Stay ConnectedWelcome to Rio Ferdinand Presents, the destination for any football fan who wants the biggest names, the best analysis and authentic reactions to everything fans discuss in their WhatsApp groups. From a leader on the pitch to one of the most respected voices in world football, Rio invites you to sit back in your home or on your commute to enjoy his three distinctive shows, Rio Presents, Rio Meets and Rio Reacts.
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Thiago Alcântara joins Rio Ferdinand at his Airbnb in Los Angeles for one of the most detailed football conversations you'll hear anywhere.
From turning down Manchester United before eventually facing Rio in the Premier League, to playing under both Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, Thiago explains how two of football's greatest managers see the game completely differently. He reveals the conversation with Pep that convinced him to leave Bayern Munich, why Klopp believed Liverpool were missing control in midfield and the tactical details that shaped one of the most successful teams of the modern era.
The discussion is packed with extraordinary insight into some of the biggest names in world football. Thiago opens up on Mohamed Salah's personality behind the scenes, why Roberto Firmino was the perfect teammate, how Harry Kane adapted so quickly to German football and his incredible goalscoring record, Lionel Messi's unmatched aura, Paul Scholes' brilliance, and why he believes Pedri is currently the best midfielder in the world.
There's also fascinating analysis of the next generation. After taking on the role as Barcelona’s assistant coach, Thiago explains what makes Lamine Yamal so special after sharing the training pitch with him, why Kobbie Mainoo's best position is as a number eight, what Declan Rice can still become and the advice every young player needs if they want to reach the very top.
Plus, Thiago discusses his ambitions as a coach, names his ultimate five-a-side team and answers the question every football fan wants to know: if Pep Guardiola managed an African nation at the World Cup, would they win it?
If you enjoy in-depth football conversations that go beyond the headlines, this is one you won't want to miss.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Rio is poolside at his Beverly Hills Airbnb with Ste Howson and Joel Beya to discuss a pair of players who have been criticised heavily at the World Cup.
Jeremy Doku has faced huge media pressure after he announced his intention to travel home from the tournament to be with his wife for the birth of his first child - Rio backs his decision and recounts his own experience at the births of his own children as moments where family puts football into perspective.
After failing to score in his opening game - Rio’s former team mate Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticised and compared to other forwards who started the tournament in impressive fashion.
Following Joao Neves’ comments on his captain’s role within the team - Rio details how Ronaldo bought into the team mentality in the Manchester United dressing room and shuts down any criticism of Ronaldo’s willingness to work as part of a collective.
Rio also picks his front three of the tournament so far which will surprise some people and Ste asks you to get in touch with the teams, players and moments that have surprised you the most for the next podcast recording and Joel is left in the dark about an escapade booked by Rio and Ste for the trio to experience whilst they're in LA together.
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This is Thierry Henry as you rarely hear him - brutally honest, analytical and still completely obsessed with competition, winning and perfection at the highest level of football.
Henry visits Rio at his Airbnb in LA and opens up on the mentality behind his legendary career, including the coach at Clairefontaine who completely changed his understanding of how he moved on the pitch and why he genuinely preferred creating goals over scoring them himself - even if people never believe him.
There’s some extraordinary insight into Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with Henry explaining why Messi’s work ethic is hugely underrated, how quickly he justified the total freedom given to him by manager Pep Guardiola and why football should stop trying to compare the two greatest players of their generation. He also shares brilliant stories around Messi’s mentality, aura inside the dressing room and how he developed into a killer from set-pieces.
The conversation dives into the modern game too, with Henry arguing football has become too robotic and explaining why players like Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki stand out because they still take risks and play with freedom. There’s also special praise for Cherki’s dribbling ability whilst pointing out that if the Man City forward develops his mentality off the ball he could become unstoppable.
There’s huge praise too for Harry Kane, Julian Alvarez and Bruno Fernandes, with Henry defending Bruno’s mentality before Henry also discusses France’s World Cup chances, Ousmane Dembélé’s evolution into a winning player and why England genuinely could have won the 2002 World Cup if they had beaten Brazil. Brought to you in partnership with Airbnb #ad
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