[2025 CWC] RB Salzburg (AUS) v CF Pachuca (MEX) - Maximiliano Habsburg, Emperor of Mexico

Greetings to our dedicated listeners!

We have a juicy one for you today, with an unexpected matchup it he 2025 Club World Cup bringing to light an unexpected chapter in history.

When RB Salzburg of Austria faces off against CF Pachuca of Mexico in the Club World Cup on June 18, it will mark the first time that two football teams representing these two countries share the same pitch (we think!). 

However, there is a rich story to be told that involves both nations - the installation of the Austrian-born Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, better known as Maximiliano I, as the Emperor of the Second Mexican Empire. Following in the footsteps of his ancestor Charles V, who was in charge of the Holy Roman Empire when it presided over the conquest of Mexico in 1521, Maximilian was brought in by Mexicans who missed the good old days of a strong monarch.

As we will describe in the episode, while he and his wife Charlotte did their best to endear themselves to the people of Mexico, the admiration was not mutual, resulting in a sharp conflict with the rise of Benito Juarez and the Restored Republic.

On the pitch, we will delve into the controversial history of RB Salzburg, specifically its takeover by Austrian conglomerate Red Bull, and we revisit the history of Pachuca that we covered in more detail in our April 2024 episode on that year's Concachampions semifinals.

It is our pleasure and our privilege to share our passion for footy, history, and footy history with you - enjoy and stay tuned for our next episode where we cover the Gold Cup showdown between Saudi Arabia and the USA!

F&C