The Happy Pod: The decades long wait for the World Cup

This episode of The Happy Pod highlights stories of joy and resilience from around the world. It opens with the elation of Iraqi and Congolese football fans as their teams qualify for the World Cup after decades of waiting, detailing the arduous journey of the Iraqi team to the qualifying match in Mexico. The podcast then shifts to South Korea, celebrating the first baby born in 17 years in a rural village and the community's hopeful reaction to the potential revitalization of the area. It also features the story of a romance-only bookstore in Washington DC that was rebuilt by the community after a fire. Finally, the episode explores the increasing popularity of Selby Abbey in England among Chinese couples for wedding blessings, spurred by Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou's wedding there in 2015.