Taking Our Ball and Going Home

Taking Our Ball and Going Home

Author: BBC Radio 5 Live July 31, 2026 Duration: 51:51

41 national football associations in North and Central America and the Caribbean have become the latest to reject FIFA's plan to sell stakes in its tournaments to investors, only hours after all 55 UEFA countries said they would boycott any World Cup if it went ahead. Will Bain finds out how this changes FIFA's hand to play.

Elsewhere, our panel of the week looks back on a week of challenging times for some of the UK's biggest water companies, as well as a new government announcement on devolution and a raft of financial earnings from Big Tech companies.

Plus, the new owner of craft beer and hospitality brand Brewdog tells us why claims from its founder he wants to buy it back are "unhelpful."


Each weekday morning, Wake Up to Money cuts through the noise to deliver clear, timely analysis of the forces shaping your finances and the global economy. Produced by BBC Radio 5 Live, this long-running podcast provides more than just headlines; it offers context and insight you can actually use. You’ll hear expert interviews and straightforward explanations on everything from mortgage rates and pension changes to the broader business trends influencing markets from London to Tokyo and New York. The focus is on making sense of complex topics, turning the day’s financial news into actionable understanding. Tune in for a grounded start to your day, with the latest market movements and personal finance updates presented in a digestible, authoritative format. This is essential listening for anyone who wants to navigate their economic world with greater confidence, all before the first cup of coffee.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Wake Up to Money
Podcast Episodes
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Sean Farrington hears about how ordinary British investors will have the chance to buy shares in SpaceX before it lists on the stock market. Elsewhere, England's MPs launch a fresh inquiry into the student loan system, a…
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Will Bain hears how Anthropic's potential stock market listing could heat up the AI race. Elsewhere, the price of aluminium hits a four-year high and the boss of Wetherspoons explains why he is adding an alternative stou…
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Felicity Hannah speaks to a small business owner who has paid off their COVID loans and finds out how many of the government-backed loans handed out during the COVID pandemic have been repaid. She also looks at the demis…
Down the drain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:16
Felicity Hannah hears from businesses in Kent experiencing water outages in the heatwave. Plus, we go behind the scenes of a data centre in London to find out if they're putting the UK on the map when it comes to AI.
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Duration: 51:04
The UK's biggest housebuilder tells us it's the worst time for first-time buyers since 2008. Elsewhere, we hear that the UK risks creating a stolen generation if it doesn't bring more young people into employment. And ah…
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Duration: 52:23
As the UK continues to sizzle in the heat, retailers tell this programme about how sales of air conditioning units have spiked alongside temperatures.Elsewhere we'll take a look at the plight of energy giant BP, who have…
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Duration: 53:03
The boss of Next warns of a "dramatic fall" in entry level opportunities in the UK. Elsewhere, the government launches a review into early years childcare - and we get the latest on how a US deal with Iran could impact g…