Rio Ferdinand Presents

Rio gathers everyone around the fire pit at his Airbnb after England were victorious in a World Cup Classic in Mexico City.Jude Bellingham was England’s talisman again and spoke about how his teammates are different to previous generations because they didn’t “crumble” when put under severe pressure by their hosts.There’s analysis of Bellingham’s maturity and how he has developed his attitude since his last major tournament with England.Joleon Lescott praises Thomas Tuchel’s “unique ability” to change the game from the bench and the gang discuss how effective the German is at utilising the hydration breaks to improve his team’s performance.There’s a warning about the way England have defended when they come up against Erling Haaland’s Norway side and analysis of whether Florian Balgoun’s rescinded suspension was “wrong” and how it compares to the treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo pre-tournament.Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb

Rio is joined at his Airbnb by Joleon Lescott, Joel Beya and Ste Howson to speak about Harry Kane’s exploits, the contenders for the Ballon d’Or and Joleon’s journey into coaching. Lescott hits out at John Terry’s “entitlement” after he suggested there was nobody better than himself to take on the interim role at Chelsea and revealed his frustrations at being overlooked for the job. After spending three international camps and six matches with the senior mens England squad alongside Lee Carsley, Joleon reveals what impresses him the most about captain Harry Kane before a debate about the player of the tournament so far. The importance of winning the World Cup in relation to the candidates for winning the Ballon d’Or is also discussed - could England win the tournament to ensure Harry Kane is lined up for football’s biggest individual prize?Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb

After Thomas Tuchel’s passionate tactical intervention helped England turn the game round against DR Congo, Rio is adamant that England fans need to have faith in the manager’s plans.Oussi questions Rio on England’s poor first half performance before switching focus to the impact of England’s substitutes who changed the course of the game and there’s also praise for Anthony Gordon who silenced his critics with two assists.With Kane’s brace moving him into contention for the golden boot, Rio discusses the incredible list of names that are fighting it out to become the tournament’s top scorer.And Rio can’t wait to return to his Airbnb to catch up with Joel who was cheering for Congo whilst Rio was away working.Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb.

Rio is joined at his Airbnb by Joel Beya and Ste Howson after a hectic few days where the trio went on a horse riding experience, welcomed Spain, Barcelona, Liverpool an Bayern Munich legend Thiago to the villa and watched England set up a huge knockout tie with Congo. Rio does a deep dive on the way Thomas Tuchel is utilising the attributes of Marcus Rashford and compares his view on Rashford’s performance with those using statistics to criticise him. There’s been a lot of discussion about the selection of Jordan Henderson in Thomas Tuchel’s squad. After hosting Henderson’s former teammate Thiago at the villa, Rio reveals why his inclusion is so important for Tuchel and the other members of the team. As the tournament starts hotting up with the knockout rounds, Rio discusses why this current French side remind him of Brazil in 2002 and how the switch from group stage games to knockout matches affect players’ mentalities. The trio review their Airbnb experience of horse riding through the Malibu hills and laugh at Joel’s unusual tactics of settling his horse down and tease the fact that another guest is coming to stay with Rio at the villa.Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb

England got the job done against Panama, but was it the convincing World Cup performance everyone expected? Rio Ferdinand is back at his Airbnb in Los Angeles with Joel Beya and Ste Howson to break down England’s latest win, the standout performers and the questions that still remain as the tournament starts to heat up. There’s huge praise for Jude Bellingham after yet another big-tournament display, with Rio revealing what his former Real Madrid teammate Toni Kroos told him about playing alongside Jude and the mentality he brought into the dressing room at the Bernabéu. The lads also discuss Kobbie Mainoo, who is still waiting for his first minutes of the tournament. How will the Manchester United midfielder be feeling, and does Thomas Tuchel have a bigger role planned for him later in the competition? There’s also a brilliant bit of football trivia from Ste after another active player joins the exclusive club of footballers with over 200 international appearances. Can you work out who the three players are before the lads reveal the answer?Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb

As the group stage nears its conclusion, Rio looks at the players and teams that have impressed him the most whilst analysing England’s midfield and revealing who initiated the first contact between Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney following the famous “wink” incident and Rooney’s red card in the 2006 World Cup.Paul Scholes suggestion that Tuchel’s focus on overpowering opposition means the midfield “doesn’t look right” is discussed along with the improvements and changes Rio would make as the tournament progresses. Kobbie Mainoo is spoken about as the type of player that will help England dominate the ball, sustain more attacks and offer a different option for opening up defences.Following Jose Mourinho’s comments about the “privilege” of managing the egos in the Real Madrid dressing room and the need for harmony after the problems within the camp last season - Rio makes a plea for Aurélien Tchouaméni to join Manchester United if he’s in a position to leave Real Madrid.And when speaking about how Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde could re-integrate together into the Real Madrid squad (following their well-publicised bust up last season) he is reminded of the fallout from the incident where Cristiano Ronaldo winked after his Manchester United team mate Wayne Rooney was sent off in the 2006 World Cup match against Portugal.Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb.

This is Clarence Seedorf as you've rarely seen him before - thoughtful, uncompromising and still analysing the game with the same intensity that defined his playing career.Seedorf joins Rio at his Airbnb in Los Angeles and delivers a fascinating assessment of the current World Cup, explaining why England fans are often too tense watching their team, why Jude Bellingham reminds him of an old-school footballer, the one personality trait he'd love to see Declan Rice add to his game and why Elliot Anderson is worth £100m. He also discusses the Netherlands' chances of winning the tournament, whether Virgil van Dijk belongs amongst the greatest Dutch defenders ever and the reasons why the modern game is producing fewer creative players compared to previous generations.There's brilliant insight into some of the biggest stars in football too, with Seedorf defending Cristiano Ronaldo's place in Portugal's team, explaining why Kylian Mbappé hasn't yet reached his ceiling and sharing stories about the extraordinary talent of Roberto Baggio and Ronaldo Nazário Fenômeno. He reveals why R9 was capable of things even team-mates never saw in matches, compares different types of elite strikers and explains why football sometimes underestimates players who make those around them better.The conversation also revisits some pivotal moments from Seedorf's own career, including the phone call that convinced him to turn down Manchester United and sign for Inter Milan instead. He reflects on the values that made Ajax's academy so successful, why character-building was prioritised alongside technical ability and why he believes modern coaching can sometimes limit a young player's freedom to think for themselves.There's also brilliant insight into the legendary AC Milan dressing room, what made Paolo Maldini the most complete defender he ever saw, the battles that side had with Rio’s Manchester United in the Champions League and why some of football's most important players never receive the recognition they deserve.Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb 

After watching England’s draw with Ghana at a local bar in West Hollywood, Rio is joined by Ste Howson and Joel Beya to look at what England needed to break down an organised defence.There’s praise for Rio’s former assistant manager at Manchester United, Carlos Queiroz, who led the Ghanaian side and Rio reveals his former team mates were reminded of Queiroz’s coaching sessions during his time at Old Trafford.And after Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2 goals - Rio also has a bone to pick with both of his co-hosts who seemingly wrote off the prospect of Ronaldo performing and leading Portugal to the latter stages of the tournament.The trio debate whether it’s time for Thomas Tuchel to start Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford who both made positive impacts off the bench for the second match in a row and Ste details why England’s tactics were frustating to watch.Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb.