In 1966 England won the World Cup with a 4-2 win against West Germany...they even won it on home soil.

With players such as Gascoigne, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane it remains a mystery as to how they haven't won it again...but they haven't even hosted the tournament again.

It may seem strange, but there are reasons as to why. Join Mark and Paul as they chart the history of the World Cup, from its inception to modern day, exploring the politics behind why the England men's team have failed ever again to be the host nation of the most coveted prize in football, and why the FA are now more focussed on winning the competition than staging it.

From doomed bids, bribes, conspiracy theories and hatred from other nations, this episode of How It All Played Out peels back the curtain to answer: Why do England never stage the men's World Cup?

Remember to follow or subscribe and give us a 5 star review too!

We'd love to hear from you! Email us: howitallplayedout@global.com

Graeme Souness hasn’t spoken much about bringing Ali Dia to Southampton and putting him on the pitch. In this final episode, he gives an exclusive interview about what really went down when Ali Dia came to town, while Josh and Dara have discovered the latest about Ali himself.

If you've enjoyed 53 minutes, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen to hundreds of other amazing podcasts on Global Player, for free. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com

Ali Dia disappeared from the public eye almost as quickly as he appeared in it, and for over a quarter of a century he’s been a footballing recluse. Josh and Dara hear from some of the people who know the most about the man behind the myth.

If you're enjoying the series, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com

Against all odds, Ali Dia has now become a Premier League footballer, if only for a fleeting moment. Questions are being asked about who he is and where he’s come from, and this is where the myth of Ali as 'a hoaxer or a prankster' implodes.

If you're enjoying this series, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com

It’s one thing to blag your way into a football club for a trial. It’s something else entirely to find yourself stepping onto the pitch during an actual Premier League match. So what exactly happened in the run-up to Ali Dia making his infamous appearance for Southampton against Leeds in November 1996? Josh and Dara investigate the run-up to matchday.

If you like what you hear, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com

The mid-90s were a wild time in football. Regulations were loose, players could still be seen in your local boozer and clubs themselves were easier to access. Josh and Dara explore how these were the perfect conditions for someone purporting to be footballing legend George Weah to phone Southampton and offer them their “cousin” – Ali Dia.

If you like what you hear, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com

Ali Dia is the Premier League’s most mysterious and misunderstood footballer. But what’s the truth about his infamous appearance for Southampton in November 1996? More than 25 years on, does he deserve his reputation as “the worst Premier League player of all time”? Josh Widdicombe and Dara Ó Briain unpick the truth from the myth.

If you like what you hear, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com

Ali Dia - it's a name synonymous with footballing failure. How did a below average footballer find his way onto the sport's most elite stage, the Premier League?

Josh Widdicombe and Dara Ó Briain preview their new 6-part podcast series, in which they unearth the weird and wonderful truth behind the biggest mystery in football history.

The series kicks off on Tuesday 19th March.