{"id":88529,"date":"2026-06-12T22:49:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T22:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robmcpro.com\/?p=88529"},"modified":"2026-06-13T19:51:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T19:51:45","slug":"the-world-cup-has-started-the-next-goal-looks-further","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robmcpro.com\/en\/mentale-kracht\/het-wk-is-begonnen-the-next-goal-kijkt-verder\/","title":{"rendered":"The World Cup has started. The Next Goal looks ahead."},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, the World Cup football tournament has begun, on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City, at the Mexico City Stadium \u2014 formerly Estadio Azteca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world is watching football again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To full stadiums, big names, national pride, goals, missed chances and decisive moments. The World Cup has something magical about it. It brings people together, awakens memories and once again shows what sport can unleash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But those who only look at the result often miss the most important story. The real story lies outside the spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind every achievement lies a journey. A journey of making choices. Of training when no one is looking. Of dealing with pressure. Of falling and getting back up. Of people who are by your side at the right moment. Of character, discipline, staying the course, and sometimes also: starting over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That's exactly where football touches real life. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My video podcast series The Next Goal was born from that idea. Not as a programme about just winning or losing. Not as a collection of sports stories to look back on nostalgically. But as a platform where Rob McDonald talks to people who know what it takes to go for something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People from the sporting world, people with experience, people who have learned that talent is important, but never enough. Because reaching the top requires more than innate ability. It requires character. Guidance. Mental resilience. The right choices at the right moments. And the ability to look forward again even after setbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a time when young people are experiencing a lot of pressure, when achievements are visible but the path to them often remains invisible, these stories are important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A new conversation \u2013 with Ernie Brandts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After a period of radio silence, there's been plenty of work behind the scenes on new episodes of The Next Goal. In the second half of 2026, my team and I will be focused on the mission: sharing inspiring conversations that go beyond sport itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today's new episode (episode 3, June 2026) I'll be speaking with Ernie Brandts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ernie Brandts played in the 1978 World Cup final with Oranje, in and against Argentina. A match that is etched in football's collective memory. But his story doesn't begin in Buenos Aires. It begins closer to home. In Nieuw-Dijk, in Didam, in an environment where talent had to develop, where family support was important, and where the right people around him helped shape his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From that background, Brandts developed into a professional footballer, a PSV player and a Dutch international.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His story shows that a career is never made up of one moment. Nor is it made up of one match. A career is shaped by daily choices, by guidance, by discipline, by daring to make mistakes and learning from them, by dealing with expectations, and by the ability to remain standing when things get tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Next Goal will also show what's going on behind the scenes. What does it take for a young player to make the leap to the top? What role do parents, coaches, older players and trusted mentors play? How do you deal with pressure? What do you do when you make mistakes on a big stage? And how do you stay grounded as a person in a world where performance often seems to be everything?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes the conversation with Ernie Brandts valuable for football fans, but also certainly for young athletes, parents, trainers, coaches, and everyone involved in talent development. Because the lessons from top sports are often more broadly applicable than the football field. They are about staying the course. About resilience. About taking responsibility. About learning from people who have gone down the road before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover more about Ernie Brandts and The Next Goal here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Next Goal's Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Next Goal builds on previous episodes with, among others, Martijn Meerdink and Richard Roelofsen, filmed by Marko Bajic. Those conversations formed a beautiful and valuable start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project will now continue with a new series of conversations, in collaboration with mission partner Helpgoed.nl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The core remains the same: sharing stories that help young people, athletes and viewers to look beyond the next match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sooner or later, everyone faces a next step. A new choice. A disappointment. An opportunity. A goal that changes. A moment when you need to find your direction again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it's not just about talent. Then it's about character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Follow The Next Goal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you want to follow The Next Goal and not miss any new episodes, stories, and updates?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subscribe to The Next Goal and read more about the mission behind the project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why The Next Goal?<\/a><\/blockquote>