Marcus Rashford’s world-exclusive interview on The Rest Is Football has set new records for Goalhanger, drawing more than 1.4 million streams across YouTube, Spotify Video and podcast platforms within 48 hours of release.
Clips from the special 40-minute episode, featuring co-hosts Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, generated a further 48.8 million views across social media in just two days, underlining the Manchester United forward’s global pulling power.
The interview, filmed on location in Barcelona, was timed to coincide with the launch of The Rest Is Football: LALIGA, a new video-first spin-off hosted by Lineker and Alex Aljoe, which debuts on 19 August.
The Rashford episode quickly became one of Goalhanger’s most successful releases to date, sparking international headlines in outlets including The New York Times, AFP, Reuters, BBC News, ESPN, The Guardian, Daily Mail and The Sun.
In the candid conversation, Rashford reflected on his high-profile move to Barcelona, discussed Manchester United’s struggles, and compared his own journey with Lineker’s transfer to FC Barcelona in the 1980s – a parallel highlighted through licensed footage from the BBC’s 1987 documentary It’s Lineker for Barcelona.
Tony Pastor, Co-Founder of Goalhanger, said the success of the episode reflected both Rashford’s profile and the growing appetite for long-form football storytelling.
“The incredible engagement across Spotify, YouTube, and our social platforms shows just how much appetite there is for intelligent, entertaining content like this. And this is just the start – fans can expect plenty more big interviews on The Rest Is Football this season.”
The episode marks another milestone for Goalhanger, now the UK’s largest independent podcast producer, which recorded over 400 million downloads across its shows in 2024.
Alongside The Rest Is Football, the company produces chart-topping podcasts including The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, Empire and The Rest Is Entertainment, reaching tens of millions globally every month.
With Rashford’s interview already on track to become one of the network’s most-watched episodes, anticipation is now building for the launch of its new LaLiga-focused show, which aims to bring Spanish football closer to a global audience.
