Spain World Champions, Messi’s Last Dance? & World Cup Winners and Losers | Stick to Football EP 144

I like the snacks.

Trust me, it must be my time in Spain that I got used to Spanish food.We're the next World Cup in Spain.Next World Cup in Spain?Yeah, there you go.I'm almost a resident.I'm almost a resident of the country.

Yes, Jack?

Boom.

Here's the two...Look, we just have to buy them off with strawberry milkshakes.We just have to buy Roy and Righty off with short strawberry milkshakes.Simple as that.Right.

Oh, it's here.Brilliant.What a result.I'm so excited.

Exactly.Your Shake Shack milkshake.Yeah.

Shake Shack milkshake.It's easy for some people to say.

Oh, we're gonna get out while we...

Is that his way?

No.Because tramps like us...

We have no chance again.

Baby, we were born to rule...Well...

Done, girl.

A bit of happiness, a bit of sadness, a bit of everything.

A bit...Argentina did a...Sad, because I didn't like to see Messi, you know, crying like that.You saw what it meant to him.But I'm quite happy for Spain.And I don't think that the way Argentina played today, I think maybe the three different extra time games, 120 minutes, Messi played all of those.

It's just done, isn't it?It's finished.

Both the centre -halves going off.

Going off, yeah.

Fernandes getting sent off.

Well, that's just crazy.

Did a lot go against them, to be fair.

Yeah, but you say go against them, that's not going against them.

No, no.

He's just crazy.

No, what I mean, if you're the manager, you'd be like, your two centre -halves go off and one of your players that's experienced gets sent off, you're like...

If Messi goes in the dressing room and he's that player,to say to somebody what they've done, because he's the captain, and you're going to dig someone out, you're probably digging him out.You're on a yellow, what are you doing?Like I said, it's like Paredes.It's like they didn't care that they were on a yellow.It's like they knew something we didn't.

It doesn't matter, we're not going to get booked for it.It was crazy some of the challenges they were doing.Crazy.I love it.

You're smart, Roy.

You're smart.I thought you said you were just coming.Just went in there to freshen up.

Did you?Everything.

You'll be warm up on that roof.

Yeah, let's have a feel of that.It's a great ball.Is that the proper size one?Is that the size of one, that?Is this a real one?Because this is like plastic.

The real one's got proper...Hey, it's a good topic.What position would you have been in?

I think I'd want to be a catcher.Is that a wide receiver?

Can you have a defender out wide?You can't, can't you?Obviously, I'll be the defender out wide.I'll tell you what, by the way, my throw, I used to be able to throw it pretty well.

No, that weren't a good throw.I'd be.That was rubbish.That was really bad.

You know this, like, I've asked you your position and not one of you said what position, you know what I mean?What would you be, right?It's like all about yourself.What would you be?What would you be?Quarterback.

What would you be?

Quarterback.Put all the money in the women.I'd be on special teams or something like that.

The kicker.Harry Kane wanted to be a kicker, didn't he?He did, yeah.He did, yeah.

Did he do some training?He could probably do it.

I think he's done training with the Patriots.You'd have to think that, cos he's ageing now, could you imagine?He could probably do that, couldn't he?

Right.

He could kick it.He's got the power.He could probably do it, Harry Kane.

Ballon d 'Or, Champions League, Euros, World Cup.That is like the completion of football.Congratulations, Rodrigo.Unbelievable.

What we're doing?Show us what we're doing.

That's mind -boggling, that.You can't kick a World Cup final off late.I mean, you literally have 40 years to plan for it.

I'm dealing with America and anything goes.

I went for a game of pool last night by myself.Did you lose?There was an argument at the end of it, yeah.

England could have literally tanked if they didn't have Jude Bellingham.Can I ask you something?Did you enjoy Anthony Barry's little...

Yeah.You know what I liked about the first one?It's like I said, right, we want you to go out, just be, just go and tell them what you...And then the first one he came in, we was like...You know?And then someone went, whoa, whoa, whoa, and he said, Anthony, just like, ease it, just ease it down a little.

But you know something?I liked it.

You're not raw after the game, are you?

Can we just have a little...

I feel like a bit of a lull.Yeah, a bit of a lull.It's like the end of a road.The end of a road.I was just saying...Do you know what I'm saying?

We'll meet again.

We'll meet again.Vera.Vera Lynn.I was saying I was quite pleased that it weren't Argentina, but then I was really sad to see Messi crying like that.I don't want to have an argument with you, right?

Not tonight.It's not tonight.I'm not going to argue.But you're so disrespectful to Argentina.No, I don't think you're disrespectful.You are.

Oh, look at him.You have to find different ways to win.Yeah, but like, Roy, they...

They are very antagonising.We don't have to like it.but admire them a little bit.

My first comments were to admire them, but they played like a bag of shit, let's be clear.They played really poorly in the game.To stay in the game as long as they did, you've got to hand it to them well done.But they played like a bag of shit.

When they played against Egypt, we were saying, this ain't over with them.You respect what they're capable of doing.

Your eyes can sometimes, if it looks like shit and it smells like shit, it's shit.To be fair, what we watched today was a performance that was really poor.massive chemistry and face competitiveness that gets them through and they've got an incredible player up top that, to be fair, gets them over the line.Without him, I said this in the last tournament, they are, to be fair, a team that probably would struggle to get to the semifinals.

But we talk about the Spanish DNA, I mean the Argentine DNA, and the Spanish have their DNA.Everybody's different, every country's battling.But they were poor today though, right?Yeah, they were.But the game, if you heard some of the players getting interviewed afterwards, they were saying the pitch was really dry.Yeah, I told you.

I said it was terrible.It was hard to tell when you're watching, can't you, the pitch?

The sympathy I had with them today is playing against a Spain team, their average age is 30, they've played loads of football, 108, 120 minutes, to get to where they've got to is incredible.They lost both the centre -halves.

That's where I said we should give them a little bit more.

Oh yeah, at the end I said, look, you've got to admire them.I think they just ran out of steam.

Oh yeah, I'm not saying you didn't give them this.

They ran out of steam.

And Messi, he's still nearly done it though, didn't he?

But everyone's saying football's the winner of Spain, but the Spanish are brilliant.But other countries have to find different ways.Let's not be snobby about it, you know what I'm saying?The Spanish are this, the Spanish are this.

It'll be interesting to see when Messi's gone, because you can't say it in a couple of years.

They said that when Maradona left.They'll never replace Messi.

Someone's coming.I wonder if it'll be another Argentinian.

When you left Arsenal, they'll never replace you.

It was a disappointing final in some ways though from the point of view of the level of games we've seen throughout the tournament, wasn't it?I had a feeling it was going to be that type of game though, did you?

You're not on a prediction.I said three, too.

I thought it was going to be one of those where it was going to be a few goals, even though Spain don't score many.I just thought it was going to be one of those games where, you know, Spain might have nicked one and then Argentina get one, and Spain, the way they play, they might have got another one because, you know, on the break you can catch Argentina.So I thought they might have got more goals.

But you know when you haven't got the ball and you chase it, right?But you know, obviously, physically it's tiring.Mentally it's tiring, isn't it?You're trying to get to somebody and he just pops it around, there's nobody else closing it.It beats you up, doesn't it?You're just getting angrier.

And even when you play Spanish teams, I don't mean necessarily Barcelona, even the lesser Spanish teams are good at keeping the ball out there.Obviously you said you found out over there.

Technically and tactically they're at another level right now.

Is that just the coaching from a young age?Is that all it is for them?I'll tell you what, they defend well as well.What's it now, Kowalski?19.That's a big position isn't it?

We're not talking about just in any country's back line, in Spain's back line.

Yeah, but is it easier then?

Well maybe, but he's a footballer and he's got the pace and they just trust him because it's a high line.

Rodri is obviously a star, Laminia Miles is a star, but if you look at the rest of the nine of that team, it's a team that you put together and you think we know Kukerea, Laporte, we know Porro, Obviously Fabinho Ruiz is a good player.But their last two games, there was no hiding players.

France and Argentina.And I think because they keep the ball so well, the tournaments, I don't think it was draining for them.It's not like emotionally where they came back from 2 -0 or it's extra time.And they got some late goals.Because the way they look after the ball, it looks as if...They were under the radar, didn't they?

Almost all the way to the final.No, because remember, they drew the first game 0 -0.

They drew with Cape Verde, remember?And everyone's writing them off.That's the time to put a bet on them.

Just to say, again, write them off is a bit strong, but yeah, to say, do you know what, maybe they're not at it and they haven't got a goal threat.

I watched them beat Uruguay with Juan Mata late one night.I was doing it with Juan Mata and Ange.And I remember saying to Juan Mata, they just don't look right.They got over the line that game.It was a bad mistake by the Uruguay keeper, I think.

What did he say?

And he just said, yeah, no, they just don't, you know, he said they're not quite right.You know what I mean?This was like four weeks ago, five weeks ago, and then you just forget about them a little bit.But to beat France how they did was amazing.That was amazing.They won the competition really in the semi -final in some ways, that was the final really.

They were the two best teams probably.The teams in England took a lot of Argentina.Yeah, probably.Every game, probably for Argentina, it was like a comeback every game, wasn't it?You said that we would have given Spain a better game than Argentina.I think we would, purely because of more energy probably.

We've had a few late ones as well, extra timers.

And again, lads, we go back to players off the bench.They won the World Cup, last European final against England, players off the bench.Torres today, Zuberman, he came on.We also got winning goal against England two years ago.So at this stage of the season for players, the subs are even more important.The Azabal, he came off the bench too.

When he scored in the Euros.That's five out of the last ten tournaments or something they've won?Is it 2006, 2008, 2010?And then they obviously won the last two.

If they've got somewhere along the line, there must be some 14 -year -old wizard forward that, once he gets involved in Spain, will go again.

It's the Pep influence, I think, in that Xavi and Jester Busquets era, and then the defenders that they had with Piquet and Barca.and sort of really great defenders, that's just influenced the whole of I would imagine this new generation of Spanish players.You're influencing generations when you sort of do things like they did 10, 12 years or 13 years ago.This is at the new generation.I mean that picture of Luminimal as a baby in Messi's arms is incredible and that Barcelona team that Pep had, It's just influence.That's just timing sometimes, players coming through and then Messi on top of all that.

Well, if you look at that Spanish team that won back in the day, obviously it came out of the best Barcelona team ever.They had Puyol, Pique, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, David Villa, Pedro.Pedro, that's seven.They had seven players and then they obviously had a couple from, they had Casillas, Ramos.So the majority of the team was like the Barcelona team from sort of Pep's team.And then obviously you've got, and through the academy at Barcelona, by the way, a lot of them.

So you think about the influence of that.You still have to create something though.

You can say that the French are some brilliant players, but you still have to bond together.I wonder if there was issues, because obviously you know Real Madrid, was there issues years ago where you're thinking Barca and Real Madrid?There was, wasn't there?So you might have all the best players, but you still have to create that.

They still won the World Cup with Barca.Yeah, yeah, of course.

No, that's my point.Sometimes you think just the talent alone might be enough.You have to get people on side.That's where the management comes into it.And even now you look at them in the last few games, They're a proper team, aren't they?I know when you're winning, everyone feels like there's a great team spirit, but the managers don't...

And even at the last Euros, they were the best team in the Euros, weren't they?It's not as if you...I know, I always say, sometimes the best team don't always win, but they're producing.

I love the way that Spain will play a young player without people talking about, oh, watch his minutes, and let's make sure we keep an eye on him.They'll play Lamin Amal when he's 16 in the Euros, you know what I mean?Same with Nico Williams at 19, same with this team.-half, Sebastian.You know, they'll just play him.Just go and play.

I know the beauty is when you're on about, like, that kind of tippy -tappy football in the Euros, there are two wide players who are brilliant, obviously the full -backs, no mugs either.And then this final today when Williams come on, imagine when you put yourself as a defender for Argentina and it's tippy -tapping, you're getting tired, as you said, your legs, particularly the full -backs' legs are getting tired.But then you have people running behind you.

He's just keep running.That's the one.I love that.Oh, that's the one that will hurt you.Just run beyond people.

Kills people.The tippy -tappy's tiring, but someone running behind you...And the thing is, when you're playing, Roy, and you're...This is what...

I remember George Graham said it all the time.Just go.They don't want to, but they have to.And then you go, oh, here he goes again.That's where the mistakes come.

This episode of Stick To Football is brought to you by Skybet.Right, best player in the tournament.I've got a list here.that you can select from or you can dismiss.Lionel Messi, Joe Bellingham, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Ulisse, Rodri, Alaphabeal and Haaland have been named.

The best player in the tournament.

Well, it just says player of the tournament.Who did you say at the end there?

Alaphabeal and Haaland.Rodri, no?Rodri's in there.

He's from Spain as well, isn't he?Yeah.I think that it would have been...I think Rodri and I probably would have, Jude would have been close.Absolutely Jude would have been close.

Can I pick one?I would go Jude Bellingham.Look, the reason being is I think that I almost expect that from Rodri.The standards, the levels, the consistency that he's set.I'm not taking it for granted because I think he's just, to be fair, you said it before, I think he's just completed football.Ballon d 'Or, Champions League, Euros, World Cup, that is like the completion of football.

Congratulations, Rodrigo.Unbelievable.But I think Bellingham's World Cup was a little bit unexpected and sort of to go and get seven goals, become England's all -time.And I just think the influence he had on the tournament was massive on not just English fans, I think he'll have influenced fans around the world.

You know what, Gal?I went to, because they had to play New Zealand, and Costa Rica at the start, and he was playing in the New Zealand game.Roy, did I tell you?He was playing that game as if it was the semi -final of the World Cup.He doesn't let up in the games.He really puts his shift in.

Did he feel he had something to prove this tournament for England?

Yeah, but Roy, remember not long ago, he left him out of the squads.That's my point.Did he feel he had something to prove?

He had that bit of anger in him and that bit of hunger.

But I think that he did, and I think that's why he came like he did.He came like he did have a point to prove.And he proved it, because there's no way you can think of an England team without him.

I think he could share it with Rodrigo, I think.

He finished third.English finish third.You know, it's out of an Argentinian, sort of French.So you think, you know, you put the Elysee in and Bappé in, but...Elisa, when he missed that chance against England to make a 4 -4.But I think Elisa and Mbappe not getting France into the final, to be fair, is a problem for me, because they were the best team and best squad, so they have let themselves down wrong, but they did not deliver at the moment where they had to step up.

Do you know what I mean by that?Yeah, but I think Spain showed they were more of a team.That's what I'm saying.I think they were the most fancy team, France.But I was expecting Spain to be better at football than France, but I was expecting France to counterattack and go through them.

You know what I was disappointed with France was to have... that many great individuals play poorly.

Yeah I agree, that's what I mean.

I'm surprised at that because we're talking about players who are playing high level in their clubs, know that they have to play at a certain standard and level and we're now talking about the semi -finals.

I think, look, probably a partHaarlem, if you take out Bellingham and Haarlem, without Haarlem, Norway would have probably dropped, not qualifying out of the group.But England could have literally sank and tanked if they didn't have to do Bellingham.You think about the influence he had on getting him through these tough games.To me, I just think that Messi as well deserves a mention because he's, I mean, unbelievable.

I think if Bellingham and Haarlem If it was England and Spain in that final, I think Bellingham could have gotten the player of the tournament.

Who's picked that FIFA player of the tournament?Let's say Messi equalises with a minute to go, does he get it then?Who chooses it?

They have like a panel.They must do.

It's a coincidental, Roy, that it's always the people that are on the pitch.Of course, obviously.They're not going to go, the winner is Jimmy Murphy, but he's already gone home.

You know what I mean?So there's got to be somebody involved in the game.

It would have been interesting.I think that it's a good point.The point I'm trying to make is if Jude was in the final with Rodri, I think Jude could have got it.But he wasn't.But he wasn't.So who are we going for?

Can they share it?

No, definitely you can't share it.I'm happy to do it, yeah.

Let's go Rodri and Jude.We've got joint winners of the Stick to Football Player of the Tournament.Which has got more standing than the FIFA one, by the way, Rodri, so just letting you know.Best young player in the tournament, the people we've got listed here are Lamine Yamal, Nico O 'Reilly, Desiree Doué, Koubasi, Moura and Nusa.I think it was Koubasi.100%.

No one's even close.Me and you literally conceded one goal in the whole tournament.in how many games?Eight.Eight games.Eight games, one goal.

I think he's one to look forward to.

Look, I said a little bit about the centre -halves for Argentina, but when you concede seven goals in five knockout games, you're going to struggle to get through all those games.You concede reallygoals in the knockout games, you've got a great chance of winning it.I mean, ultimately, Spain back in 2010, did they win it?

Yeah.

They didn't concede a goal in the knockout game.They didn't concede a goal in the knockout phases of, I think, the three tournaments they won, the Euros and the Worlds.They didn't concede a goal in the knockouts.I do like them stats.

Incredible.We watch football to be entertained.Strikers attack brilliant and we've just been speaking about amazing attacking players.But I do love when people have pride in their defending.

You know that.You go out there thinking we're not going to see you.

That was a good chance at the end.

The Argentina one.You know something, Simeone, yeah, I'm glad.But again, like we spoke about when Messi don't and people say, yeah, what do you expect?He's in the box, he's easy.You saw with Simeone...Was his an easier one?

You know what, it's not even a case of easier.Nobody hit the target.He's got to get, like, Messi's instincts, natural instincts, all the basics were just right.He was over it, he caught it.

He looked nice, didn't he?You know what I mean?

You just think, that's the chance.That's the chance.

Okay, I think to be fair though, what we do need to say is that the Spanish team were helped by the best goalkeeper.Simón, Martínez, Meñán and Azari from Ghana.He's the Spanish goalkeeper.He does frighten me though.We didn't talk a lot about the one that he come out in the first half on Messi early on.Oh my God.

By the way, Messi's through.And I'm thinking if he just gets a nick there, Messi, he's sent off, you know, he's the one goal.

And you know what, we're not talking about like, you know when you see them like they're 10 yards or 15.He was like 20 odd yards out.

Against France.Against France it was unbelievable.Against France I think it's that high.

This is what I was saying about the high line.The manager says, listen, that line's...You go.

I know we've been there.when the game's on, but when people say, great starting position from a goalkeeper, you're thinking, where are you expecting to be?Like, in the box.But his positioning...

That's the key, his positioning.Yeah, because you see Messi going, and all of a sudden you see the goalkeeper come out, and you think, wow.

So that's how you high up he's starting.Brilliant.And it's interesting, because at the start of the tournament, you would have said, Because we are obviously looking at the Premier League all day, we're thinking why is Ryan not playing?You are thinking that a little bit, aren't you?You're thinking, damn it Ryan, he's got to be some goalkeeper to not be playing if Ryan's playing the way he's played for Arsenal.And by the way, he is some goalkeeper.

Best goalkeeper by a mile.The best defender in the tournament?

I'm going to disagree with a few on this list to be fair, naturally.

Kukure is not on it, which I think he needs to be.Porro, Kukure I'm going to stick on there.Kubasi, Laporte, Saliba, Upamecano.I actually think Jed Spence should get a mention.Jed Spence should be on there.Yeah, I think Jed Spence should get a mention.

Hakim is on here.Cristian Romero and Lissandro Martinez are on here as well.Them two have got to be.Between them two, innit?

Then I did.I got injured today, didn't I?That didn't help, did it, Argentina?No, no.

Both of them going off inside 65 minutes, no, that's not helped them at all.

But he was injured for the season, though, wasn't he?During the season, both of them too.Was Romero injured, do you think?

Because to be fair, Martins definitely was, but was he injured when he came off?Or did you sub him, do you reckon?Or today?

Well, something must be wrong.

But he was injured for Spurs towards the end, wasn't he?That's the thing.Yeah.Yeah, who is selected as the best defender?

I think Upamecano has probably got to have a good shout.I thought he was very good.

I think Laporte's been incredible.Actually, when I was at Man Utd Riverlands, we played against Bilbao three times, and Laporte played left centre -back for that.in all three games.Oh my God, he was unbelievable.And he was young then.What would he have been back in 2015?

He was incredible.And he goes to City and you think, wow, what a player they've got.And he played well for them, didn't he, for quite a while?And then obviously Pep sort of...

Jed Spence was our best defender.Definitely, definitely.

I put Gay did...Quite well, I thought.

No, but I thought that Jed Spence and the tackles he made.I thought he made decisive tackles.Kukure, I think, need to be fair.I quite like him, to be honest.He's one of those, for some reason...Very tenacious.

Yeah, people give him a lot of stick now, but when I watch him, I've watched him a lot against Sakho, against any winger he's up, he's just...All in.He's on it, and he'll get forward, he's got a certain quality in the box, he'll score a goal, You know what, Gal?He's close for me.He's close for me in this.

And do you know something?That semi -final in Den Belly was...Yeah.You know what I mean?

Just snuffed.

Yeah.Snuffed.I wouldn't be against it.

I would say Coquerea.

I'd say Laporte or Coquerea.Can you share it?Roy, can you share it?Both of them?

No, let's give it to one of them.

I would probably go Laporte just maybe, but I'm happy to go with Coquerero.Yeah, no, I'd go Laporte.

I'll go with Coquerero.

OK, we're going with Laporte.Why would we go Laporte back in 2015?

He's about 20, 21.

20, 21, so he's younger.OK, best midfield player in the tournament.We've said the best player is Rodri and Bellingham, and they're both in there.Enzo Fernandez is in there, and I think he deserves to be in there.He didn't obviously cover himself in Glorieta, but he's been brilliant in the tournament, I think, Enzo Fernandez.What a poor that decision was by him today, though.

Again, surely that should come into you as a midfielder, that kind of decision, what he's made there.We're talking about his ability.It's the basics.

I think when you don't slow down...you're on about the importance of the game, and footballers get frustrated.I think if there were two or three of them down, you'd think, you know what, so that the heads can't do that.Just slow down.Just let him, because he's on the halfway line.

He's on the yellow card.It was coming from a mile away, wasn't it?

One of them.

We could see it coming, you know what I mean?It was very difficult to not see an Argentinian player get sent off.And to be fair, I think McAllister was quite lucky.

We have to do the same with the player.We've given both to Jude and Rodri, then we've got to do this as well.We've got to give honourable mentions to who?

Well, Uri Tillerman's in there, Elliot Anderson's in there, Olmo's in there.

You know something, Elliot Anderson should get a mention because he's done well up to a certain point, you know what I mean?If you're looking at our best friend, it was Ari and Jude were doing the business for us, he was probably the next, obviously Jed Spence kind of like emerged as well.

You're saying that right, I'm obviously happy to give him praise.I think he should have done better for the first goal.He should have just been half and half.He almost forced a pass by the goal.You watch that back.He should have just maybe slowed down a little bit.

And he does that a lot.

He'll obviously learn more when he goes to City.

Don't go chasing it.Do you know what he's doing?He thinks Messi's going to cut inside.And so he's thinking, I hope this is what he was thinking, and I think I would have probably...If he'd stayed with Enzo Fernandez, and then Messi cuts it...Cut inside and curls it.

I'm not saying stay with it.

Cut a little bit.Cut it up where you go...I go back to it, you have to multitask.You go, I'm ready if he does this, but I can get to him a bit quicker.

That's what Gary was saying about Messi, what we should have been doing with Messi when he was Kane and Gal.Just come across a bit more.Remember what he was saying when Messi's in space on his own?

We couldn't have left him in that much space.there, it was ridiculous.Yeah, just call your Jets, lads.

Call your Jets.When you said...I was listening to you the other day when you said, call your Jets.He said, no, I'm not calling my Jets.

My Jets are that fucking hot.My Jets are that hot.It's untrue.My Jets are on.Gas coming everywhere.Call your Jets.

No, I'm not calling my Jets.This episode of Stick To Football is brought to you by Skybet.Best forward, we've got Lionel Messi, Mbappé, Kane, Haaland.

I'm going to go with Messi.Yeah, 39.39.Gorgeous, gorgeous assist.Incredible.It's great that they all turned up though.

Can I just say, Haaland for me is close out of all of them.Because Mbappé is brilliant as well, we've seen him do better.Haaland coming in with the rep, you know what I mean, he's not played in one before for Norway.

Can I ask you, if they're all getting 7, 8, 9 goals, that type of vibe, are defenders getting worse, do you know what I mean?Well, something's got to be happening.

Are attackers getting better?I think the speed of play, I think defenders are obviously more limited in what they can do now.Oh look at this, the Spanish were able to do it, weren't they?

You can't give it to anyone apart from Messi at 39 what he's done here.

What about Messi's goal where he controls it against Cape Verde?

I think people underestimate it simply because it was a game, but the ball for a start was amazing.But the first touch sets the whole goal up.

OK, there we go, best of four.OK, surprise package.Who's our surprise package?Cape Verde?Yeah, we've got Cape Verde, Switzerland, Egypt, Mexico, Canada, USA.It's got to be Cape Verde, hasn't it?

How's USA never a surprise package?

Who wrote this list?Who's stitching me up here?I know I've switched off, but give me a break.

I'm not saying it disrespect me.It's got France on it.Surprise package.

It's a surprise package.

England is England and there's a surprise package.

Is there any other surprise package, think outside the box?

Norway, quarter -finals, did you think Norway would get to the quarters?Yeah, they've done well, didn't they?Yeah, well done, Norway.

Norway, yeah, Norway surprise.

Did Belgium surprise?

They could have gone out, they should have went out to, was it Ivory Coast?

Did Belgium get it?

Senegal.Senegal.They should have got it.

Where did Belgium get it?Where did they get an athlete?They got to the quarters.Quarters, yeah.In Spain.And that was last.

That was a mistake by the keeper, wasn't it?Yeah.

I think Norway.Norway should be second.

Belgium only got beaten by Spain.

I think it should be Norway, Gelsen, because...Remember that chance when Strand lost?Is it Strand lost and should have just squared it?

But you can't say Norway, because he had him as his dark horsey, so he knew they might get there, whereas Cape Verde, no -one expected what they did against Argentina.I think Norway, to be fair, there was an element of thinking they might get to, like...It's true.Do you know what I mean?Cape Verde.I think Cape Verde has got to be a surprise package.

Scotland?Score on a goal?It was deflected, unfortunately.

Any other surprise package in the tournament?Any other thing that surprised you about the tournament?Anything?

Joseph, let's talk a little bit about today.I didn't mind the spectacle, but I tell you what, that wasn't half a long old day, was it?With the extra time and the halftime show.

It was too much.It was too much.

You've got to respect the game.I know we're in America and all this, and I like American sports and the NFL and the Rasputin.But it was just a bit too much, even before halftime.

How many opening ceremonies?

What was Tom Cruise saying?What was his message?

He was basically delivering a speech about how it brought the world together through football, I think, and stuff like that.But the game kicked off late.That's unforgivable, isn't it?World Cup final.Six minutes late.Was it six minutes late?

I mean, you can't...That's my point.Same as well.If you kick off late...in League Two, you get fined.You can't kick a World Cup final off late.

I mean, you literally have four years to plan for it.

When we're doing it...You have four years to plan for it.We're dealing with America and anything goes when it comes to what they're doing in respect of...Yeah, but they can be strict with other stuff, right?That's the strange thing about it.Yeah, but when it suits them...

Every restaurant you go to here, you go into Shake Shack, have you booked a table?They can be strict on certain things.But then six minutes late for the World Cup.

Final.On a terrible pitch.Terrible pitch for the standard and the calibre of players that are playing on it.A World Cup final on that pitch.God.So bad.

Okay, well we've got some other categories that might bring that out later on.Best game in the tournament.My favourite game was definitely Argentina -Egypt or Argentina -Cape Verde.They were special games for us.Argentina -Cape Verde for me. I did both of them.I thought they were amazing.

I thought Argentina were amazing.

Yeah, but going into the Argentina -Cape Verde, we're going in and it's a game where we're just going in, how many for Argentina?

Yeah, 4 -0.

You know what I mean?We're thinking that and then this Cape Verde side, they just play.Egypt genuinely could have knocked Argentina out.That was close.

That was incredible that game.You're going to go with that one, Egypt?I'll go with that one I think.You know what, it's heartbreaking for both of them.

Well the other games, to be fair, England v Mexico was amazing.That was a good one with ten men.We've got Belgium v Senegal which was, I couldn't believe that.I could not believe that.How did Senegal do it that way?

They never get over that.They never get over it.They'll just have to write that one down, because we'll never get over it, let's just move on over here.

Portugal, Croatia 2 -1, last 32.Morocco 1, Netherlands 1, Morocco win on penalties.And England, France yesterday 6 -4.Yeah, but that's not the same.No, I don't think we can count that.

Let me make a point about Saka with all this stuff.you know when players get interviewed after matches and for the last four or five weeks we're hearing about players like Harry Knox, Rice and we're just getting feedback.It'd be nice if one of these players when they're speaking to the media or on social media just says Saka's a great example because over the World Cup people are saying he's not right.He should come up maybe after a week or two and go I feel great.I'm ready to go.Everyone knows, I'm good to go.

Because all we're hearing is going, is he fit?Is he carrying on?And then you get no feedback from the press officer, shall we say, with the English FA.But why doesn't a player just come up and go, I'm ready to play every minute.So then even the manager might go, do you not think there was a lot of negativity around?

Well they weren't right with it though, we knew that they weren't right because of what's happened during the season Roy, with the fact that they've had these injuries.

Yeah but Saka suggested, he said if he was good, Saka suggested after the game I felt good and I was ready to play.

If he does that Roy.

And I don't just mean, I'm not just talking about yesterday's game, because obviously different pressure, the Jeopardy's gone and they all played with a bit of freedom, obviously 6 -4, France could have scored 10, England could have scored 10.No, for a player to come out during the tournament, if there's any negativity, going, I'm good to go.

I think that would be terrible on his part.That wouldn't work out for him with the manager.Why?Simply because...No, if he just says, I'm good to go.He's putting the pressure on the manager.

No, not the manager.

I'm on about the stuff in the media coming out, going, he's struggling, he might be feeling this, going, no, I'm good to go.

I think if he denies it, to be fair, I think that then he's effectively lying.because we know he's got a problem with his ankle or his Achilles or whatever it is that he's had this last few months.

But did he not say yesterday he feels good?Yeah.Did he not say that after yesterday?

Am I imagining things here?

No, no, no.No, I know, but...But there might be other examples through tournaments, and we sit in the studios and we're going, somebody might be struggling.I know people put little snippets out that aren't true sometimes, but it'd be nice if a player just came up and went...All this concern about my fitness, I'm good to go.I could play every match.

I was surprised that Rice played yesterday.

It's not having a go at the man, it's just saying, I'm making it clear I'm good to go.

Do you think Rice wouldn't have played if Mane would have been playing?Do you think Rice was brought in because one of them had to play, Rice or Anderson?because Maynard would have played if he wasn't injured?I think that's the main reason.

He got injured what, in training?I don't know.Exactly.We don't know.And all these teams, they give obviously information to the media.But this one, nobody knows anything about his injury.

It's a mystery one.

It is a mystery one.I was surprised that Rice was playing.Especially, he's having problems with his back.It's a neural problem.

But wouldn't Rice...Great example.Rice, again, everyone taught Rice.Was he ill a couple of weeks ago and then he was taken off the last game?Everyone was surprised when he was playing in this third, fourth play -off.But if he said after the game, I've got a bit of a stiff back a couple of weeks ago, that's part of being a footballer.

Having aches and pains.It was quite clear watching Declan Rice he wasn't himself because he came off in two games, three games, he would never be taken off.For one of them it was like an illness thing, that can happen.The illness from the last war.

He didn't train with the players, I get that.Yeah.But sometimes put something out there, even positive news, even if you go, listen, I'm feeling an injury but I'm just going to get out there and I'm good to go.

Hey, come on.Okay, so what's the best game now?Are we going Cape Verde or Egypt?Egypt.Egypt we're going.Okay, excellent.

The best moment in the World Cup, I think we all said it was the Cape Verde goal versus Argentina.Is there a best moment off the pitch or surrounding the World Cup that we're thinking of?

You know what, you've got to say it.It's like when Iceland done that Fanda clap.When Norway done that rowing.

Oh, come on you.

It's just to see so many people.What were they doing?Show us what they were doing.

That's mind -boggling, that.We'll see him at the airport tomorrow, he better not be on my flight.If this guy with a bagpipeon my flight...The rowing.I'm talking about the rowing.

The rowing was amazing in Times Square.It was brilliant.It was amazing.That's amazing.

I love the rowing in Times Square.Me too.I love it.Come with us.It was amazing.Come with us for the row in Times Square.

It impressed a lot of his fans.

It missed the Irish and the Italians, let's be honest.Irish are the best.But everyone knew, and everyone was going, that's amazing.It is at the start, but three weeks later, you're going, we get it.You rode over here.Jesus, man.

It's that thing when they were going home and they had the plane with the rowing.

What's wrong with people?

Why don't people just leave people?

He said that in my group.The plane that was rowing.

I can't wait for my next trip to Norway.That's my favourite, the rowing, I like the rowing.What else was there then?

What's the other best moment?

Our best moments were in Brooklyn.You dodged me the last few days, you know what I mean?

I was doing a lot of walking by myself the last few days.I had breakfast with you yesterday morning for an hour and a half.You didn't.

I did.Yeah, you were just passing and he saw me, he was like on a call, you know what I mean?

Yeah.

We did a thing with ITV together, you remember, for an hour and a half.You're an impression of Nev having breakfast with you.Yeah, but if you're doing something with...This is me, Nev. I'm Nev, you're me.OK.Don't be ridiculous.

THEY LAUGH Sell, sell, sell.

Bye, bye, bye.

It is.It's true.Yeah, I've got to go now.

I've got to go.

Don't fit the tower on my neck for the gym run.

That is Nev, to be honest.With the tower on my neck.

With your leggings on, yeah.

You're always talking to the side of Nev's face when you're having a break.Yeah, innit?What else is there?

You dodged me in Brooklyn.You dodged me, man.You've dodged me the last few days.I haven't dodged you because...You've got an English accent.not even been on your phone, you've been proper...

My missus took my phone off me for a bit.I asked you to come to baseball Friday night, you said no.

Yeah, you're with your wife and kids.That's what he's done.

Boundaries.

God, boundaries.It's true, cos when you had...I went for a game of pool last night by myself.It's very difficult playing pool by yourself.I played killer by myself.

You didn't go and play pool by yourself, did you?That would have been a set -up.Arguing with yourself.Did you lose?He lost the draw.

There was an argument at the end of it, yeah.When you came over, I gave you a space, because, you know, boundaries.I'd still reach out to you, though, even when I'm with my family.You played pool on your own.You played killer on your own.

Best moment in the World Cup, best moment in the World Cup.I just said mine.You've got the Norwegians rowing, I like that one as well.Any other moments that we think of?

You know what, I liked when Belgium beat the United States.Because of the sending off.Article 27 or 17?You know what, I just felt like that's how football just answers all the foolishness, because that was just... just crazy what was going on.It's like, it's almost like a sport child just being able to just change the rule, take his ball away and everything.It was really bad.

So when Belgium beat the United States, I was like, you know, thank you, football, for just sorting that out for us.

And it's probably our last World Cup together, because what age are you now?

Sixty -two.

You won't be doing the next one, will you?

I'll mess it.Me and Messi are retirements.Me and Messi are...Retiring at the same time.That's why when Messi was crying, I felt like I was going to cry.I did look over and I saw you getting a bit emotional.

What about the ITV studio?

Amazing.Honestly, Macca and the guys, they've done brilliantly with that one.They kept talking about, we're going to do a really nice studio.When you got there, it was quite a brilliant experience.

That helped.When they said to me, it's looking over Brooklyn Bridge, I was like, yeah, a little bridge.And then you get there.It's amazing.They did it.They did it.

You don't get sick of that view, do you?

No, no, no.Every time.Brooklyn Bridge is beautiful, honestly.Every time.Brooklyn's been good.Excellent.

Okay.Thumbs up to Brooklyn, huh?Absolutely.It's been brilliant.I'm going to miss it, yeah.I might move over here.

Give me another 12 months.You'll come across.Need a few more, need a few more ba -bum -boom.

The biggest controversy in the World Cup, so I've got five or six for you here.Five or six?Somalian referee...Normally there's one or two in a World Cup for the Americans.You feed time for that referee because he was sent back.Somalian referee sent back despite having a valid visa.

Scandalous.Argentina versus Egypt VAR controversy.The goal where they're obviously in the corner with the fouls.Yeah.Balogun's red card reversal after a direct intervention from Donald Trump.Wins by a mile.

Yeah.The World Cup ticket price.Cristiano Ronaldo being allowed to play the first two games having been effectively let off in the semifinal.No, but that was, I don't know, like before the war.Yeah, but biggest controversy.And then the last one is the Iran treatment.

Well, the Iran treatment is something totally different because that was just despicable in itself for sportsmen who were coming to play in a tournament treated like that, in respects of the travel and the recovery and everything, it's obviously affecting them.I think that that should be something totally separate.That's just unacceptable.But I think, if we're talking about from a football point of view on a pitch, the red card, the red card, like...Rescinded, wasn't it?Rescinded.

It was absolutely scandalous in respects of the game.

It's despicable.It affected the team as well, didn't it?The players said that badly.

You wouldn't like that.You wouldn't like that level of pressure on you where people think you're gaming.Created a lot of negativity around our squad.Yeah, you're gaming the whole tour.

You know what I feel?You know what people don't understand?They're very disrespectful to...real American football soccer fan who really is in and wants it all to be right and wants, you know, everything about the American soccer.and to be like how we have our football, and they're bang on line, they're embarrassed by that.They're embarrassed by that.

I think on Iran, look, you think about the American nationality, it's got the land of the free, and you think about the Statue of Liberty in the background, and all the things and messages in America about sort of tolerance, and you've got a country that obviously at this moment in time, you know, certainly hasn't got the same beliefs as America, and they're obviously having a a battle with them, but if you're hosting the World Cup, let them play, then you will unfortunately have to, for America...

Give them the same opportunities as everybody else is having.That's what made me feel bad for them in a way, but it's the Balligan red card being rescinded.everything wrong with it, integrating everything in a game.

To be fair, when you look at Donald Trump's comments about sort of what would be Thomas Tuchel's tactics of making Harry Kane into a defender, I mean, it's bizarre, because if you think about the statesman - Is it?No, I was going to say, but the statesman -like nature of the President of the United States, and he's talking about football match tactics.He did say they were dropping back quite a bit.He should have got up.His point was a good one, actually.Get him on here.

What was he saying?

He said he turned Harry Kane into a defender, which I just don't...I mean, to actually get involved in the weeds like that of life, when you're actually, to be fair, in that position...That was the only game he attended.

Was that the one today?Was that the only game he attended?Yeah, it was.

It's Donald Trump.You can't be surprised at anything he does, cos he does whatever he wants.

Exactly, that's my point.It's not really bizarre that he's saying that.

It's not really bizarre that he's saying that.He says what he wants.He does what he wants.He does what he wants.Like, they gave him a Peace Prize in Fantino.It's really weird even seeing them both walking with the World Cup like, I'll carry it, no, I'll carry it.

It's just so weird.And then, at the start of the game, they brought it up.It's like he said, somebody bring it up, let me have a look at it.Like, Don Corleone, where is it?Bring it over, let me touch it.That thing.

Let me touch it, yeah.I just don't like the way it's been here.I don't like the way it's interfered in the World Cup.

Senna, how beautiful does that trophy look?

It's just gorgeous.Doesn't look bad.

Amazing, that trophy.

It's just beautiful.It is beautiful.When you see it, it's probably...You say you're not no -touching or something.Is that true, though?Only heads of state and people have won it.

It's the same with the Premier League.If you try and touch the Premier League, you've not won it.They can pack it up and just walk out.You're not allowed to touch the trophies if you haven't won them.I don't mind that.That's pretty good.

I always say to people, you touch me, I'll touch you.

Right, next one.Most annoying thing.I've got a list here.What's your list?Infantino on match coverage every game.I don't know where that's come from, is that just looking to poke the bear out of you there a little bit Barry?

Tipping in the USA?You know what they're doing now?

Can I just say, they're really tipping.It's 18%, 20 % and 22%.I don't know what to do, so I always give them 20.The other day I gave a tip, it worked out to $80.My missus was going crazy, she said, why are you tipping that much for us?

You've got 18, 20, 22, and you've got custom tip and you've got no tip underneath.They're very low down.

Really low down, you can't even see them properly.And then the way they say, yes, you have to do this before, once you're paying, make you feel bad.Hydration breaks is the next one.

Jesse Marsh saying I'd rather be us than them when Canada lost to Morocco.World Cup halftime show.Anything else?Is that just because we've run out of ideas?Anything else that's come to mind?annoyed us during the World Cup?

Is it annoyance that the calibre of some of the pictures have been really quite poor?Is that I'm going too far, am I trying to find something?The entertainment wasn't great at halftime, was it?I didn't think it was good.

If you think about the world, look, to be fair, I'm not a great fan of NFL, being honest with you, but the Super Bowl halftime shows, I watched a lot of them on YouTube.

Some of the memes they sent with Madonna and Ronaldo.

I thought it was great, the Madonna bit.Yeah, I thought it was great, the Madonna bit with Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.Driving.

I thought it ran out of steam, didn't it?Justin Bieber, whatever he was singing.

Justin Bieber done a song that was so low.Why do you do a song that's got to make people dance?I thought Burna Boy was good.

Yeah, the NFL, the Super Bowl, it's all high -energy stuff.It's the elite artists in the world, innit?You'd have thought they'd have had, like, say...Pre -match was all right with Robbie and...

Why can't they do the halftime show where it's...Shakira was good.Yeah, but she's very good.But why can't they just do it where it's the time...Half -time, 15 minutes.Can't they just do 15 minutes, bam?

They come on, 15 minutes.How long was it?

How long was it in the end?26 minutes, 27 minutes, from when they came, when they went out to when they came back.

It's a long time.

Yeah.Nothing should interfere with the game.No.These hydration commercial breaks, I mean, Spain, Morocco, Portugal's going to be hot.Do you think they're going to stay?Probably, yeah.

I hope not.

I think so, because they've made a lot of money and they're able to use it for advertising in that space.There is no way in those hot countries they're not going to be doing it.They will be doing it, it's here to stay that is.

Right, we're on to the England Awards.I think most of them, though, cross over, don't they?Really, in some ways.England's best player, Jude Bellingham.Yeah.The breakthrough star for England.

Jed Spence.

Do you think he's done as well as...I think he was that good.It was Jed.Don't get me wrong, but...But who are you saying?No, there's not many breakthroughs.

That's what I'm saying.You said to break it through because, remember...

Nico, Nico probably.

Yeah, but Nico's...

Anderson, it was Anderson.

Anderson, yeah.But we're talking about somebody that...O 'Reilly.He didn't start, but then he came in and all of a sudden he felt invaluable to everything, what we needed, but...I think he's caught...I'm very Jed -centric.

I think he's caught the eye of people in this tournament, Jed Spence.I think he's caught the eye.Yeah, what's...Well, it caught me up with his speed.When he got back for that tackle...I think Nico O 'Reilly probably would be, for me, the breakthrough star.

To play 19 in a World Cup...He's only played for City for a season, hasn't he?So for me, I'd go Nico O 'Reilly.Biggest disappointment in the England Awards will be that last 15 -20 minutes against Argentina, isn't it?There'll be an autopsy that will go on for quite a while around that, won't there?It should as well.

Yeah, it's a painful one.

Because the manager's talking about our DNA.

Yeah, and keeping the ball.

For me, that's more talking about the FA.That's a sad indictment on them and what they're doing.The money they're ploughing into St George's Park.into the strategy, the national strategy of what we're supposed to be doing, the 10 million a year on grassroots, and he's saying that.He's saying that it's in our DNA.So they've got to look at themselves.

And then you've got to think of yourself, well, we're getting a coach from outside of England, so we've got to look at the coaching side of it as well.I think listening to him say something about the DNA and the FA, we can't produce those players and they're pouring in that money and we have to get coached from another country.They've got to be looking at what he's saying, man.That don't make no sense to me.He shouldn't be saying that.

Right, this is not sort of revisionism because I said after Sven and Fabio Capello had managed England for six to eight years, no, maybe longer actually, maybe eight to nine years, I said we can never ever, I think, go back.If we're going to select international coaches and they're not going to do any better than the English coaches that we had like Bobby Robson and Terry Venables and Glenn Hoddle and obviously now Gareth's got us to semi -finals and finals.I feel very strongly, but I do think Thomas Tuchel should see this out, because I think he should definitely go and do the Euros.But I said after Capello, we had two unbelievable coaches that had dominated in sort of Italian football and done brilliant jobs, like unbelievable jobs.I just don't see how we could go back to having an international coach.That's not a Tuchel thing, it's nothing to do with him personally.

But then people throw the argument at you of Serena and obviously the women's team, and they've won, so you're a little bit disappointed.

Yeah, but we're talking about... with Thomas Tuchel coming in and you know he's meant to be the guy and when you listen to the interview today...

You thought he was the guy pre -tournament as well didn't you?

Yeah but you think he's the guy because he showed the bravery in certain people we left out we think well okay we'll see how it goes with that so you're thinking well he's brave enough to do those things we saw the way he changed he made some of the substitutions we're thinking whoa that sounds okay let's say he's brave enough to do that And then before a tournament, he was talking about being brave and going to play and being progressive and going for it.And then we saw what happened in the Argentina game.So if he's coming in to take us away from that and take us to the bravery place and it doesn't happen, then what was the point?What are we doing?I don't know.You want to tell us here if we can get a result?

Yeah, but then I think we should have got a result.you know, we should have got a result because the way he was talking about it before and what we wanted him to come in for is to get us over the line.

He's managed 22 England games, 23.

Yeah but Roy, his mantra is to be progressive and to go for it and our team didn't, our team didn't.

What do we think, I mean look, we've had chats here, all the conversations we've had is We thought England would get to a quarter of a second.Yeah, we said so.

So I don't know what the big inquest was.

We all thought they'd just come up short.Because it was so close.

It was so close, Roy.The last bit's the hardest bit.It's not that.I don't think it's that.I think it's the way in which it happened at the end.I think against France when we got knocked out of the quarter -final in Qatar, I think everyone was accepting that you can lose that game the way we did.

Yeah, we played well in that game.Yeah, we did.I think the fact that we lost the way we did in terms of sitting back, that's caused the problem.You were forced back.Just quickly, what do we think September is going to be like?I think finishing third in the world and having bronze medals is incredible by the way and I do think the England players deserve a lot of credit for doing what they've done.

They've become the third best team in the world and I agree with you Roy, I never expected them to get to the finals but well done to them.Do you think that when they leave the tournament Do you think all is rosy there?Do you think that basically when Foden comes back, when Trent comes back, if Parma comes back, if these lads come back, do you think there is something there that could raise its ugly head in September?

This honeymoon's over isn't it?Yeah.I think the problem is when they made up in September, there'll still be the energy and the questions the manager might receive.They'll still be dragging him back to the World Cup and decisions he made instead of trying to move on.And do Maguire Palmer, all these players he left out, do they all come back in?Obviously it depends how they're doing at club level and if they're fit.

Like Parma?Would you bring Parma back in forwarded?You love Parma, don't you?We all do.If they start the season well...Yeah, he's just one of the examples of players they've left out.

Roy, if they start the season well, they're good enough to be in the squad.It's not like you think, oh, sorry, you can't get it down.

Would they be coming back in a bit like...

I would have thought that they would be a bit vexed.

What would happen with Maguire?

Because he came up with all sorts of...They've got to be a bit vexed.It's up to the manager now, Roy, to get them back onside.Listen, I've made those decisions for whatever.You've got to get them back and make them want to come back in.Is there country they're playing for?

He's just the manager.You're coming back to play for your country.

They did lack leadership in the centre of defence that got them out of the box.Maybe Harry couldn't have done that either.Maybe he wouldn't have won that header that went over the top of John Stones.Maybe he wouldn't have got them five yards up the pitch.But he was more likely to have probably won that header and got them five yards up the pitch than probably the others.

Well, I want to know how deep he was defending against Wrexham yesterday.What happened?Did he play?Yeah.What was the game?I did a tough game against Wrexham yesterday, the last one.

You have to, with Wrexham's pace, you have to drop in.

Stop it.We're getting to that very cynical end of tournaments.It is, we are.England's unsung hero.

Can I ask you something?Did you enjoy Anthony Barry's little...

Yeah.You know, obviously the first one...At least he was honest, wasn't he?You know what I liked about the first one?It's like I said, right, we want you to go out, just be, just go and tell him what you...And then the first one, he came up and was like, fuck, you know?

And then someone went, whoa, whoa, whoa, listen, Anthony, just, like, ease it, just ease it down a little.But you know something?I liked it.He's a coolie.I quite liked it.It was good.

I quite liked it.It could be the unsung hero.Yeah.You know what, I think it's good that we've got somebody that comes out and lets us know how they're feeling right now, what's going on.And he done, apart from the first one where he kind of just came and lit a bomb, you know, after that I thought he was perfect.It was brilliant.

I quite liked it.I think he's got to be, can he be the unsung hero in it?I quite like him.

Yeah, we give it to Anthony Barry.Did you know Mr. Jude yesterday, after he scored his goal, went to Jordan Henderson.He ran straight to Jordan Henderson.Yeah, that was interesting.I'm just wondering, obviously Jordan's a big influence on him and a big influence on the squad because you've worked with him Roy, but what would be the reason after a goal like that that he would have gone over to Jordan, do you think, and hugged him?It felt like it was symbolic, there was something about it.

And you know what, he's running past, there's certain people who are thinking, is it me?And he ran past and it was me.Too cool was that.But yeah, it felt symbolic because he'd ran and he's pointed at it.You know what I mean?Was he feeling for Jordan after breaking his arm?

Or has he calmed him down and worked with him over the last few days?Probably.Picked him up and said, go and score a goal.

Yeah, he's obviously been a help to him.Remember, he was on the bench with him.He probably said, listen, if you get on there, you just score your goal.You just get your goal.Who knows?

Best goal for England?

I think Harry's...

Oh, Harry's against Congo.Bellingham's is a good one against Norway.

Yeah, very good.You know something, the touches.It's either that or Harry's, that one.Harry's, the one where he touched it.He lashed it in.Lashed it in.

I think probably Bellingham's.Bam, bam, bam, bam.I think it's probably Bellingham.Jude's taking all the honours for Englanders in a minute.

I think maybe, to be fair, Bellingham's is harder for him, or harder for anybody.If you said, Look, both are hard.But Harry's turn and then he hits it, which is hard.But to control it at full speed with a pass that was wrapped in and then control it again and then hit it with your left.Probably more difficult for people, technically.

And to go away from the defenders.But I told you, when someone passes you with that pace, it's easier for you to deal with it in a strange sense, because obviously if you take a good touch, it is going away from the defender.If it's slow, you're waiting and the lads are closing you down.So I think the speed of the pass certainly helped him.

The touches were good because...

When you were in Norway.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The touches were very good.And England's best moment.Dan Burns header.

You can't be doing that.

Against Mexico.

You can't be doing that.Can we say the best?What's the best moment?

I suppose their performance against Mexico, wasn't it?The whole build -up and...Wonderwall?Hey Jude?I don't get that.

That was nice.I don't get it.

Everyone's standing there singing, just looking at the crowd.I swear.

I thought the ITV rap party where the team were singing Hey Jude on Thursday night was good.

Was they singing it for Jude or was they singing it just because they were pissed off?No, I think they were singing it for Jude.I genuinely think they were singing it for Jude.

We weren't happy with the music that night.

I had to go in there.The music was very sporadic and wrong.They got it wrong.There was no flow.

You don't see any faces, but do you know something?I do genuinely believe Jude is absolutely loved in the country.I believe he's loved by people and loved by...But can I be honest?

Can I be honest, though, Roy?You see the song A Jude, right?When you're at a party, at a do, and you're at that time of the night, what we was, and you put that on, regardless of Jude Bell, people are going to sing Jude Bell in them.People are going to sing like that.

It's that kind of song.I'll tell you now, though, righty, you don't put that song on in an ITV rap party unless you're doing it for Jude.No.They put it on because of him.Of course they did.We were managing...

Not we, the team were managing the actual recording.Of course they were.I can't believe it.remember it, I haven't got it now.I didn't join in, did I?You joined in, I saw you singing.

What a World Cup it's been.Across the tournament, £375 ,000 in ITV7 jackpots have been won by players taking on the challenge.There's still plenty more to play for, though, so if you haven't already, download the ITV7 app, keep making your predictions and good luck.18 plus T &Cs apply.

Oh, Golden Ball, what's that?

Not including today.What's Golden Ball?It's best player, isn't it?And it dates back to 1994, cos there's a player on here that's won it twice.Oh.

Last seven World Cup Golden Ball winners.

Yes.Zidane.I'm just trying to...Zidane must be one, is he not?So...Cesar.

Mbappe.

Do you want to lock that in?

No, he looked like he was trying to find it.

A Golden Ball winner?No, no, no, that's...What's a Golden Ball?Like, when you've won...No, best player of the tournament.

So, Rodri won it today.

Oh, OK.Rodri.Zidane must have won it, surely, has he, Zidane?

98, who'd won it, Zidane?2002 with Rinaldo, eh?2002, Rinaldo, eh?Or Ronaldinho?Rinaldo or Ronaldinho, 2002.

How would you reckon they got them to do that stuff at Madonna today?Money.Simple as that.

Absolutely, no doubt about it, money.

Right, 22 must have been Messi, 100%.

Yeah, Messi.

Good shot.

I'm gonna say Zidane.Messi was 22 and 2014.Zidane.

2014, Messi.Locking that in?

Yes, I am.The band is correct.2006.Ooh.R9, Ronaldo.R9.

R9, Ronaldo.Correct.1998.

There's got to be a couple of dodgy ones.Right, well, I think here must be...Here must be Ronaldinho.They won it here, Brazil.Yeah, Ronaldinho.

Can I in?

Yeah, Ronaldinho, yes.Who's up front with him then?Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo?Rivaldo.But is it him or Roberto Carlos or Kassim?

Have we just lost a life?

You lost one.

This is Brazil, innit?2003.

Zidane didn't win it in 2006.He got sent off in the final and he still won the Golden Globe.

2010.2010 here was Spain.Is that going to be Iniesta?I think it could be.Iniesta.Yeah, I think it could be.

Iniesta.Yeah.

Iniesta.We didn't say it, we didn't say it.You didn't say you're locking it in.

I'll let you have that one for free.Right, because you didn't say you're locking it in.

I agree, I agree.Do it properly.2018's here then.Who's 2018 the best player when we went to France?Is it France -Argentina?Oh no, it's France v Croatia.

Was it Modric?

Pogba.

I think it was Modric.Or Pogba.I think Modric.

Yeah.

Yeah, we got Modric.

You're locking that in?We are locking it in.

It's correct.

Yes, good show now.Good show.This is 2010.This is the year that Spain won it.I think Iniesta.Who was in the semis?

Can you remember?

Diego Forlan.What year is that?You're locking that in?No, no.I want to say Diego Forlan because I remember...

OK.

You know why?Because I remember he had a poor season and then he had a really good World Cup.

He could be right, then.

What year is it?2010.No, Forlan.Diego Forlan.You're locking that in?Yes, man.

Put it in.Correct.Thank you.I remember he wasn't called it because I was thinking...Well done.My God, he had such a bad...

He got a big move after that, didn't he, get it?94 here.He had Villarreal, didn't he?94 here.I think that's Romario.THEY GASP Yeah.

Oh.They won it, didn't they, Brazil?Romario.

Yes.Or me. I think that's Romario.You'd remember him.

I wouldn't remember him.I'd just be in the garage.I know Romario was the man.

Romario.Like in that end?Yeah.Correct.

The best player I ever played against.These two, yeah.The best two players I ever played against.These two.

One more and it's 2002.

2002?That's the Japan World Cup.But that's Brazil again, isn't it?Was Italy in that World Cup?Germany.Did Brazil win it?

2002?

Yeah, Brazil won it.

I think it was Rivaldo, you know, or Cafu, or Carlos.

Who was in the final?

Was it Holland?Was it Bergkamp?No.Was it Holland?

2002?

We've had this argument before.Was there a sending off?Was there a sending off in that?I don't know.That's not a kick in the chest.Did Holland get to the final?

Yeah, is that where...

No, that was the young...Oh, it could have been.No, that was 2006, was it?

20...That was Spain.

That was the Euros, wasn't it?That was the Euros.I'm trying to think.

Was it?Trying to think.Is it...I'm not an Italian.

How many lives have you got left?Two.I don't think we're going to get that one.

And this is what year, 2000?2002.2002.Two.Will we kick ourselves?You'll kick yourself?

I don't know.

Who did Brazil beat?Who did Brazil beat?There's been an answer in the ITV7 before.It was Germany they beat, wasn't it?

Who played in the final?Well, South Korea were in the semi.Who was in the final?It was Germany in the final, wasn't it?I'm not sure.Was it Kroosk?

Kroosk, the goalkeeper that I was arguing about last week.

No, I don't know.And I've got a mind blank about 2010.2010 was a tournament.Sorry, but who was in the final?I'm sorry, I've asked before.It was definitely, who won it?

2002, it was Brazil won it.Brazil beat Germany.Right, so in 2002 Ronaldinho's goal was over David Seaman's head.Do you remember?

Ballack?Nope.I can tell by the way he said his eyes went there.

Do you remember?It's that tournament.So England got beat in the quarter -final of Brazil, didn't they?Who was the striker we went to last week?

The German striker who got loads of goals.

Klos.

Miroslav Klos.Maybe.Yeah.I feel it in my bones.

Right, close.

Are you locking that in?

We might as well.That's not right.Incorrect.It's not right, it's not him.Stop saying that, you're locking it in.What about his mate Muller?

He's been an answer in the ITV7 before.He said that twice.That's a rubbish quiz.In which quiz?No, because that's too easy there.It's a really rubbish clue.

I think it's a goalkeeper.

I think it'll be a goalkeeper, maybe.But then he would have got...He'd get a golden goal.Is it Edwin van der Sar?Was it Holland?

No, I don't think he got to the final.It was Germany in the final.

Why is no -one listening to me?I feel like that woman in The Fast Show.No -one listens to her.She gets all the right answers.Who said that?What's his name?

No.

Real Madrid midfielder, German midfielder.

Philipp Lahm?Schweinsteiger?No.So back in 2002, it would have been Schweinsteiger, Balak, 100%.I don't think it's Balak.Balak's not been used before, by the way, as an answer.

What's his name?

Balak's not been an answer before.

Did he score a winning goal in the World Cup final?

No, you said a player...It was definitely Real Madrid, but I was way before him.Schweinsteiger would have been then.We're not getting this one.

Oh, yeah.

I can get you the German team from that era, because we played them in 2000 in...Euros and I think 2 ,000 poundsWe'll have played them in 2001 with Kevin Keegan, because they knocked us out of the group.So that German team would have had in it...Roy, some of the players from 99, Bayern Munich, would have been around.In fact, we played Bayern Munich around that time.

We were in our greaves in it, when they won the quarterfinals.Salah Medic, what's the big, massive winger called that I used to play against?

What big striker did he have?I'm not saying it's him, am I?

Yeah.

What was his name?

Jürgen Kohler.People like that, you know what I mean?

Maybe it is.Maybe it is Balak.

Balak's the one that's the star player.Because Balak in 2002, was that the year we got knocked out by Leverkusen?

I don't think it's him.

And Balak was the player for Leverkusen before he went to Bayern.Who else was in the midfield with him?

Who else was in the midfield with Balak?

Balak's a good shot.To be fair, Balak is the only...Balak's the star of that Germany team.We've only got one left.

I think it's Balak.

Ballack is the star of that Germany team.

But we've won the money anyway, haven't we?Yes, you've won the money for Gilles.OK, we're going to go Ballack.Are you locking that in?

Are you locking that in?Yeah, it's wrong.It's incorrect.And, Roy, you were on the right lines, cos the correct answer is Oliver Kahn.Oh, wow.He's the goalkeeper, so he must have won Golden Globe.

Cos we mentioned him the other day.See, my issue is that if he'd won...Why did I go back to Ballack?

This episode of Stick To Football is brought to you by Skybet.Well...That is it.Stick to football.Done for the World Cup.

How has it been joining the World Cup for the podcast?It's been good?

Yes.

It's been record -breaking numbers, apparently.It's our best six weeks.

Well done.

Seriously?

Can we say thank you to people for the...Gary, Jesus.

Ian, you say thank you to everybody.

Listen, everybody, thank you very much for tuning in.It's been a tough one for us.Well, it hasn't really, has it?It's been tough.enjoyable one for us, but, like, doing these have been good in this nice little kind of...Excuse, excuse me.

We should do a tour at the end to show everyone kind of where we are.Thank you very much for all the support.Take them outside.Show them Brooklyn.Open that door there.Can we take the camera outside?

Thank you very much, everybody, for your wonderful support.We appreciate it.You're the best.Thank you.

Well done, Ian.Well done, Roy.Well done.Well done.Well done.Well done.

Well done, Kieran.Everyone come in.Come in.

Everyone in.Roy, you're the best.You're the skipper.Everyone come in.We're getting better numbers around Jill and Jamie, is that what we're saying?Yeah.

See you, Jamie.

Hey, Beth, look, I've got a present for you.Beth, this is for you, cos I love you.

Well done, everyone.Well done.Good job, Kieran.Good stuff, brilliant.