World Cup: Rick & Lloyd Best Bits

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1:11The Football Daily Podcast at the People World Cup 2026 with Rick Edwards and Lloyd Griffith. Hello, Rick Edwards here without Lloyd, which I have to say is a blessing. We have had a lot of fun over the last few weeks, though, and given that Lloyd is away, I thought we've put together a few of our favourite bits of the tournament so far. And where else to start other than when Lloyd, in the BBC's first interview with an England player, decides to ask Jordan Pickford... How long have you been in Dallas so far? We're in Kansas, man. How long have you been in Kansas? That's a great question.

1:49I was just seeing if you were paying attention, and you know what fair play to you. You haven't put me to sleep yet. So it's well known that you're in Canvas on camp there. That's a floor in us. Oh, my God. He's had you on toast here. Are you all right? You're having yourself on toast. We can edit this, I'm sure. We're not going to edit any of this. No, put this through it. So you're in Kansas. Keep going, Jordan. That's great. So you're in Kansas at the moment. How long have you been in Kansas for, Jordan? Oh, God. There's been a lot of talk, Jordan, about the heat and the hydration breaks have been introduced.

2:26How is a lad from Sunderland dealing with these temperatures? No, it's been good. Like the heat and that, it's not really, not getting you out of breath. It's more of the problems that you're sweating more, more for me. But no, I've adapted well. You know, I had a little family holiday and went to the Caribbean. And so got acclimatised early and got out on the golf course over there on a morning. so that was a good little touch then. Training hard in Miami, you know, that was the main point of it. So we'd get used to the climate early and I feel fine, I feel mint. Who's the sweatiest in the squad?

3:01Lloyd. Thank you. You got a late call-up, Lloyd? Yeah, well, yeah. To be fair, I'm not... If you need me, if you need me, I'm happy to step up. Yeah, I'm not really watching how much lads sweat, to be honest with you. Hey, each their own, each their own. look I you might not be noticing how much the last way I notice quite a lot of things I watch a lot of the training videos a lot of I watch a lot of the goalkeeping training videos I absolutely live and breathe them I love them what I have noticed and even now your hair it's quite like naturally like scraggly like no gel in it and then when you go for the games you stick gel in it and it's proper slicked back even for the photo shoots can I ask what's what's the reasoning behind that Why is it slicked back for the games, but quite au naturel in interviews and training?

3:47For games, probably just like a game face, isn't it? A bit of superstition in training. Probably I don't really need to do my barn every day. So, yeah, it's probably more game face and just ready for it and ready for action, really. I think you look fantastic. Au naturel, I just wanted to put it out there. Yeah, this has ended up slightly flirty, and I thought it was going to. It's definitely not. There's been a lot of... Yeah, no, it's one way. No, it's fine, but we'll edit that one out. There's been a lot of conversation about the stuff that you guys had nicked. I think, mercifully, most of it has been returned.

4:24And I have to ask, whose was the Lego? I think it was Jason from Nike's. I think Jason got a lot of stuff sent over, you know, for lads to do when they're bored. And I heard I got a couple of pairs of boots nicked, but I got them back, so that was good. You're not into Lego? Are you? I'm not. my son is no I'm not either no I'm not not at all not at all Jordan good luck with it all nice chatting to you cheers guys thank you appreciate it cheers mate enjoy yourself in canvas I thought we were in Dallas oh just leave it out and reply to my messages reply to my messages Jordan reply to my messages on Instagram well I'm going to ask you something here and I want an honest answer are you pleased with how that went absolutely and I'm going to give you some context that is the first interview that the BBC have had with an England player at this World Cup and I think that's beautiful because I don't think you're ever going to get a footballer from the England squad saying to anyone else this tournament isn't that a flaw so I think look we're getting stuff that other we're definitely getting stuff that other people wouldn't have done yeah so I think This is not necessarily a good thing.

5:41This is an exclusive. We're getting insights that, no offence, none of the other team can get. So I am really happy with how that went. I just wanted to mention that we went and had a lovely lunch with producer Jonathan. And then we went for a little mooch around some shops nearby. And then when it was time to come home and watch the Iran-New Zealand game, we were obviously looking for some electric bikes, which we call hogs, which is our favoured mode of transport while we're here. And we realized that some of these hogs will actually take two. So you can have one person on the front and one gripping from behind.

6:17And I said, well, we need to both hop on here. And you were absolutely categorically against it. And it was a bit of back and forth. And you were really resistant. And then in the end, you relented. And we rode together all the way back to the apartment. And I'm not exaggerating when I say it's the best thing we've done since we've been there. So I want you to publicly apologise for moaning and questioning when I was right and it was fantastic. Is anything I've said there unfair? Well, no, yes. Oh, go on. Well, I was a bit apprehensive because, you know, we're riding on LA roads here. And I've ridden a bike on my own, absolutely.

7:01We've done it the whole time. We've done it the whole time, but I haven't ridden with anyone on the back before. I'll accept it was snug. It was very snug. Very, very snug. It felt like we were in the Winter Olympics in one of those toboggans. The thing is, I would have loved maybe five minutes in an empty car park just to kind of go round, get myself used to... Get on the freeway, see who salutes. And it was... No one saluted. No. It was good fun. No body saluted. It was really good fun. I quite like the fact that... We'll do it again. We will see what happens. We will do it again. There was a moment where you really did grip on, and I felt like I was in a massage.

7:33Well, that was when we tried to cross the... Yeah, quite a big road. It was quite a large road. And even Jonathan, on his own, was like, oh, crikey, this is quite precarious. And then there's us two with, I think, a combined weight of 33 stone, I think we realized. Yeah, that's right. It was really struggling to accelerate. The hog was... I think if there's a situation where we need to get back from somewhere and there is only one hog, okay, then fine. But there were multiple hogs around, which we could have got on. And you decided, no, we're going to recreate Titanic, but in LA, but on a hog.

8:04And I was right. So we actually just, because it is the way we get around, we just arrived on separate hogs. And I wonder if you just wanted to share what your app said immediately you got off. There are some things I think that maybe we shouldn't share on the podcast. I think it's quite nice. Well, basically, there's two types of hogs, as mentioned. There's one where it's just for one person, then there's one for two. As I got off, that's not helped. As we got off at Yelda King's Head, the app said, Is there a second person on the bike? It's like this. Even producer Lizzie just put a hand over her mouth there.

8:44The saddest thing to read. Oh, is someone else on there? No, no, no. Just me. But I think it's because I've been going to... I've been going to Gold's gym and muscle is heavier than fair. Yeah, you're packing on the muscle. Yeah, so I'm packing on the muscle. And I also do think it is because at one point, And as a little bit of a joke, I ferried my bottom towards the back end to kind of look like it. I was behind you. I did wonder what you were doing. And I just thought, oh, that looked quite like I'm on a Harley. But essentially, it is an obese man on a hog. It didn't look cool at all. You asked me what it looked like, and I said, you look quite squat.

9:19I did. I mean, I think that's probably the politest way of putting it. So, look, these, to be fair, they're great ways of getting around LA. You could probably do without the body shaving. I might walk tomorrow. Just for a little bit of, well, I guess less fat shaming from an app and also to get me steps up. The football day at the People World Cup 2026. With Rick Edwards and Lloyd Griffith. Live from LA. Steve Bracknell, Royal Oak Manager, joins us now. Direct from, good Lord, direct from his bed. Why are you in bed? I want an answer to that question. Well, I don't know what time it is in Los Angeles, but Fort Worth, Dallas, it's getting on a bit.

10:03Are you stalkers? No, no, I've got boxer shorts on, but I've got air conditioning on and it's freezing in this van. Van? I'm very confused. Are you in a van? Our van? The greatest day of my life today, and it's ended with me laying in a double bed at the back of the van. Can you remember when you went to school as a kid and they had Greek Day, and your mother would wrap you up in a tablecloth and put a crown on your head? It's a toga. I look like that. You do, actually. Certainly very regal. Toga, that's it. A toga. I knew they would have named for it. So talk me through your day then, Steve. Greatest day of your life.

10:44Oh, for years and years. I think I came out of my mum's... Well, my mum. Yeah. Oh, God. Dreaming of World Cups. I've loved football since as old as I can remember. and today, first time in my life, I saw England play at a World Cup finals. I was crying as soon as I got in ground. I was crying when I left it. If I carry on on this call, I might cry now. Steve, can you talk us through the vibe? What is it like in Dallas? What it was like in the stadiums? Well, I've been here for a week and I've immersed myself in local culture. I went horse riding. I went line dancing. I had Texan barbecue. Really nice.

11:28Really nice welcome. But then, last 24 hours, England fans arrived, and it just felt like I were in Blackpool, to be honest.

11:41And I like Blackpool. No wrong with Blackpool, but I've never been in Blackpool when it's 110 degrees or whatever it is over here. Are you getting a lot of attention? A lot of people recognising you, Steve? Oh, I'll tell you who like me, Mexicans love me. I don't know why, but Mexicans, I think there's a real niche market for a Sunday League football club, a Mexican branch at Royal Oak fan base. They seem to just really understand me. But it's been honestly, it's been fantastic. We had a vote this morning, should we have a Mexican breakfast or waffles? I felt waffles were a bit too heavy for this eat.

12:21So we went for a Mexican breakfast and then we walked to what they call Texas Live, which is a big complex opposite the stadium. And there must have been 7 ,000 English fans. I think I've heard Wonderwall about 25 times today. But there's never too many times to listen to Wonderwall. I've heard Angel six times. I'm sick of that. Age you 20 times. There's a really beautiful walk from Texas Live across a bridge into the stadium. But walking into that stadium today was absolutely breathtaking. Did you, as we did, very much enjoy the commentators dancing around the fact that at one point, Harry Kay made a block in the six-yard area with his nether regions?

13:09Meat and veg. His meat and two veg. Is that what happened? Did he do it with his privates? He did do it with his privates. His privates. And the commentators were sort of saying, oh, he's taken that in the chest. We go, that is not his chest. Weird chest. Let me tell you. he wishes it were in his chest that's a mark of the man it is a mark of the man and I'll bet you what Thomas Tuchel's got that much attention to detail he'll be having had a cane checked out down there after the game well let's hope so how are you enjoying I know you're in your double bed now how are you enjoying living on a bus or in a van or whatever it is I'm missing our Nicky my wife she said Steve I miss you but she did say to me Steve do you know you with your tan, you look a little bit like Pep Guardiola and that cheered me up.

13:57My hair goes grey here. I've got to be honest, it's a little bit more Pierre-Luigi Colina for me. Oh wow.

14:10Oh mate, I'll take that one, fair enough. Steve, are you managing to do the podcast while you're out there? Someone basically dragged me to an hotel rooftop, put a cowboy out of my head and said talk about Will Cook for half an hour. So there is an episode, Art Games Gone, the Steve Brattnell podcast, just to plug it, but we've managed to turn it around. You always do, Steve. It's a really big sound. Hey, I'll tell you where I recorded podcast. Go on. 100 metres from where JFK got shot. I'm a culture vulture. Very interesting. It's actually, it's like talking to John Murray. It is, but with less clothes on.

14:55Well, look, we're going to have to discuss the Portugal result. What happened? They won 5-0 against Uzbekistan. And, well, Ronaldo scored a couple of goals. He did, yeah. He scored two goals. And I'm just looking over some of the things that we said about Ronaldo after the first game. Should we read each other's? Yeah, yeah. So you said he's a shadow of his former self. it's really sad to see he's gone 10 games without scoring a goal at tournaments for Portugal and you don't see it changing any time soon Rick said he's a pathetic little man I didn't say that here's your humble pie fellas oh it's our humble pie thank you so much Josh you look lovely by the way cheers mate thank you Rick you said it's a vanity selection yes I did well let's get stuck into our pie it actually looks fantastic basically I think Ronaldo listens to the pod Yeah, you think there was a motivator, don't you?

15:52I think there was a motivator, and we'll discuss the goal. Go straight on the ice cream. Well, I want a little bit of moisture. It's moist enough as it is. It's apple pie, isn't it? Sorry to speak with my mouth full. Don't mute us. They need to hear this. Thank you, Cristiano. Thank you, Cristiano. Very nice, actually. And apologies. That's a big spoonful of... What are you doing there? What's happening? Well, I'm eating the humble pie, Rick. Am I going to get any of this? Sorry. If they're going to give me pie, I'm going to eat it. I've got to inhale it. The first goal is really well taken. It's great movement.

16:25It's a really good finish. And also, it was the same kind of goal that he could have. I've just spat that bubble pie all over the table. I'm so sorry, guys. I mean, it's a podcast. I probably didn't need to mention it. The goal that he scored today was very similar to the chances he missed. Yeah. The other game. And again, he's obviously listened to the podcast. He's taken it on board and he's put it away. The second goal. Well, look, I think almost the free kick is my favourite, that he didn't score. Yeah. Because he's pulled our pants down. Not just us. He's pulled down all of the opposition pants, the goalkeeper's pants, our pants are down.

17:03Because we're all just staring at him, doing the approach to the free kick. He's desperate to score another. He is desperate. He's definitely taken it. What's Mendes doing? Oh, he's scoring. Also, just to point out for the editors, can we use Rick doing that as the thumbnail? that would be absolutely fantastic just Rick with his why do they hate me so much I think you've done something to them but I don't think I have I think it's the way you speak to them this is from yesterday where I've done I'm just talking about I'm not going to do it again because I'm terrified they're not going to use it but I was just doing my impression of Haaland chasing after a defender and they freeze-framed Matt as the cover of this Instagram post it was absolutely beautiful your face when you saw it come up on Instagram why have they used that why have they used that it's beautiful And then the caption they put is, what is it?

17:51Nobody more terrified than this man. It's out of order. It's absolutely not out of order. You think it's in order. To the BBC Sport team at home. Yes, well, don't do me doing this business, please. Thank you. But that was lovely. And then the third goal was just a fantastic finish. I mean, I thought he missed it. We both thought he was going away. Oh, dear. He's rusty. I mentioned it last time. And then as it slowly went in, both thought, OK, yes, good call that. Very good call. He's back. He is. We take it all back. It's good for the narrative. It's good for the narrative. It's fantastic for the narrative.

18:28There were quite a few angry Ronaldo fans on that Instagram video that we popped out the other day. I think we might hear from them again, actually. Oh, I think they're coming back, yeah. And we're eating the pie. My favourite one was like, look at this 100-kilogram man slating Ronaldo. And I was like, come on, mate. That's a compliment. I was like, I'm 106. Yeah. So fair put it. and to back up to 107 probably heavier so there we go but it was good it was good to see I mean obviously it clearly you know I talked about how the team were elated when the Argentinian team were elated when Lionel Messi scored the Portuguese team were obviously also elated oh great he scored yeah maybe he'll stop shouting he'll be less grumpy we'll get our old mate back and I think he shouted into the camera at the final whistle I'm back I'm back I mean you know he enjoyed it I tell you what whilst we're having this pie.

19:17It's great pie. Ronaldo broke a record today. I mean, there's been a lot of records broken the last two or three days. Obviously, that's how records happen. You know what I mean? Time elapses and, you know, people score more goals and stuff. He was the first to score at six World Cups. That's not bad, is it? What, the pie or the record? No, the pie. The pie is fantastic. He's the first footballer to score at six World Cups, which again, I mean, we may have given him a little bit of jip in the last episode about Portugal. and we shouldn't have done we shouldn't have done and we take it back and Christy I know you do listen thank you for subscribing and thank you for the pie as well and for putting notifications on your phone but we take it back and keep going you're doing really well did you see this quote from him?

20:02yeah do you want to read it out? yep shall I do the accent? please do the accent God helps those who work hard it was a difficult dark week I listened to the football daily and it felt like I'd already retired Yeah, he didn't say that, but it felt like I'd already retired from football, but I held on, as I always do, because I bleed more in hard work than in football. It was difficult, I have to admit, but we're back. I mean, it does feel pointed at us. And also every single one. I mean, everyone else. It was saying exactly the same thing. Well, it was humiliating, but that pie genuinely was delicious.

20:36I hope you enjoyed those best bits. I'll be back with Dion Dublin for a full episode tomorrow following the Canada-Morocco and France-Paraguay games. and make sure you subscribe to the Football Daily Feed on the BBC Sounds app. The 2023 Ballon d 'Or France footballer is Lionel Messi. The winner is Cristiano Ronaldo. This is the story of the greatest rivalry in the history of sport. A rivalry that split football into two fates for a generation. There could be no, oh, Messi and Ronaldo are both great players. There had to be one that was better. They 100 million percent pushed each other to the next level.

21:14You know, we were the lucky ones who got to see it. I'm Steve Crossman. This is Sporting Giants Messi v. Ronaldo. Listen first on BBC Sounds. The United States is about to mark its 250th anniversary. And so on the Global Story podcast from the BBC, we're telling surprising tales of American influence on the world stage and in ordinary people's lives all across the globe. We have this ability to export our story, and a lot of people have bought it. I feel like the American dream is alive, but not well. From the BBC, it's the United States at 2.50. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.