Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on October 24, 2022. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

The World Cup is about to head to the Middle East for the first time. Ever since it was announced back in 2010 that the tournament would be held in Qatar, the country has been getting ready to host the world’s biggest sporting event. In this episode, the first in The Take’s coverage of the World Cup, we look at some of the preparations for the tournament, their associated controversies, and a preview of what we might expect after kickoff.

In this episode:

• Tony Karon (@TonyKaron), AJ+ Editorial Lead
• Sohail Malik (@SohailAJE), Al Jazeera Reporter

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Sarí el-Khalili. The original production team was Negin Owliaei, Chloe K. Li, Ruby Zaman, Alexandra Locke, Amy Walters, and our host, Malika Bilal.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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Colombia just had the closest vote in its history. A right-wing political outsider with a Trump endorsement beat a left-wing veteran by less than a point. What does this mean for Colombia, and for the Latin American left?

In this episode:

• Teresa Bo (@TeresaBo), Al Jazeera Senior Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé and Sonia Bhagat with Spencer Cline, Jana Dabliz, Catherine Nouhan, Noor Wazwaz, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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A UN inquiry has documented the scale of child deaths in Gaza since October 2023. It lays out mass killings, destroyed hospitals, and blocked aid, even accusing Israel of war crimes and possible genocidal acts. What does accountability look like now?

In this episode:

• Chris Sidoti, UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana with Marcos Bartolomé, Tamara Khandaker, Jana Dabliz, and our host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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The excitement of the World Cup has arrived in North America. But behind it have been stories of fans being denied visas, players being searched by sniffer dogs, and Iran’s team being forced to base itself outside the US. What happens when a global tournament collides with US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies?

In this episode:

• Boima Tucker (@chiefboimah), Director of Operations, Africa Is a Country

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat and Tamara Khandaker with Marcos Bartolomé, Spencer Cline, Jana Dabliz, Catherine Nouhan, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Sarí el-Khalili.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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Gaza’s footballers have lost teammates, stadiums and entire seasons. Some have lost limbs. Yet they continue to play. As the World Cup unfolds across North America, Maram Humaid reports from Gaza on the athletes, coaches and fans determined to keep football alive.

In this episode:

• Maram Humaid (@MaramGaza), Al Jazeera Reporter

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé with Noor Wazwaz, Spencer Cline, Catherine Nouhan, Jana Dabliz, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker and Sarí el-Khalili. Alex Roldan is our sound designer.

The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Alexandra Locke, Catherine Nouhan, Alex Roldan, and Noor Wazwaz. Our host is Malika Bilal.

Our editorial intern is Jana Dabliz. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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This week: 263 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 983 Palestinians in Gaza. Iran closes Strait of Hormuz after Israel continues to attack Lebanon. More than 4000 people killed in Lebanon since March. Israel aims to continue its military occupation in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. Israel has killed at least 73,018 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023.

In this episode:

• Osama Bin Javid, (@osamabinjavaid), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Resul Serdar, (@ResulSerdarAtas), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Zeina Khodr, (@ZeinakhodrAljaz), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Nour Odeh, (@nourodeh), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Gabriel Elizondo, (@elizondogabriel), Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits: This episode was produced and mixed by Marthe van der Wolf. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Andrew Greiner and Munera AlDosari is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. And Joanne de Frias is Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio.

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Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on December 12, 2022. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

Lionel Messi - considered by many to be the greatest football player of all time - is two wins away from finally winning a World Cup. And though much of his native Argentina is behind him - they are not the only ones. Continents away, in parts of India and Bangladesh, Argentina and Messi superfans also hope to see him lift the cup. So what’s behind the Messi mania in South Asia, and what does it say about the soft power of ‘the beautiful game?’

In this episode:

• Somdutta Bhattacharyya, Argentina superfan in India
• Tamjidul Hoque (@TamjidulH24v2), Argentina superfan in Bangladesh
• Jasmine Garsd (@JasGarsd), Host, The Last Cup

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Tamara Khandaker. The original production team was Ashish Malhotra, Chloe K. Li, Ruby Zaman, and Halla Mohieddeen.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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Artificial intelligence education now starts at the age of 6 in China. The Ministry of Education has rolled out new guidelines to teach AI at every grade level. For President Xi Jinping, AI is a priority. Will the toddlers of today be the tech titans of the future?

This is a story from the archives. This originally aired on September 18, 2025. None of the dates, titles or other references from that time have been changed.

In this episode:

• Katrina Yu (@Katmyu), Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, Sarí el-Khalili, and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Kisaa Zehra, Farhan Rafid, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube