Sporting Giants

The first episode of this four-part series explores what made Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo stand out as they began their journeys to becoming footballing icons.Steve Crossman is joined by Guillem Balague, who is author of 'Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography' and the biography 'Messi'.From playing on the streets in Argentina and Portugal, to the bright lights of Barcelona and Manchester United, in this episode we discover how Messi and Ronaldo began to make their mark as a new footballing rivalry was formed which would dominate the game for the next two decades.We hear from Messi's former academy team mate Cesc Fabregas on the development of a young superstar after making the move as a teenager from Rosario to Barcelona, while Rio Ferdinand describes his first impressions of an 18-year-old Ronaldo after he came to the world's attention at Old Trafford.

How Sir Alex Ferguson turned a talented crop of young players into an unstoppable force in England and, ultimately, Europe.Kelly Cates and Jonathan Northcroft trace how Ferguson’s faith in youth was integral to his success in Scotland and England.After establishing themselves as the dominant force in English football, we hear how Ferguson overcame early setbacks in Europe to land an unprecedented treble in 1999.It’s all told via the memories of Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Nicky Butt and iconic goalscorer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

How did Sir Alex Ferguson’s working-class Glasgow upbringing shape the man and manager he would become?Kelly Cates and Jonathan Northcroft retrace Ferguson’s steps from the Govan shipyards to European glory with Aberdeen.We hear about Fergie’s admiration for trade union activist Jimmy Reid, his fledgling football days at Drumchapel Amateurs and how, after rejection at Glasgow Rangers, he combined his early managerial career with running a pub.Then, former Aberdeen stars Willie Miller, Gordon Strachan, Mark McGhee and Stuart Kennedy take listeners behind the scenes of Aberdeen’s victories over Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup.

With Euro 2024 and a move to Real Madrid on the horizon, the future looks bright for Mbappe.Steve and Julien are joined by Spanish football expert Sid Lowe to discuss the challenge facing Mbappe at the serial Champions League winners.Can he go on to match the achievements of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Arsene Wenger give their views.

After winning the World Cup, Mbappe returns home to Paris a national hero and gains increasing power at Paris Saint-Germain. Club insiders detail how Mbappe became an increasing influence on and off the field as PSG’s Qatari owners set their sights on the Champions League.We hear from experts on why the Mbappe-Messi-Neymar strike force never delivered Europe’s ultimate prize.And why Mbappe’s imminent departure from PSG is such a blow to French president Emmanuel Macron.

Presenters Steve Crossman and Julien Laurens explore Mbappe’s time at the legendary Clairefontaine academy and his breakthrough season at Monaco.Hear from France legend and Clairefontaine graduate Thierry Henry and some of Mbappe’s classmates at a football finishing school like no other.Find out how Monaco won the race to sign the teenage sensation and relive his title-winning debut season in the company of former team-mate Bernardo Silva.

A new podcast series charting Kylian Mbappe’s rise from the suburbs of Paris to global superstardom. Presenters Steve Crossman and Julien Laurens follow the forward’s journey from AS Bondy to PSG via Monaco and the legendary Clairefontaine academy and hear from a stellar cast including Arsene Wenger, Didier Deschamps, Thierry Henry and Bernardo Silva. Revisit Mbappe’s ultimate high of winning the World Cup in 2018 and the racial abuse that followed his penalty miss as France crashed out of the Euros in 2021. We take listeners to Qatar where Mbappe rallied his team for a remarkable comeback in the World Cup final before another painful defeat on penalties to Argentina. And we’ll look ahead to his future in the iconic white shirt of Real Madrid.

In this new podcast series Steve Crossman and Guillem Balague explore the life and career of Pep Guardiola. Episode 3 uncovers his motivation behind the move to Munich and addresses the theory that his time in Germany wasn’t a success because the Champions League eluded him. Former Bayern players Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski explain how Guardiola overcame numerous difficulties to dominate domestically before German football expert Rafa Honigstein reveals why his tenure unravelled so quickly. This is a BBC Sport Production for BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live.