The World Game

The World Game
Company type	Television program and website
Industry	Sports media
Founded	2002
Defunct	2019 (TV program), 2021 (website)
Fate	TV program ended; website merged into SBS Sport portal
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia
Key people	Les Murray, Lucy Zelić, Johnny Warren, Craig Foster
Products	Soccer television program, website, podcast, app
Owner	Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)

The World Game was an Australian soccer television program aired on the SBS network, supported by an associated website. Debuting in September 2002, it stood as Australia's exclusive TV show dedicated to both local and global football news and topics. Its popularity prompted the launch of the companion website in 2003. The television broadcast concluded in 2019, while the website ceased operations in 2021, with its content merging into the main SBS Sport portal.

Lead presenters

Les Murray (2002–2014)
Lucy Zeli ć (2015–2019)

Principal analyst

Johnny Warren (2002–2004)
Craig Foster (2004–2019)

Analysts and contributors

Francis Awaritefe
Stephanie Brantz
Mieke Buchan
Branko Culina
Liz Deep-Jones
Simon Hill (currently with Paramount+)
Zeljko Kalac
Scott McIntyre (removed following controversial tweets)
Paul Okon
Andrew Orsatti (now Communications Director at FIFPro)
Anthony Peridis
Tony Palumbo
Rale Rasic
Tim Vickery
David Zdrilic
Ned Zelic
Paul Williams
Damien Lovelock

Guest appearances

History

Launching in 2002 as the successor to the long-standing On the Ball, The World Game originally aired as a live six-hour program on Sunday afternoons before being shortened to three hours. The brand grew to include a widely visited website and additional digital content. Les Murray, SBS’s veteran football presenter for over three decades, led the show until his retirement in 2014. Johnny Warren was the chief analyst until his passing in 2004, after which former Socceroo Craig Foster assumed the role.

In August 2010, the broadcast shifted to Monday evenings on SBS Two, airing live at 9:30 pm AEST with a repeat on SBS One. The format was condensed to one-hour episodes to deliver prompt weekend match analysis. New voices like journalist Tony Palumbo joined to provide expertise on key European leagues including the English Premier League and Italian Serie A. The program showcased highlights from Spain’s La Liga, France’s Ligue 1, Scotland’s Premier League, South America’s Copa Libertadores, Germany’s Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, and European Championship fixtures. Branko Culina, former Sydney FC coach, frequently contributed commentary on Australian football.

By November 2012, SBS acquired rights to broadcast one live A-League fixture each week; meanwhile, Fox Sports retained coverage of other matches and live Socceroos World Cup qualifiers, which SBS aired with a one-hour delay.

Come August 2013, the show was reformatted into a half-hour weekly Monday night segment on SBS One, delivering thorough coverage of domestic and international football alongside expert analysis.

After a brief suspension during 2014–15, it resumed for the 2015–16 season as a one-hour Sunday afternoon discussion show with Lucy Zelic succeeding Murray as host and Foster continuing as chief analyst.

Following seventeen seasons on air, the television series quietly concluded in 2019 as focus shifted towards digital content; its podcast remained available through The World Game website. In 2021, SBS consolidated its soccer offerings by closing The World Game website and incorporating its content into the SBS Sport platform—a decision that generated considerable criticism among fans due to the site’s distinctive role serving Australia’s football community. Nonetheless, SBS continues to use The World Game branding for its soccer coverage on television and streaming services, including for events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Prominent guests featured on the show included Ledley King, Scott Jamieson, Shane Smeltz, Kevin Muscat, Corey Gameiro, Nick Montgomery, Marcos Flores, Vítor Saba, Luke Casserly, and Archie Thompson.

Special editions

The team behind The World Game, which produces the weekly broadcast, also reports on significant football tournaments such as the FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, UEFA European Football Championship, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League. Additionally, they cover prominent European Cup finals including The FA Cup, DFB Pokal, and Copa del Rey. Hosts generally offer analyses before matches, along with commentary during halftime and post-match discussions.

Website

Debuting in July 2002, The World Game website served as a leading source for football news that complemented the television series. It hosted The World Game Forum (TWGF), which was once among Australia's largest football discussion boards, boasting more than 18,000 participants and 800,000 contributions. The site was discontinued in April 2021 due to SBS’s digital consolidation efforts and its content was merged into the SBS Sport platform.

Podcast

Since its inception on 6 June 2011, The World Game Podcast has featured a range of guests who analyze current events in both Australian and global football on a weekly basis.

App

The World Game app marked SBS’s initial venture into mobile applications, available through the iTunes Store. Within its first week, it surpassed 25,000 downloads. The app provided users with live score updates, match results, video highlights, news stories, and exclusive material from The World Game team.

Awards

In 2008, The World Game earned a nomination for a Logie Award in the category of 'Most Popular Sports Program', though it was ultimately bested by The AFL Footy Show.

External links