SPAIN WIN THE WORLD CUP | 2026 FIFA World Cup

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4:06Luke Moore: King of the hill, top of the heap, everybody. Welcome to the Football Rambles. Spain won the World Cup again and Gianni got his trainers out again. It's Monday, 20th of July. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Luke Moore. I'm Jim Campbell. And I'm Pete Donaldson.

4:40Luke Moore: They've done it! Yeah, good. Spain have done it. It's confusing because Argentina also speaks Spanish. Yeah. That song is Spanish. It's Spanish through and through. It's as Spanish as an afternoon nap. And a late dinner. Thank goodness for that. Yeah. You all right, Marcus? It's a funny time, Peter. Is it? Ladies and gentlemen, we got them. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, doesn't it feel like a real victory? Yes. Spain won Argentina nil. Spain are world champions again. I'll tell you what. the 21st century has seen a lot of Spanish trophies. It really has. They have been unbelievable. And, I mean, not a classic this final, not one that we'll remember fondly.

5:27Luke Moore: Which was Argentina's intention. Not a classic final, which was Argentina's intention.

5:31Jim Campbell: I think we might remember it fondly for all of the reasons Argentina would not want. Yes, and I'm happy with that, actually.

5:37Luke Moore: But other than that, Jim, just how would you... Immediate thoughts after the final? Ah!

5:44Jim Campbell: That was my immediate thought. I think, starting with Spain really, because I think we should do, obviously, they are such deserving champions when you look back at how the tournament played out. We were all talking about how France looked like the team to beat and I think that was because their play was so dynamic and they looked like they could kind of carve you open at any point. Spain never really looked like that, but they also conceded one goal in the whole tournament. They were never behind at any point. They only conceded 10 shots on target And I think the reason I say they're deserving champions is because if you look at the last two games they've played, they've beat the finalists of the last two World Cups.

6:21Jim Campbell: They've beaten France in a game against a team who are very, very good, who've tried to go toe-to-toe with them and not been able to get anywhere near them, not been able to lay a glove on them. And they've played an Argentina team that have tried to spoil and have tried to make it a fight, really, in a very difficult, different kind of game. And Argentina haven't been able to get past them either. and I think if you look at the quality of Spain's play the way they control games that has been what's won it for them the collective that we've spoken about a lot but also they've got so many different ways to win games within that structure they can try a lot of different things a lot of different combinations and they're always coherent and always fluent the team who look most like a club team and I think the best team won the tournament and obviously the best team won on the day in terms of Argentina they got what they deserve which is absolutely nothing And humiliation.

7:12They humiliated themselves as well. Yes, exactly.

7:14Jim Campbell: Peter, anything to... I enjoyed that final more than anybody else I've spoken to today. Oh, really? I thought it was like proper like... Because some people just like to see the world burn. Yeah, I just... You hate goals. You hate good times. Spain were very much at fault for not scoring, you know, for not having performative strikers, one might suggest. But I would say that I just enjoyed the general vibe of danger and fear and the puritanical sort of pearl clutching today it's just been they say pressure makes diamonds you're going to make some diamonds how hard you're squeezing these pearls guys because it was just a game of football that Argentina didn't want to play as a spectacle I thought it was really really entertaining I thought you were talking about the halftime show some people who live their lives endlessly in chaos they can't relax in calmness and I think that might be what's happening here I like being on edge.

8:08Jim Campbell: If this is what football is, I'm up for it. I'm expecting Argentina to come right through the back of me right now as I'm talking. I've seen a movie like that, actually. I get what you're saying, because actually when the result does go the way you want it to after it's been really, really tense like that, there is this big release of adrenaline. Oh no, I want Argentina to win. You want Argentina to win, right? Sure. Because it would have upset so many people. Because you're contrarian. Most of the people in this room. But let's make this very clear. Argentina, just play a bit of football, Adam.

8:36Jim Campbell: Mix in a bit of football in the WWE stuff, please. I mean, when Spain scored, it's amazing how they were like, right, turn it on. Like, suddenly Messi, like, wakes up because they're giving him the ball. Suddenly they're playing. Suddenly Spain have to defend. And obviously they know how to do it. But it's like, why?

8:52Luke Moore: As Pete says, why not just do 10 minutes of this in either one? Do it 10 minutes before the end of the half. Just do a little bit of it. Well, you've had yourself. I want to hear Luke. Yeah. Do you hear that? You know? For the first time this tournament, I'm never going to clear the way for Lucas

9:08Jim Campbell: to have a little bit of say here. Let's get him out of the way. Kill Dawza. I actually really just agree with what Jim said. I think Spain were by far the best team in the tournament. I think really, to drill down into it a bit more, the two best teams actually played in the semifinal and Spain won that game relatively easily and showed that they were able to nullify France and be much better than them. And then ultimately what you saw in the final was one team who wanted to play in a particular way and one team who didn't want to play at all. And really, if you look at the pattern of behaviour and the pattern of performance from Argentina from the quarterfinals onwards, I didn't want to go too hard on it after the semi-final because I think it does come across as a bit of sour grapes.

9:50You have to kind of give people the room. And also England created the conditions for it. Exactly. And Argentina were the better team and deserved to win despite their behaviour. But across those three games, They've been ultimately just quite embarrassing and quite anti-football, and I think they deserved everything they got last night. Their behavior was, I just thought, on that kind of level of stage, was just extraordinary. I think on and off the pitch, actually, the way they tried to stop Spain playing and basically succeeded. I mean, I agree with actually what Pete said on the profile of Spain's forwards.

10:25If you watch it back, which I watched quite a lot of it back this morning as well, Spain did actually have quite a lot of chances. They just fluffed their lines. their shots were weak or they couldn't quite get a shot off or the final pass wasn't quite there.

10:35Jim Campbell: Or they were straight at Martinez. Yeah, quite. And Martinez made quite a lot of saves, of course. But I just think that if Spain had scored early, we might have seen that stuff you're talking about from Argentina. That might have meant for a more interesting game. It didn't because it was Argentina's intention to not make it any kind of game at all. But I just thought, you know, for all their behaviour, which was appalling and diabolical, and I just thought they were just embarrassing from start to finish the way their players behaved. With the exception of probably Messi and the coach, because even Roberto Iala can disgrace himself after the game as well.

11:10I just think they are quite a proud footballing nation. They've got a great tradition. Don't need to put the word quite in there. Okay, they're a very proud footballing nation. They've got amazing pedigree. They've got amazing footballers in that team as well. But to go through, I think it was 90 minutes without a single shot. Not on target, not a single shot. You just think, what's the point of that? What is the point of that? So I'm pleased that Spain won. I think Argentina have disgraced themselves and done their very best to disgrace the tournament. They've not been able to disgrace the tournament fully because FIFA have already done that.

11:40Jim Campbell: It was pre-disgraced. Yeah, way over and above what they were able to achieve. Like a damaged pair of jeans you buy already damaged. Pre-distressed. Pre-distressed, that's right. It's a pre-distressed tournament. It's a pre-distressed gene of a tournament. If you spill your dinner all down it, it does make it worse, but only to so much of a degree. which is definitely a worthwhile interjection and I think Spain have got some great players who deserve to win the World Cup and to not concede more than one goal in the whole tournament is incredible so word on to Spain I wish we'd seen a better final we did see a lovely third place playoff though so we can't complain

12:14Luke Moore: that's where all the goals lived that is where all the goals I mean Spain they only conceded one goal because when they won it in 2010 when they were fans of a 1-0 victory they conceded just two goals that tournament they lost to Switzerland in the group stage didn't they they did but yeah Yeah, they only conceded two goals in 2010. Did they draw against New Zealand as well in 2010? No, they were not in the same group as New Zealand. Oh, New Zealand didn't lose a game, did they? That was a fact that I've got mixed up. Okay, fine. That was a worthy injection. Yeah. I didn't say injection. Injection.

12:39That wouldn't be the right word. Injection. There we are. I said interjection, but that's okay. That's all right.

12:45Luke Moore: But Spain. They're fighting among themselves. Go eat New Orleans. It's Argentina. Get into them. Still going for the back of me in a minute. In a delicious way. In a very delicious way.

12:54Jim Campbell: A worthy injection.

12:59Luke Moore: under Luis de la Fuente in the Euros and World Cup Spain have won 14 out of 15 games incredible only Cape Verde have managed to avoid defeat against them love that they are quite the same I mean I'll be honest with you I thought it was obviously after England go out and then this final comes along I didn't want Argentina to win but I'm not hugely enamoured with this Spain side in as much as I would have I think I'd rather France because of the swashbuckling style and so on. However, everything you say is correct. They are a brilliant, brilliant side. They're world champions, for crying out loud.

13:32Luke Moore: They are the best team. There's no doubt about that. And the best team doesn't always win the World Cup. No. But I think they did. But I actually have to say, I have a touch of sympathy with what Pete was saying with regard to Argentina. I actually thought at times in this game, Argentina equipped themselves incredibly well. And to go down to 10 men and to basically defend with just eight men, because Messi was the outboy, the way they kept Spain largely at arm's length and defended. I thought they were really good. And they were so close to getting it to penalties. It took a lovely finish.

14:00Jim Campbell: It was a good finish.

14:02Luke Moore: And Simeone switched off for the goal. Because he's quite simply not very good. But he switched off. That's where the goal came. They restricted Spain a lot. And then Simeone himself had an effort. If that goes to penalties, there's only one winner. And Argentina were close. Well, you've got to allow for the Lionel Messi inevitable miss, though. Well, not in a penalty shootout, though. But anyway, the fact is, though, you're right Argentina they set up sorry to say this but quite similar fashion to the way they set up in the first half against England yes it was exactly the same game plan in the first half for sure and people were saying in the third place playoff did that annoy you that England performance in relation to the semi-final it didn't because I thought it was a totally different game of football when I watched this final I did look at it and go yeah England you know what Spain were doing but anyway but I think just to pick up two things there one is that I don't want to be confused I absolutely think the tactic that Argentina employed are legitimate, but their behaviour individually within that was disgraceful on and off the pitch.

15:04And then the England thing, I agree with you to an extent, but I still think that Spain's system would have been too much for England.

15:10Luke Moore: Yeah, no, I agree. Spain are the best side. There's no doubt. But it made me realise why there's this sort of conspiracy about Argentina and why people think they're getting the decisions. the refereeing in general at this tournament has been mad. You saw a number of times throughout the tournament how certain things weren't given as a foul or weren't given as a yellow card. I mean Alexis McAllister went in on, was it Mikael? There was a couple of early ones.

15:35Jim Campbell: I mean that one was ridiculous. And that was about 20 minutes in as well, wasn't it? It was long enough into the game. I got the feeling though that the referee was sort of like, I'll just do them all in a second.

15:45Luke Moore: I'll get them eventually. So I think that, you know, that should have been a yellow card. And the reason why I think there's this sort of conspiracy, which I don't agree with, and Darren Cannes, you know, we heard him one last time. He was saying about this is not a conspiracy because this is just silly now. It's because the referees, the way they were told to referee this World Cup, it was mad. And so you could get away with a lot more. Well, who's going to take advantage of that? It's Argentina. and therefore this is on the refereeing style rather than some sort of conspiracy is what I would say.

16:20Luke Moore: Are we going back to the good old days, Marcus? What's that? It's just all in. Well, I tell you, maybe.

16:25Jim Campbell: They've kicked their way to the front.

16:27Luke Moore: They pushed the boundaries. They did. And the boundaries were there to be pushed, evidently. It took 40 minutes to get the first yellow card, Lissandro Martinez, when he failed Michele Azibal. And of course, Martinez goes off injured. So again, that's another thing I would say about Argentina. In that first half, as I say, it was very bitty. I know Jamal had a chance. He might have done a touch better. But the way Argentina kind of were, you knew what they were going to do and how they were going to set up. It was to blunt Spain. And they did that. And then they had to change, you know, their centre-half partnership has been an ever-present in the tournament.

16:58Luke Moore: They had to change that. You know, I do have to give them, on a footballing front, a bit of credit for the way they equip themselves. I think that's fair. By the way, just to tick the box, I mean, the Tagli of Fico challenge was disgraceful. Yeah, I mean, of course. There should have been about eight yellow cards. And the argument is that, isn't the argument apart how Argentina have been refereeing this, isn't the argument that they haven't had a single VAR intervention despite committing the most fouls or something like that? So that might just be a curious statistic.

17:24Jim Campbell: And also the goal doesn't help, right? Spain's disallowed goal in terms of those conspiracies. Although one was offside. Yeah, one was definitely offside. But I suppose, sorry to interject, I hope it's a worthwhile interjection. But we'll decide, won't we, Marcus? Yeah, I should say. But I think, you know, FIFA have brought these conspiracies on themselves with some of the way they've behaved with the Foller and Balogun thing in particular. You can't reject the shout of conspiracy by saying, well, don't worry, the tournament's being underwritten by FIFA, so it'll all be fine. In fact, it's the opposite.

17:52So that's why. But on the Argentina thing, I think you're right to say that, Marcus, and I know how disappointed you were after the semifinals, but it is actually quite big of you to give them some credit. But what I think the story of this tournament is for Argentina is this idea that emotion only gets you so far. So emotion, plugging into the emotions of what it is to be Argentinian and what they're all about. And we've seen so many examples of it from the banner after the England game, Lana Scaloni literally not being able to finish a press conference because he was crying so much, to the way Paredes and Roberto Ayala and one or two others behaved after the final whistle last night, to how Valentin Barco behaved after the Argentina goal against England.

18:37it's all emotion and I think that gets you a long way it might get you the extra mile against a team who isn't emotionally into it let's forget they won it

18:45Luke Moore: four years ago quite but I don't think they won it in the same way I don't think you could say they played the same football they certainly didn't play the same football in the final no absolutely not and it's fine I'm not saying it's not a good thing to tap into the emotions of your nation and your history and what it's all about I think that can be very helpful but I think when you do that at the behest of everything else and you don't really try and play any football in key moments don't be surprised if a really well drilled systemically strong team will win out eventually over you which is essentially what happened last night I think the story for them is that it was a pretty good attempt at defending the World Cup doesn't happen very often you know I think there's only one manager in history who's ever won it twice all the rest of it so the statistics would back that up but it only gets you so far and I think ultimately Spain were able to manage the occasion the game and show that their system and their dominance in midfield which was very disciplined, is ultimately what wins out.

19:38And the final thing I'll say about the emotional thing, without that emotion winning out over everything else, Enzo Fernandes doesn't make that challenge on a yellow card. I mean, it's just absolutely bananas he does that on a yellow card. And then look at how he behaves when he's sent off. Of course. I'd have more respect for him if he just walked off.

19:56Luke Moore: Yeah, I agree with all that. But, you know, the side that have beaten Argentina are the side who have transformed their national game and their national team more successfully and more evidently than any other team in football history and have won two World Cups and two Euros and maybe even a Nations League, if I remember correctly, maybe not, in the 21st century. You know, the systemic approach. Their record in finals of club football is really good as well. It's incredible. And Spain now, Spain has been for a while, it's where the brain of football is. You look at the coaches and the players and everything that comes from there.

20:32Luke Moore: you know, it is utterly remarkable. So that's what Argentina were up against. As I say, you know, 14 out of 15 Euros and World Cup games they've won. I mean, Lamin-Yamel has started, he's yet to lose a competitive match with Spain, 28 of them. Fabien Ruiz as well? Fabien Ruiz? Ruiz has got a magnificent... I think he's got like 50. Yeah, you know, absolutely incredible. So that's what Argentina are up against. Argentina's best player is 39 now. Yes, he's the greatest player of all time. He was the outball. He was anonymous last night. Yeah, I mean, blah, blah, blah but but you know i i just think they nearly got to penalties and and i and i take your points that they didn't have a shot on target and i'm glad they lost and people will say football won for whatever that that statement's worth yeah okay i understand why people might say it but you know reluctantly i have to give argentina an enormous amount of credit in this game because like i say they were literally defending against 11 man spain who had fresh legs on the pitch and argentina were playing 53.5 do you know what i mean in messi who was obviously knackered and and so on.

21:30Luke Moore: And they were so close and it was only one of their players who switched off. They weren't pulled apart for that goal. And even then, the momentum swung. Thomas Tuchel said, see, look, the guy next from Adler about him and even they've dropped him.

21:41Jim Campbell: But it was extraordinary in that three or four minutes, wasn't it? When there was a sense of like, oh my God, Argentina are actually going to score here. They have the shot that goes wide past the post and it's very, very close. Simeone puts one over the bar. He will be thinking about that forever, that moment, because that is a good chance. Yeah, it was a tricky one to take, but it's a presentable opportunity. You want it to fall to you in that scenario, right? Yeah, you've got to be crying out for it if you're a forward player in the World Cup and that's not true. No, I get you.

22:11Luke Moore: But like I said, the right team won, you know, for crying out loud. I don't want to be, you know, I'm not trying to be sort of contrarian or anything, but the fact is, you know, the way Argentina played, you know, that warrior spirit, that battle-hardy sort of streetwise approach, because even then when they were having to drop deep, they weren't dropping that deep. They were still, at times, they would then get out of the defence and push them back a little bit just to alleviate a little bit of pressure. But, of course, it ultimately wasn't enough. But the moment where it really became incredibly difficult for Argentina was obviously that Enzo Fernandes red card because up until that point, you could see Spain started to turn the screw and try to suffocate Argentina.

22:52Luke Moore: And Argentina stood up to it. This is what I mean. yeah they had a few half chances and what not but Argentina stood up to when Spain really went right we are now almost like the ball constrictor you know we've seen this with Spanish sides you go all the way back to Guardiola's Barcelona and all the rest of it when they start to encircle you and you think oh my goodness what are we going to do here they stood up to it but when Enzo Fernandes gets sent off you just think to yourself it's an outrageous challenge what are you doing you dickhead well he's a dickhead isn't he that's part of the reason he's a complete fucking dickhead so that's unfortunately one out over everything else.

23:25Jim Campbell: Can you have a head loss if you haven't got a head? No, exactly. He's had a head loss, but it's gone on for about five years. He's sort of stopped. But if you watch it, I mean, the thing about it is, you can discuss it from an emotional point of view, which we've kind of done already, but from a pure footballing point of view, it's like a top-level movement. You're never going to get there. You're never going to get there. Also, him complaining about it, like it's not a foul. Like, Pauke Varsi spins like three times in the air. Yeah, like more to combat. Like you said, it's a dive.

23:49Luke Moore: Some were saying he wasn't sent off for that.

23:51Jim Campbell: It was the descent. Yeah, that's what was said in the commentary. The first booking was for dissent, wasn't it? So if that turns out to be two yellows for dissent, that's quite something. To be fair, the commentary was terrible. They couldn't pick out anyone in the crowd. Did you actually hear... Did you watch it on ITV or BBC? BBC. I watched it on BBC as well, but I watched it back, extended highlights back again this morning on ITV. And Lee Dixon actually did a really good bit of commentary. He did, when Spain score, like you said, one of the Argentinian players switches off. Simeone switches off, obviously, because he's not very good to make that point.

24:21Lee Dixon says, they've kicked everyone else and now they'll be kicking themselves. That's a really good line. Come on, Lee. You can do it. It's in there, Lee. You can do it. I'll tell you what, I ghost-wrote for Lee Dixon for a couple of years. He had none of that in his locker when I did it.

24:35Luke Moore: All it takes is a painful defeat against one of your rivals and it gets out of you. That's all it takes.

24:40Jim Campbell: Did you add any space onto his pieces? Oh, yeah. Always, yeah. I basically wrote them for him. Are they online? Let's check them out.

24:47Luke Moore: Yeah, you can probably find them. It was an absolute stitch-up job. He got paid about five times what I got paid. I do think, though, that Spain, when Nico Williams came on, he made a difference. He did, yeah. Obviously plays his part. Well, they would have been even better if he was fully fit for a tournament. Oh, well, indeed, yeah, that was the thing.

25:04Jim Campbell: He had a really weird moment, didn't he, where he was in the Argentina box, and I think he was trying to sort of do a little bit of trickery to sort of get around someone, and he just ballsed it up massively. But he wasn't trying to get somewhere.

25:15Luke Moore: He could have had a shot, Jim. He could have, yeah. It was madness, but when he... Delafonte enjoyed it. But when he scored that goal, it looked like how on earth is that goal being ruled out? But there was a stamp on that. A stamp or a step? It's a step, isn't it?

25:31Jim Campbell: I know this isn't necessarily the way you draw these comparisons, but if you compare it to some of the things that were given in that game, it's nowhere near as egregious. Well, I'll tell you what. All I'll say is the referee did blow before it went in. Oh, did he really? I heard the whistle in which case you can't

25:49Luke Moore: but you would they can hurt people especially with these modern boots the thing is the way I see it is and Jim's touched on it there if you want the referee if the referee's going to let things go then let things go the problem is and I said this a couple weeks ago and I totally accept your analysis of the idea the referee has been how it's been and Argentina are best position to take advantage of that that's a really good assessment I think but to me I feel like it's jarring when they don't intervene on anything apart from big incidents because you're not expecting them to do it. So if it's on the halfway line, is that going to be given a foul?

26:25Probably not. It's probably going to carry on, play on, whatever. I get a sense

26:27Jim Campbell: if the referee didn't make the decision that would be VAR'd, personally. I think that would come through. It would be VAR because it wouldn't have been overturned. Yeah.

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29:18I'll tell you what

29:19Luke Moore: had Margentina managed to find a way Miguel Marino would have had nightmares as soon as the ball comes in as soon as it came in you see him running I thought here's the goal and I couldn't believe he missed it And it was really the only chance, proper chance, that they created.

29:36Jim Campbell: When he got blasted in the face, he was probably thinking, yeah, I deserve that. I think one of the really kind of amazing things about the way Spain have won this, all of this stuff relates to it, because around half time of extra time, we're all talking in the group, because I'm sure everybody is around the world, going like Argentina are either going to win this on penalties, or they're going to get a moment and they're going to nick it and they're going to score. and at that point when you've had a goal disallowed in particular you might start playing against yourself a little bit and Spain did not do that their mental strength is absolutely unrivaled look at the subs

30:11Luke Moore: they brought on Jim okay so Eric Garcia comes from but further up the pitch Pedri comes on this is most of these in normal time Pedri comes on Nico Williams Mikel Moreno Ferran Torres and then in extra time Martin Zubomendi I mean that's the bench yeah look at those players they all know how to play they've all got that sort of Spanish ethos and so on. And again,

30:30Jim Campbell: it's consistent.

30:30Luke Moore: All of those players know how to control a game in the way that the starting 11 does. Yeah, I mean, I suppose it's easy to say this because they did get the goal, evidently, but you talk about that control and the calmness and so on. If you keep doing that, then, you know, by the law of averages, a chance will present itself. But against that raw emotion that you say with Argentina, you know, that nearly got big, but Argentina was so disciplined defensively. Yes, you're right about the emotions, but you have to say that they are. But the contrasting styles, I mean, this Spain side, as I say, the Spain that we all know now and have known for a number of years is the Spain very much of the 21st century.

31:09Luke Moore: In the previous century, it wasn't like this at all. Oh, yeah, they were known as underachievers, weren't they? It was a joke you would make ahead of every tournament. Well, they and England were the great underachievers. It's just us left now. But it's quite similar to England in some regard with the style of football. It was quite physical and so on and so forth. But Argentina, we talk about the emotions and so on. They've been to three finals in recent years. They've won the Copa America and all that sort of stuff. So their way of doing things has been very, very successful under Lionel Scaloni in particular.

31:45Luke Moore: But Spain are the champions. And they cleaned up. The golden ball was given to Rodri. Pao Cabasi won the young player of the tournament. and Unai Simon won the Golden Glove. Didn't hump it. No, he didn't. That was a chance. That could have become a tradition. Because Martinez was already crying. Yeah. So get right in front of him. Yeah, staring him in the face. You know what I think? Staring him right in the face, but don't really hump it. Spunking it. Go one step further. You must like that. That's good chat. It's your kind of chat.

32:11Jim Campbell: Don't put words in, Pete. I don't like it when you do it. Yeah, fair enough. That's one of your gags, Pete.

32:16Luke Moore: Do it now. Speaking of which, by the way, you know, speaking of half of the game, we have to mention the, I know it's Scuffles I mean Awful stuff And speaking of FIFA and not having any confidence in him and all the rest of it Paredes should get a massive ban for that Absolutely He punched Rodri didn't he? I think he punched him twice I found funny There wasn't any actual punches was Roberto Ayala No no no If you watch it back Roberto Ayala who's the assistant manager of Argentina he punched I think he might have punched Gavi I think Right Yeah As well

32:51Jim Campbell: And Gavi is on the end of some stuff from Paredes as well. And there's, I mean, obviously this is different. Otamendi and Rodri having some sort of heated discussion where Rodri's faced, I don't know the Spanish for what the hell are you talking about? But he's facing to transmit him.

33:05Luke Moore: Well, Rodri runs on the pitch, and as you say, Paredes gives him a dig to the ribs. And part of me felt like, I just run off and just keep celebrating. But Rodri came back, and I think Paredes was a bit like, oh, I didn't think he would actually come back.

33:16Jim Campbell: Oh, he is quite big.

33:17Luke Moore: Yeah. And then Paredes, he seemed to grab Eric Garcia by the throat, and then he threw Gavi on the floor. Gavi was getting the treatment. It was Gavi, yeah. I thought they were going to give him a right shoe in at one point. It's pathetic. Oh, it's bad. Nohel Molina punches someone as well and he plays in Spain. Yeah. He plays for Atletico Madrid. Do you think maybe he lost his head and forgot that? I think my... I think the first part is definitely true. But I'd like to see a lot of these Argentinian players just absolutely pillory wherever they go now. I'd love to see Fernandes get stick every single week in the Premier League.

33:49Football needs bad guys. This is why this is good. It's because you like wrestling, you're saying that. Dan Housen cursed Argentina. I'm not saying he shouldn't be doing it. I'm saying he should get shit for it.

34:00Jim Campbell: Yeah. It's part of the theater of it.

34:01Luke Moore: It's funny because while all that was going on, and they were disgraceful scenes, I understand emotions run high. And look, Jude Bellingham gave that lad a clip around the ear. I like that as well. Yeah. I get that. But this was like, I've never seen anything like that before.

34:14Jim Campbell: Yeah, it's a proper head loss.

34:15Luke Moore: It is. And I find it funny with Argentina. They managed to create new rivalries in every tournament. I mean, if you remember last time with the Dutch, I mean, they always had a bit of a thing with the Dutch, with the Germans in a previous tournament. Now Spain are in there. You know, they absolutely love it. But they nearly, nearly got themselves to penalties, which I think we would have all fancied them for. And it was the only way they were going to win the game, really. You know what they say, if everyone you meet's a dickhead, you're probably a dickhead. Well, but then, could you say that about Lionel Messi?

34:42No, I think Messi and Scaloni are sorry. So I think actually I don't know that much about Scaloni But what we know But from what I know the way he's delivered the success he's delivered and the way he's conducted himself the three examples I'll use is before the England game I thought he carried himself well after the final whistle last night you see him leg it onto the pitch try and grab the rest to stop him Yeah he was trying to stop him and then after the game in the press conference he was very emotional about about the whole job When asked about his future Yeah yeah and so and then Messi I think Messi strikes me as someone who is sort of a level above all of it and kind of accepts it.

35:19Yeah, I'll go to the big barbecues. I'll do that. But I'm not getting involved in the fighting. He always looks awkward though. And he does the the goldfiler kind of shrug. I don't have to get my hands dirty because I've got these guys. But with Messi though that was bad.

35:36Luke Moore: But all those guys which is what Scaloni has created in that team every single one of them are there to essentially serve like Messi. That's what I'm saying. He doesn't get his hands down himself. And with Messi, again, if you said, well, what do you really think of Enzo Fernandes? What do you really... And he would shrug his shoulders and go, ah, he's a team mate. You know that guy you've known since school? Yeah, but he's a mate. And he'll do that about anyone apart

36:00Jim Campbell: from Mauro Icardi, which we all have to respect, I think. I quite like how Messi quite literally distances himself from that behaviour. Not being anywhere near the same postcode in terms of that stadium. there's a bit going on just I'm off in the corner I'm not having this

36:15Luke Moore: but I mean he you know there was a nice moment after the England game when him and Kane sort of you know embraced each other you know but I think that's it with Messi he's well aware of of course he is he's well aware of what he is and what he represents and what he's done and also where he is in his footballing career right now and we said this in the last World Cup surely that will be the last time we see him at a World Cup I would have thought possibly the last time in an Argentina shirt unless they do a kind of celebratory match for him back in Argentina, which I wouldn't put it past them.

36:44Jim Campbell: Possibly a Copa America. I mean, with the... I could say Copa America. Yeah, maybe one more of those, but I think, you know, it's going to be diminishing returns at some point.

36:53Luke Moore: Could depend if Scaloni stays on him and again, his contract, he said he'll honour his contract, but it's up in December. So it does feel like an end of an era for this Argentina side. Incredible that they got to the final. But Spain are the winners. And with Spain, you know, with the age of Yamal is, Khabarci as well. and their production line.

37:12Jim Campbell: I think they're here to stay. Williams and Jamal, it'd be good to see those two fit from the day one of the tournament. Yeah, exactly. I mean, they did it all with basically, arguably, both of those players not being fully fit.

37:21Luke Moore: I mean, it could become quite boring, international football, because the Euros in two years' time, Spain will be the favourites for it, probably, unless France.

37:28Jim Campbell: It does feel a bit like the last time they did this, didn't they? As you say, this is here to stay. This is probably not even the peak of a lot of these players. I mean, replacing Rodri when that inevitably needs to be done is the key thing there. But they'll have someone come along again with that production line.

37:46Luke Moore: I mean, they won three trophies, you know, Euros, World Cup, Euros in a row. But then, you know, crashing out in the first round of the 2014 round, no one would have predicted that. So you never know with football. I hope it isn't a period of dominance for my own country's sake. But also, you know, to try and mix it up a bit.

38:02Jim Campbell: But look, we know the brief and we know how, you know, Spain have kind of like waned a little bit. last time they had their sort of great generation of the footballers that were in the stands. Yeah. In their beautiful suits. Great line-up. It was a lovely line-up. It was. You could just see Puyol desperately get on the pitch and start cracking some heads. Puyol looked very subdued compared to everyone else when they scored the winner. Because he was furious.

38:24Luke Moore: Absolutely furious. Can I say, though, that Rodrius player of the tournament, I think I might have given it to Messi. Really? Yeah.

38:35Jim Campbell: Do you think that Rodrius player at a tournament just because how limited he'd been in the Premier League this season.

38:40Luke Moore: No, no, nothing to do. No, no, it's just to do with the tournament. It's because they always... It's because they won the tournament. These individual things are just like a distraction. I think, I mean, he won player of the match once, I think it was against Portugal, whereas Messi won it a number of times. I think actually if England had got to the final, I think maybe Jude Bellingham, but look, that's obviously not the case, but I don't know. I think, I remember in 2014 when Messi was given the golden ball and it was an Adidas sponsored one and there was suggestions or was that because he was an Adidas player.

39:07Luke Moore: Last World Cup, of course, their Messi stats are ridiculous. I actually, dare I suggest, I think he might be a touch hard done by. I think I would have given the golden ball. It's FIFA. It's FIFA, yeah. Okay, fair enough. I think we can sum it up there. Right, quick break. And then, well, I mean, there's still lots to talk about what happened last night. The main stuff. Or yesterday afternoon. You've had all that crap. Let's talk about the real entertainment that was on show back in a bit.

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41:55I don't know his mamas when I finished. I like a lot of them artists, but I thought it was crap. What about the book Ravel, everybody? He was on amazing form. He's a national treasure.

42:06Jim Campbell: Honestly, that BBC, you know, puff piece advert they put on. Nice to see Romesh again, wasn't it? It's been ages. That sorry scene with those toffs in the fucking Queen Vic. I was like, I don't like any of these people. They didn't even have Del Boy falling through the bar, which you could have done. No, they could have done. He's right there. He's right there for fuck's sake. Also, can the BBC take credit for Wimbledon? Isn't it very much the tennis? Yeah. You paid for that.

42:33Luke Moore: You paid to service that contract. I like the BBC and I liked it. But the Wayne Rooney thing made me think,

42:39Jim Campbell: yes, BBC have got Wayne Rooney on and that's done more for the BBC than that entire bloody advert. Totally. And can I perhaps be a touch unfair on Gabby Logan, who is generally very good. And I know she's got a tough job. And it's great for her to be doing the World Cup final. and it was great for anyone to be anchoring that broadcast. But I actually thought that she didn't let Wayne breathe enough. She kept being like, oh, apologetic for Wayne's outburst. I was like, no, this is fucking really good. This is what we want. Let him be honest. I thought he was on rare form last night. I love Wayne Rooney.

43:06I thought it was bloody good behavior from him, and I wanted Gabby to let him breathe a bit more. So it was minor criticism from me, but I thought he was really, really good.

43:13Luke Moore: But Jim, we know Wayne Rooney likes his pop music. We do. And as he said, I like some of those artists, but I thought it was crap. The World Cup final, the organization around it, inexplicably just kicked off like six minutes late.

43:25Jim Campbell: Yeah, I know. Yeah, fine. Everyone done their stretches? The players aren't timing their warm-ups, are they?

43:30Luke Moore: That's all right. I'm not joking. I have played more than my fair share of grassroots football, right? In any league, whether it's the Leatherhead District League, the Sunday League, or one of the London Leagues, or the Saturday morning, we kick off at 10.30. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? You never passed it.

43:44Jim Campbell: And I'll put this to everyone else in this room, and that's Marcus Speller saying, I know, exactly, exactly. And when the pre-match entertainment is just dog dirt. Yeah. Is it really like getting rid of the dog dirt?

43:56Luke Moore: Is it really like just six...

43:57Jim Campbell: Six minutes seems like... But I think the spirit of the tournament is just like weather delays and stuff. So maybe they just thought, eh, they don't mind. Oh, man.

44:06Luke Moore: But anyway, the half-time entertainment at the World Cup party... 27 minutes and something around 12 seconds or something? 27 minutes. But the pre-game itself was so tacky it was on board.

44:17Jim Campbell: Oh, the Louis Vuitton case that the World Cup came in is so... What are they doing? So tacky. What are they doing? It looks so cheap somehow. Why is no one making, at least making, I mean, presumably someone is making the point, but it's been ignored, that actually the value of the World Cup is already present in the history and the tradition of it. The mere sight of that trophy for probably billions of people around the world is emotive enough. It's enough. It doesn't need to be put in a weird, not everything has to be a sponsorship opportunity. It's not putting the ball in a little car, is it?

44:46No, that's fine.

44:47Jim Campbell: I don't mind that. Absolutely. We missed the little car. There's a lot of money to make if there was an alternative to fucking FIFA. Although there would. I mean, they prove over and over again that they're just not fit for purpose. But who is it benefiting to put the trophy in a Louis Vuitton case? Louis Vuitton. Other than Louis Vuitton. It's wild. Louis Vuitton. And I think the Tom Cruise thing could have been good, but it wasn't. It could have been... I mean, you know when you see, I don't know, a really big sporting event, I mean it was obviously Open Championship so it's a far day of the Open or a big England game and they get those monologues they get good actors doing monologues on the dramatic music it can be really affecting massively over now though oh yeah it's probably a bit London poet talking about you know grassroots and football and playing concrete and then the actor doing the speech what I'm saying with Tom Cruise Tom Cruise is a zenith of that surely I kind of understand what they're trying to do with it it just fell really flat because it doesn't translate does it on TV also his hair was mad he looked like he just got out of bed Now, I'm a big fan of Tom Cruise, the movie star, less keen on his work as a de facto cult leader.

45:53Jim Campbell: But I think he is someone who does add some glamour wherever he goes. But him talking about unity when Donald Trump is in that same venue, like it all just rings really hollow. You have to give Tom Cruise credit, though,

46:05Luke Moore: because he's 64 years old. He looks superhuman. And he looks like he could go on Love Island. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, astonishing man. His hair is also immediately upstaged by Ferran Torres' hair, Which is the same kind of style almost. But Torres is going to knock him into a cock pat.

46:21Jim Campbell: It's rare you see a man truly smouldering, but Ferran Torres has been doing it all tournament. I would love one of those golden FIFA tracksuits. You know, apart from what we said about FIFA, during the I Show Speed Champions song. I know we do this a lot, but just as one more run at it, this is our last chance in this World Cup. What is I Show Speed doing there? What is he doing there? I can't answer you. I can't answer you. The way he sings, put your flags in your ear. In your ear. But clearly... The song is terrible. He's terrible. But Infantino is... He can do a flip though. He can do a flip though.

46:58Jim Campbell: He can do a flip. But broadly, I understand why he's there.

47:01Luke Moore: But we know Infantino's a wanker. We'll get to his trainers in a minute, which I thought was the worst thing of all. But he's clearly like completely intoxicated by iShowSpeed. It's the old man going, oh yeah, he's great. Oh, he's really cool. And I'll be cool by proxy and all that kind of shite.

47:16Jim Campbell: Well, you know how TV executives are always chasing the young viewership, even though the young viewers are out and they're not watching TV. But the idea is that if you don't catch them now, then the churn means you lose them forever and ultimately your organisation fails. Which is why they don't want to be. But he seems to be convinced that speed is the key to people liking football in the future. It's this massively misplaced kind of value. Did you see he was wearing a World Cup shirt with all of the badges, cut out of all of the shirts, and made one big shirt. It was quite nice.

47:50Luke Moore: It was nice. Did we like Madonna being flanked by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho? Oh, again!

47:55Jim Campbell: Ronaldo had this mad rictus grin on his face. To me, that's someone who's not comfortable and is very nervous in that situation. Another example of, on paper should be good, but it was bad. It was fun though, wasn't it? I liked seeing it. I enjoyed Madonna and Ronaldinho and Ronaldo being in a little car together, absolutely. I missed that bit because I was running the shop for Twix. You're such a Viz character. I also bought one of those. You got half an hour. You could have gone to the big shop. Were you wearing your barrel? When I came back, Sarah said, who were those men in Madonna's car? They look simple.

48:33Jim Campbell: And they did look simple. Because obviously at the first bit, what I like about it is the first bit was clearly pre-recorded because there was too much camera movement around. And then when they came out into the stadium, different camera, you could tell them at a different time. So I like the fact that they had put the shitty 90s track shell suits on twice. Has it been London since the last time? Love it. Madonna and Ronaldinho, they're fucking right.

48:57Luke Moore: Luke Maul. They have to be. Because they both like fucking.

49:02Jim Campbell: Yeah, they both like fucking. But I think Madonna's a... Madonna does like fucking Fabergé level models. They do Louis Vuitton models. Ronaldinho? He's a legend. Yeah, in the game of soccer, but I don't think she's really that into it, to be honest.

49:15Luke Moore: She does like football, to be fair. Right. I was about to move on to Sesame Street, doing Seven Nation Army, you say that. It wasn't Sesame Street. It was The Muppets. It was The Muppets. It was Dr.

49:25Jim Campbell: T's electric mayhem band. Yeah, absolutely right. There wasn't enough of The Muppets, even though there was quite a lot of The Muppets. True.

49:32Luke Moore: Nice to see Chris Martin, though. Is it? I was there. I could see an Englishman. Do you fear for the youth, Marcus? Do you fear for the youth producing the show when they confuse Sesame Street and The Muppets? Yeah, and I fear for myself because I went along with it. Yeah, you shouldn't have. I think Chris Martin is able... Was it you who said that he puts colours on everything but makes everything more dull?

49:52Jim Campbell: Yeah, it's just that there's been this massive switch in their aesthetic probably over the last decade where everything's really, really colourful and yet it all just seems so grey. Yeah. That's how it feels to me. Because I didn't think I said to you guys at the time, I think Coldplay's performance at Glastonbury last year was genuinely one of the worst things I've ever seen. It was so, so bad. It was so insipid. It was so anti-music. It's like, as they've dialed the colors up, they've dialed the music down. It's so bad. And the fact that he was curating this kind of feeds back into, I think Infantino probably thinks Chris Martin's cool.

50:25He thinks I show speed's cool. He thinks Chris Martin's cool. Whatever. I also thought Bieber absolutely killed it dead as well. Because Bieber's got so many bangers.

50:35Jim Campbell: He's entering his kind of serious artist sort of thing. He's working with McGee and Dijon people like that now. The World Cup Hallelujah. He wants to be a mature artist.

50:44Luke Moore: He's working with Alan McGee? No, not Alan McGee. Yeah, I'll tell you. That would be a surprise. Now you've got me. And I thought of you when Ted Lasso popped up. Yeah. Because you hate Ted Lasso, even though you've never seen it. I don't hate it. I'm just, I know it's crap. Exactly, there you go.

50:58Jim Campbell: I have watched Ted Lasso. Hang on, let me check my emails for any live reads you're doing in the next...

51:03Luke Moore: You've already done them all. Season 6

51:05Jim Campbell: Ted Lasso It is coming out in August Alright Yeah it's shit Yeah it is It is right It is But it's that same kind of like Afterlife Ricky Gervais Sort of Saccharine Bollocks Yeah And I would just

51:19Luke Moore: It can't be worse than Afterlife But we've got to say No it can't We've got to say though Shakira and Burner Boy They've kind of Said we rescued it Well Shakira could rescue it I think that's why

51:26Jim Campbell: Justin Bieber's got the camera on him The whole time And it all seems a bit Underwhelming at home Doesn't it Because they're getting the stage Ready for Shakira Which is as it should be I mean, to be fair, if you've got your BTS in there, they're selling out fucking stages 30 nights in a row. I thought BTS were pretty good. Well, I mean, it's just a good song, isn't it? BTS, like, Justin Bieber, you can't argue that these aren't huge arse. I show speed. You know, you're a core player. You can't argue. It's me pleading for less Robbie Williams and more Childish Gambino. Where was Gambino? Because FIFA were always kind of, they never get hold of something current and they never get hold of something really popular.

52:01Jim Campbell: and they did get a lot of popular stuff there. There were some, you know, solid artists in there. And to be fair to Chris Martin, he knows how to put on like an arena show or a stadium show. So he's a smart person to go to. Apart from music. Exactly.

52:13Luke Moore: I think we all need to be a lot fairer on this. Is that Scouser saying crap? Sounds really weird in those situations. Who's your favourite Scouser? Anthony Barry or Wayne Rooney? It's got me wazzling. I like them both. I like seeing both of a fight. That'd be good. No, you'd like to see them have a conversation and it would turn into a fight. Barry would run away. He would actually. At the end he would. Whatever happened, he'd run away.

52:37Jim Campbell: Paddy the Paddy.

52:38Luke Moore: Well everybody, that's it. The longest World Cup ever is over. It's always a strange feeling when it happens because you're so emotionally invested. You watch this, it becomes your life for about five weeks or whatever it is. And then, boof, it's suddenly over. Luke Moore, reflections on the first ever 48 team tournament. The biggest and best ever. As you said that, I literally got an email right here asking me if I want to buy tickets to Portsmouth in a couple of weeks. We're back. Back to life. Back to reality.

53:09Jim Campbell: Trying to find the Newcastle United against Darlington highlights on the weekend. 3-0 win. I'm not ready for all this.

53:14Luke Moore: I don't give a damn if Morgan Rodgers has gone to Chelsea. I don't care. They've sent that email knowing what they're doing on the Monday after the World Cup. My reflections are that I've enjoyed a lot of the football, right? And that's how it gets you, isn't it? So all the other stuff that comes along with the World Cup, which is getting worse and worse and actually in the last couple has completely dominated the whole ethical makeup of what football's all about is still able somehow to be pushed to one side when the football's on and you can kind of forget about it and enjoy the games and I've really enjoyed England's run for the most part I've enjoyed doing our World Cup watch parties in the group stage I've enjoyed a lot of the football because obviously ultimately I am a massive football fan but these events are getting more and more dystopian more and more odd more and more corrupt and more and more problematic.

54:01And that has to be part of my reflection of what I've seen, I think. I do think there's been some stuff to credit the larger format. I think we've had some nice stories. I think we've had some much more fair treatment of African nations, for example, being able to qualify. Particularly, yes. Yeah, and there's been some teams that have come in that never would have been given the opportunity to ever perform on this stage. And they've had their time to shine and had their moment in the sun. I think that's a good thing. But there's also been some bad stuff about it as well. in terms of the format.

54:30I think it's made it bloated. It's made it overblown. We've had to go through a lot of football to get even just a fraction of the teams eliminated. So as ever with this stuff, despite FIFA's best efforts, it's actually been okay.

54:43Luke Moore: Yeah, but as you say, it's hard to kind of just push all that crap aside. It's getting harder and harder. It is getting harder. It's like trying to push Donald Trump to one side during a trophy. It's quite difficult.

54:58Jim Campbell: It's like getting the algae out of the reflecting pool, isn't it? Shout out to Rodri for actually making him move. That was genuinely like real proper captain's behaviour, the way Rodri did that. That said, Marina did do the Trump dance, so he gets a markdown. Take it, take it. The occasion just got to him. That's what you would do. He'd do that. He'd just panic. The head's gone. Jim? Yeah, I would echo the thoughts on the problems in the format to the point where I find it annoying to admit this to myself, but there's a lot of talk about a 64-team World Cup. And I think, actually, that will make the group stages better because there'll be more jeopardy in it.

55:38Jim Campbell: That is exactly where it will go. And that will be even more bloated and it will feel even more of a slog. But in terms of the feeling of the tournament, I think, yeah, it's better when two teams go through out of a four-team group. Will it be jeopardy? Because they'll just extend more people go through two month tournament maybe they'll find a way yeah I think in terms of the actual football it was a good World Cup without being a great one I don't think it was good as good as Qatar or as good as Russia in terms of the actual quality of it all generally the quality of Spain I thought was really really impressive they won't necessarily go down as like one for the aesthetic kind of history of the game but again that is proven over and over again that that is kind of how you do it at the top level.

56:27Jim Campbell: In club football as well, the way Spain do things, no one has an answer to it. I thought England were ultimately really, really disappointing. When it really counted. Which is what really undermines my own relationship with the national team, I would say. I cannot envision a future where England get to a similar situation in the Euros next time and don't do the same thing. And that is the challenge for Tuchel and for England, is to show to us that they can. But I mean, in those moments... Have your standards risen? That high, Jim? Yeah, sure, why not? Why not? But I'm trying to remind myself, I'm trying to remember ahead of the next tournament, to remember that England do this, and hope that they won't, but expect that they will, I suppose, just to manage my own feeling.

57:17Jim Campbell: because it was absolutely gutting. It was gutting the way England, you know, changed the kind of approach to the game. Gutless and gutting. But, you know, we used to dream of England getting to semifinals and it used to be glorious failure. Now it's frustrating failure. But ultimately, we were still in there for a long time and that keeps you engaged. Yeah, exactly. First time ever in probably the best game England will ever play at a tournament. So, yeah, ultimately, I've had a good time. I agree with Luke about how the politics of it, or the kind of, essentially, kind of the attempts to capture what makes the World Cup so great, and use them to promote things that aren't so great, has been a factor, and has been really, really present with the hydration breaks that have been unnecessary, the halftime show, and a lot of the more cynical stuff around it.

58:09Jim Campbell: The Balogun intervention for me, I mean, this is a wider conversation that's for another time, but I think it's further proof that, like, if someone can find a way to take FIFA out of the equation altogether, whether that be the kind of Continental Confederation withdrawing and doing something different, I would absolutely support it. I don't know how that looks, but I think how much more ridiculous can FIFA get? But yeah, I've enjoyed it. It's been co-opted, but it's been co-opted because it's great. Peter? I've really, really enjoyed this World Cup. Even though the matches have been at really proper naughty times I've never been I honestly never been so captivated by a World Cup I've really really enjoyed this one I think FIFA didn't manage to get their sort of their talons into Mexico as a horse country I think the Mexicans were brilliant their fans the vibe around the stadiums and stuff the Scottish fans out in Boston mainly they obviously Boston won't forget the Scottish appetite for booze and stuff like that.

59:19Jim Campbell: I've really enjoyed how engaged the Football Ramble listeners have been over the last time. it's been brilliant. Who've been fantastic. We give them the golden ball. Jed Spence, inexplicably. Jed Spence has put a few million on his price tag. I don't know you even mentioned the death of bloody Jaden Adams, the South African footballer as well. Absolutely awful. Wild story. but I think I don't know I'm there but that's a very sad situation for a player who just played a few weeks ago at the World Cup so a lot of stories in there a lot of narrative every you know the football teams like Norway are getting better and better Norway a good story and I've really enjoyed England's run as well and we'll always have the Azteca we will and we should also mention by the way because I forgot to say in my reflection that a lot of the best players turned up they actually turned up which makes a massive difference right we were looking going into the final few games, it was only Lamin-Yamel that had a question mark over his head about whether he's actually going to arrive at the party of all the top players that you're used to talking about as the best in the world.

1:00:21So what about you, Marcus?

1:00:23Luke Moore: Well, yeah, I mean, it was an extraordinary tournament. There's no doubt about that. And when the football begins, you do inevitably put to one side all the crap that came with that. I mean, I liked what Mark Gay said about the ticket prices. You know, he said, it's just rubbish. But it's a shame because, you know, we know American hospitality over the, is great. I assume Canada is the same, we've only been kind of very briefly, and Mexican is as well. You know, these were countries that were wonderful countries to host the World Cup in, despite, you know, the travel and so on and so forth. And I enjoyed this tournament because there were a few teams, Cape Verde being the obvious one, with Vizinha in goal, where I really knew very little to nothing about them.

1:01:06Luke Moore: And I think in previous World Cups, maybe that's not been the case so much. And it is an argument for the 48-team World Cup, certainly. So it's been great that we've got a few cult heroes from this. You talk about the big players turning up, absolutely, but one or two other players and so on. I thought it was great that a number of teams, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, punched through a bit of a glass ceiling, getting to the knockouts as well. They had some great moments.

1:01:35Luke Moore: When the game finished last night and the BBC did that big sort of montage of all the bits. That was great.

1:01:41Jim Campbell: The Guns N' Roses one. Yeah, I thought it was brilliant, Pete, absolutely.

1:01:44Luke Moore: And that is where it hits home for me, where I'm like, blimey, did you say the Scotland fans or that moment when Ecuador beat Germany? That feels like a lifetime ago. And it's almost like the unfolding of the map where you've been, where you reflect on this sort of journey that you've been on, do you know what I mean? And I almost felt slightly emotional watching it going, and it's four bastard years until the next one. But that is why it's so good. Why it's so special, yeah. Yeah, and so it has been great. I mean, you've already talked about England there. Yeah, I think the frustration, which I'm, believe it or not, I'm largely moved on from it, but it does sting, but you don't want to forget that actually those players put their heart and soul into it and what they did shouldn't be forgotten or ignored.

1:02:34Luke Moore: And I'm so glad that they did get a medal. I mean, even when Big Dan Bird walks off and he looked at, you know, the England social media company, he looked at it and went, oh, got a medal like that, you know. It was just nice. It was just a teensy note of positivity that England finished on. And OK, England didn't play brilliant football throughout it, but they certainly had some moments. You know, Kane got a load of goals as well. And so I think there was a lot to cheer about. But that's it, though. The World Cup is finished again. We will look forward to the next one. We got the Euros in between times, of course.

1:03:00Luke Moore: but we would like to say a huge thank you for you all being with us on this on this past five weeks it's been a hell of a journey and you've journeyed with us again we've had we've had some upsets we've had a lot of goals Scotland were even there for a bit as we say we've had some easies and not even Gianni Infantino with his fucking white trainers could spoil the party but I'm telling you this time next summer we could be Nations League champions Thanks for listening to the Football Ramble, part of the ACAST Creator Network. We'll be back tomorrow to look back at our World Cup predictions. If you are without hope, you are without a heart.

1:03:39Luke Moore: And despite what happened, there will always be hope. See you tomorrow.

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