around the world. Sleep well and dream big, soccer friends. Support the showSupport the show! Become a member and have access to fan art, new episodes, shout outs, story input,  educational resources and the Soccer Bedtime Community. To become a Soccer Bedtime Stories Member Visit us at Buzzsprout!We would love to hear from you and connect with other soccer/football lovers from around the world! Leave a comment, email or find us on social media.Find us on Instagram: MySoccerBedtimeFind us on Facebook: SoccerBedtimeStoriesAlso excited to launch our first story coloring pages, you can find them at: The Soccer Teacher by Soccer Bedtime Stories

Once Upon a World Cup: Haiti Returns

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Soccer Bedtime Stories, we tell the powerful story of Haiti’s road back to the men’s FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974.After fifty-two years away from the men’s World Cup stage, Haiti’s national team, known as Les Grenadiers, completed an unforgettable journey to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. From the historic memory of Emmanuel “Manno” Sanon’s goal against Italy in 1974, to the modern team led by captain Johny Placide and coach Sébastien Migné, this story follows Haiti through heartbreak, resilience, and hope.Haiti’s path was not easy. With home matches played away from Port-au-Prince because of instability in the country, the Grenadiers had to carry their dream far from home. But wins over Costa Rica and Nicaragua helped Haiti secure its long-awaited return to the men’s World Cup.Now drawn into Group C with Scotland, Brazil, and Morocco, Haiti steps back onto soccer’s biggest stage with history on its shoulders and a nation behind it.This bedtime soccer story is about more than scores and qualifying tables. It is about memory, identity, the Haitian diaspora, and the meaning of returning after 52 years. Support the showSupport the show! Become a member and have access to fan art, new episodes, shout outs, story input,  educational resources and the Soccer Bedtime Community. To become a Soccer Bedtime Stories Member Visit us at Buzzsprout!We would love to hear from you and connect with other soccer/football lovers from around the world! Leave a comment, email or find us on social media.Find us on Instagram: MySoccerBedtimeFind us on Facebook: SoccerBedtimeStoriesAlso excited to launch our first story coloring pages, you can find them at: The Soccer Teacher by Soccer Bedtime Stories

Once Upon a World Cup: Scotland Qualifies

Send us Fan MailScotland is going back to the World Cup.In this episode of Soccer Bedtime Stories, we tell the story of Scotland’s dramatic 4–2 win over Denmark in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park. Denmark needed only a draw, but Scotland needed a win — and what followed became one of the most unforgettable nights in Scottish soccer history.Scott McTominay opened the match with a stunning bicycle kick. Denmark fought back again and again. Then, in stoppage time, Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean scored the goals that sent Scotland to the men’s World Cup for the first time since 1998.This kid-friendly soccer story is about patience, belief, World Cup dreams, and the magic of never giving up.So settle in, close your eyes, and join us for Once Upon a World Cup: Scotland Qualifies for the World Cup.Sleep well and dream big, soccer friends. Support the showSupport the show! Become a member and have access to fan art, new episodes, shout outs, story input,  educational resources and the Soccer Bedtime Community. To become a Soccer Bedtime Stories Member Visit us at Buzzsprout!We would love to hear from you and connect with other soccer/football lovers from around the world! Leave a comment, email or find us on social media.Find us on Instagram: MySoccerBedtimeFind us on Facebook: SoccerBedtimeStoriesAlso excited to launch our first story coloring pages, you can find them at: The Soccer Teacher by Soccer Bedtime Stories

Once Upon a World Cup: France 1998 - Uniting a Nation (re-mastered)

Send us Fan MailSupport the Show and help us bring stories to soccer/football friends all around the world!Remastered Episode: Uniting a Nation | France 1998 World Cup TeamAs we get ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccer Bedtime Stories is launching a special series celebrating unforgettable World Cup stories, legendary teams, and historic soccer moments.In this remastered episode, we travel back to the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, when the host nation captured its first World Cup title. Led by Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Lilian Thuram, and a golden generation of French footballers, Les Bleus carried the hopes of a nation all the way to the final.From the pressure of hosting the tournament to the unforgettable France vs Brazil 1998 World Cup Final, this episode tells the story of unity, identity, belief, and the night France became world champions for the first time.Perfect for young soccer fans, families, and anyone who loves World Cup history, this remastered Soccer Bedtime Stories episode begins our journey toward 2026 by looking back at a team that showed how soccer can unite a nation.Listen now to Soccer Bedtime Stories: Uniting a Nation | France 1998 World Cup Team Support the showSupport the show! Become a member and have access to fan art, new episodes, shout outs, story input,  educational resources and the Soccer Bedtime Community. To become a Soccer Bedtime Stories Member Visit us at Buzzsprout!We would love to hear from you and connect with other soccer/football lovers from around the world! Leave a comment, email or find us on social media.Find us on Instagram: MySoccerBedtimeFind us on Facebook: SoccerBedtimeStoriesAlso excited to launch our first story coloring pages, you can find them at: The Soccer Teacher by Soccer Bedtime Stories