iHeartPodcasts announced on September 10, 2026, that Jenny Taft and Carli Lloyd are launching a new weekly sports and culture series, Whatever It Takes with Carli Lloyd and Jenny Taft. The first episode was made available the same day, and new installments will follow on Thursdays.
The debut puts two familiar names from soccer media and the game itself into one show at a moment when both are expanding what they talk about beyond match coverage. Taft is one of sports television’s premier sideline reporters and studio hosts, while Lloyd comes to the project as an iconic two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist. The podcast joins the iHeart Soccer Network and will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.
The opening episode signals what the series is trying to be. It includes the story behind the podcast’s creation, looks back at World Cups past and present, and goes into the realities of balancing career, family and motherhood. That last part is not a side note. It is the spine of the project, because the show is being introduced as a conversation about doing whatever it takes while the hosts are living that pressure themselves.
Jenny Taft said she first crossed paths with Lloyd while covering the 2015 Women’s World Cup, a detail that helps explain why this partnership sounds less like a temporary media pairing and more like a long-running relationship finally moving into its own format. Taft said it has been a privilege to go from covering Lloyd’s career to calling her a friend and colleague, and she said it has also been special to watch Lloyd embrace motherhood and a new chapter. Lloyd said the two have built a strong friendship over the years and described the show as a place to share experiences, learn from guests and speak honestly about the challenges and triumphs that come with chasing goals on and off the field.
Leo Gomez said Carli and Jenny are legends in their fields, but that what makes them stand out is how relatable they are. He said the show will take audiences beyond the headlines and highlight reels, which is where this launch separates itself from a routine sports interview program. The series will bring in special guests such as Stu Holden and Alexi Lalas, giving the hosts a way to widen the conversation without losing the personal thread that defines the debut.
The timing matters because the podcast is not just being announced for later; it is live now, with the first episode already available and a weekly Thursday cadence set from the start. That means the real test begins immediately: whether Taft and Lloyd can turn a friendship, a shared history and a broad promise about doing whatever it takes into a show that feels essential week after week.
