Weird, even for a taxidermist | 2026 FIFA World Cup

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2:24Luke Moore: Hello, everybody. It's Wednesday. And thanks to friend of the Ramble, Dale, for giving us that intro line on this wonderful Wednesday in the kingdom. If you want to submit an intro line for a future episode and get an extended edition of today's show, then become a friend of the Ramble on our Patreon. Click the link in the show notes to sign up now. That isn't... That's from Juicy, right? Juicy, Juicy. That's not a line I would choose. There's a really good line on that. I mean, the whole tune is full of great lines, but the best line I'd have chosen if I was going to choose would be when he's talking about how poor he was as a kid and he goes birthdays was the worst days now we sip champagne when we thirst days that's a great line nice I would have done that much better than that one well let's wait until tomorrow because tomorrow is thirst day it is yes well listen Thursday tomorrow could be a lot more challenging to overcome I'm not going by that

3:13Jim Campbell: dehydration will probably be prevalent yeah that is true but if we're worried about which hip hop lyrics

3:18Luke Moore: we're going to be talking about I think it might have gone better than we hoped Indeed, indeed. Now before we get started, we talk about Spain, we have a winner for the 1966 England shirt. Is it an omen? It could be. It provided, Jim, that England shirt was provided by our friends at icons.com. It's beautifully framed and it's signed by nine members of the World Cup squad. Thanks to everyone who entered, but of course there could only be one winner. And our winner is...

3:45Luke Moore: Lewis McClymont! Goal! Give him a shoe. Big Lou. Sue Sue Sue Sue Sue Sue Sue Maclymont So well done Lewis Excellent stuff Lewis that will be on its way to you It will be in touch

4:00Jim Campbell: Scottish surname

4:01Luke Moore: So Oh hang on then What will he do with it Well Stuart's inquiry here then Alexis McAllister also has Scottish Is it an Irish surname I forget I think it's Irish Could be either Either way Lewis If he's a Scotland fan Then what are you doing Entering that competition And if he's an England fan Then well done sir well done sir now everybody before we finally get to Spain remember to follow us on our social so you never miss out on any of the latest news from Ramble HQ at Football Ramble on Instagram X and YouTube hit follow or subscribe in all the usual places and you can see some lovely little clips of us and what we get up to during record if you don't watch the show on YouTube you would have seen Pete with a full face of England flag makeup the other day which he's insisting on wearing until England get knocked out and if they win the World Cup then he has to wear it for the next four years just get tattooed easier yeah much easier much more effective as well right France 0 España 2 Spain are through to their second ever World Cup final what a performance Jim from the Spanish yeah

5:06Jim Campbell: Jules Holland gurgling your words there yeah Jules Holland in a like a sand pit drowning in quicksand hand over to Jim to talk about the Spain defeat of France and how Jules Holland would do it on the Hootenanny.

5:20Luke Moore: Okay, so if I thought, you know, ladies and gentlemen, we've got football pundit, Jim Gannon, France, Nils, Spade 2, Jim Gannon!

5:30Jim Campbell: Now imagine I've done a song. Is he still on the telly? Oh, he must be. Are people even going to get that? Must be. I think the Hootenanny's still on the team. He's been around long enough. I would assume. Yeah, he would. Yeah. I think a lot of people are talking about this game as like, oh my God, France didn't really turn up. It's amazing how bad they were. We weren't expecting them to be so poor. And obviously, there is an element of that. But I think that actually does Spain a little bit of a disservice. I think they stopped them playing in a really, really effective way because they are such a difficult lock to pick.

5:58Jim Campbell: The structure and their kind of positioning and the discipline within that is so, so good that it's mad that we're still saying this about Spanish national teams in 2026. But sometimes you just can't get the ball off them. And the pace of the game is the pace that they decide it is. And that's very difficult for France, I think, because France sometimes will blitz you in those moments where they get an opportunity to run into space. Spain denied them that space. And when the tempo was upped, it was because Spain wanted it to be upped. There was a lot of denial of space, Luke Moore. There was. It was like a big predator on the savannah being killed by a python, slowly squeezed and constricted until they couldn't move, they couldn't do anything, and then that was the end of it.

6:46Jim Campbell: Try a little invisible trick. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because they will get you. I thought they were sensational. And I have to answer you and David, actually. You guys both said, you know, the midfield battle will be really important. Spain have got the superiority in there.

6:59Luke Moore: I still fancied France, though. I haven't said all that because of just the momentum and the way they've been playing. But systemically, Spain clearly were much better. I mean, it felt odd in a way because it felt a bit like Deschamps didn't either know how to change it to make it better for them or he just thought, oh, well, we're France. We're really good. It'll be fine. Yeah. Because I know this is easier said than done. And of course, I think it was Danny Murphy saying on the BBC highlights, which I re-watched, saying that it's crazy how little of a kick Shoumeni and Komei are getting even after he made that change with Rabiot.

7:38They can't get near the ball. When you can't get near the ball, obviously it's very difficult to do anything. So obviously I understand it's easier said than done. but I think in a knockout game of this type of this magnitude he has got weapons on the bench he can use Deschamps but he didn't use any of them I definitely would have I agree with whoever it was who said it in the WhatsApp group but I know it sounds a bit kind of trite but Chuck Chuck That's what I was saying Go long for 10 minutes Do something different You have to do something different the way the game played

8:05Luke Moore: it wasn't going to change I mean talking about that midfield if we get into the weeds of it Mbappe said we were three against two in midfield and against Spain that's hard so appearing to criticise the tactics because I mean, straight from the off, there was something different about this game, a very different game that France have contested in this World Cup finals. The temptation is to try and be wise after the event here and go, yeah, you see, it's the first time they've been... Yeah, I always thought that there was... That temptation, I think, would be slightly foolish to sort of indulge because the chap going into this game and certainly in the previous rounds was, it's hard to make an argument against France winning this tournament.

8:43Luke Moore: Oh, I definitely thought that. I think, you know, I mean, David said, you know, other than an Argentina hit job in the final, you know, who's going to do it? And Spain have not really impressed that much by their own standards at this World Cup. I thought they were good against Austria, for example. That was the game perhaps they most excelled in. But against Belgium, wasn't pretty. But, and here comes that phrase again, they got the job done. Yeah. And I mean, these games are harder and harder as the tournament goes on as well. And you're never going to play your best because of a number of factors.

9:12Luke Moore: but the opposition does make a difference. And against France, they knew they had to have razor-sharp focus. And when Spain, and any Spanish side we've come to know and appreciate in the last sort of 15 or so, well, nearly 20 years, when they play like this and they're all on it, not only do you have the individual talent, you have the collective and the cohesion of a very good team who are all pulling in the same direction, who are all doing it. There's nothing you can really do against that. And that's what France lacked. wonderful individual talent the best individual talent probably at the tournament and yet they were a little bit disjointed and I think that if you are to look at Deschamps I think it surprised a fair few people myself included how France have been playing in this tournament, again you go back to the last Euros they were very disappointing but with that individual talent they're always going to be okay looked like he'd taken the old handbrake off in this tournament and said right Mbappe Elise, off you go but then when they do have the greatest test on paper that they could have done because again, these are the two favourites for the World Cup, first and second, whichever order you'd have that in.

10:16Luke Moore: Most people have France, number one. They come up quite badly short, if we're honest. So the way that they came up short can be explained at least partly though by kind of circumstances in the first half an hour though, can't it? Because the two big key incidents, Luca Dignes loses his mind entirely. It's a popular foul, that one at this World Cup. It is, isn't it? It seems to be happening all the time. Smart from your mouth as well. It was, but I mean he's smart enough but I mean he's only effectively just challenging for the ball for the defender of the pressure well you have to go down to smart because he's nipped in there he's either winning the ball and he's in he's alive to the danger he puts Dini in there whoever would have thought Jamal of all players could nip in somewhere with this absolutely amazing well obviously for that moment Leverdi didn't but Dini yeah but you can't say it wasn't a massive error from Dini of course it was he doesn't even know he's there and then the thing that compounds that of course is Saliba going off I think Saliba going off yeah but do you know what Luke It's easy to say.

11:10It's huge. It's a big inflection point if you lose one of your starting centre-backs in such a big game with an injury where he just goes down in the middle of nowhere and just says, I'm done. Yeah. And you've got to react to that. Of course. Because I think that France might have, I don't know if they were, and I don't think the way the game transpired, I don't think Deshaun covered himself in glory for the reasons that we've already said. But I can get on board with the idea that they knew that Spaniel were going to have a lot of the ball. They knew that Spaniel were going to knock it about and try and constrict them.

11:38And they probably thought, maybe we just stick in there. Last half an hour, if our forward players aren't doing it, we can make some changes and we can get something happening and we can rely on an individual piece of brilliance to do something for us. And I just don't know if they're able to ever really get going after that, after that first half an hour.

11:57Luke Moore: I mean, we're into chaos theory, but Saliba goes on and off. I don't think it affects how that Spanish defence deal with the front line. But that's not what I'm saying. Well, but I'm extrapolating it out and saying that whether Saliba was on the pitch or not, of course it makes a difference in terms of the defence and maybe the overall feel. I thought Spain had this game locked down very early on. They did, they did. And my feeling would be that the way France played, they were not going to score. They could have played or not. And I think Spain, they have their number. And in previous encounters...

12:30But we didn't find out if they could or not because they didn't change it.

12:33Luke Moore: And that goes into that to the manager. That goes into everything. Yeah, yeah, you just like for like stuff, that's it.

12:38Jim Campbell: Yeah. I mean, they don't really, they never really appear to have had a plan B, right? Perhaps the thinking is that they don't need one. And I'm surprised at that because Deschamps has been there for so long. A lot of these players have been with him for a long time. Even some of the younger ones have been with the national team for a decent amount of time. And Spain set the standard and the standard is that they look like a club team, right? And it's a similar situation with them where even some of those younger players have been around for a while and part of that is a joined up thinking of how they put the under-21s and the first, the national team, senior teams together.

13:14Jim Campbell: And I think they're really the only team at the tournament where you can say that. And I think it's very interesting what you said earlier, Marcus, about how they are defined by the collective. We look at all the other teams that are still here or have gone deep into it and it's been notable because all of the big players and all the big individuals have turned up. With Spain, Yamal's maybe probably the biggest player to have not like truly, truly lit up the tournament. There's been some brilliant performances and Ojozboel's done really well. It always feels like he's sort of chipping in with goals, doesn't it?

13:44Jim Campbell: Because the type of player he is, despite the fact I think he's got five now. But they are defined by that collective kind of quality and how actually when they make a change, whether they change the way they're playing or not, it's always coherent. They are always in control. and yeah I think that is that is the the kind of greatest threat left in the tournament isn't it really it's the fact that they are so so coherent they look like a kind of deep stage Champions League team which is something we've not really seen so much at this World Cup and I think has actually made it a bit more interesting but it feels to me like Deschamps has lent into international football having a bit more space and being a bit looser and maybe something you don't want to overthink and something you don't want to overcomplicate and then you come up against Spain who do, you know, think very deeply, do make it complicated and are confident in their ability to do that.

14:36Jim Campbell: And they just didn't have an answer to it. No.

14:38Luke Moore: And De La Fuente has, you know, great pedigree as Spain manager. I mean, again, they were superb in the Euros two years ago. The only thing you might say is because of the injury to Nico Williams, maybe they're not as potent going forward. Maybe not as explosive. Yeah, but you are talking about, I'd go as far to say one of the best tournament teams I've ever seen when they were at the Euros two years ago. So even if they're ever so slightly off that, they're still a bloody good side. And in this game, it was... Do you know what this felt like? It felt like a Premier League side going to a championship or League One stadium in, say, the fifth round of the FA Cup.

15:17Luke Moore: And, right, a professional job. 2-0 professional job. Let's just get it done. Let's not give them any room. We'll get the goals. Our quality will show. And let's do that. That's how it felt. And it was a semi-final. the lack of urgency they also broke France's heart didn't they you could see that you could see because there's no other real explanation for the way the front four for France applied themselves particularly like I know they kind of had a little kind of suspicion of a sniff in like the last 15-20 minutes

15:43Jim Campbell: but they were like oh god we've got to do something but they were just being held at bay but ultimately yeah and even when there were moments when they could have done something there was a moment with Douay when Simon comes out and he's off his line and Douay had a bit of time he could have squared it he could have lifted it he just like shanked it off his heel it went straight into the keeper straight at the keeper so there was a lot of a lot of suspicion I thought like France had their heart broken really and I think that a lot of that is explained by the timing of the second goal right and don't get me wrong there were another couple of really nice moves from Spain which didn't result in goals which could have done and had they had scored both of those you're looking at one of the most comprehensive dismantlings of a team at this stage you'd have seen for a long time probably since Germany-Brazil which is a whole different thing It wouldn't have quite been in that bracket, but it would have.

16:29I mean, if that game ends up 4-0, which it could have done, you're sitting here, given the chat we had going into it, it's a 50-50 game. It's the individual brilliance versus the systemic kind of quality. If that comes out to be even more of a shellacca than it probably was, then you're going, wow, right? But on another day, they'd have scored more Spain is what I'm trying to say.

16:47Jim Campbell: And the offside goal, you know, if the rule I wish they would bring in stood, that would have counted. but I know I can't rewrite the rules but it was very close all the same though it was marginally offside it was a really brilliant move I think one of the moves you're talking about is the one between Danny Almo and you mean Lamar in the first half that led to a Fabian Ruiz shot which would have been one of the goals of the tournament they wanted back up half the pitch and they just exploded people talk about them being boring they're absolutely not they can slice you open in moments and Rodri as well looked absolutely colossal yesterday

17:21Luke Moore: Rodri was he looked like the Rodri of when he won the Ballon d 'Or which is which bodes very, very well for Spain. Well, like we said, France couldn't get near the ball in midfield. They couldn't. I mean, it was incredible. Rabiot was taken off at half-time for Kone. He was poor. He was very enthusiastic about a second yellow, wasn't he? Yeah, he kept... I think that's part of the reason he was taken off. But you know what? It's funny, though. I mean, Andy Brassel has been talking about the potential weaknesses in this Spain side. He highlighted Lucadinha at a left back and said, you know, maybe there's something there.

17:51Luke Moore: And also the midfield. We always talk, you know, you look at the centre-halves, very good centre-halves, for a good goalkeeper, it's a wonderful front line, but Rabiot in midfield and so on, they're not bad players for crying out loud, they're in there on merit, but if you're coming up against very good opposition, as Spain obviously are and massively proved to be, those are the areas where you thought, right, surely, and that's where Spain really went at them, and they got a lot of joy, but I just couldn't believe how blunt France were. If you'd have sat somebody down who's not into football, they hadn't been watching the World Cup and gone, right, this France side, everyone fancies them for it.

18:24Luke Moore: They've been the best team in the tournament. They'd have been like, I'm sorry, are these lookalikes who are playing? Imagine if they were lookalikes. That would be mad. It would be strange. Yeah, very strange. But it might explain a few things. But going back to Deschamps, he'll finish potentially with a bronze medal at this World Cup, which will be seen as a big disappointment, particularly how they've applied themselves in this tournament. But when the going got tough against Spain, just zero answers. like again just how flat and blunt they were he complained a lot about the refereeing after the game I'm sure he did but the lack of urgency there was 10 minutes to go and Spain were knocking it around I understand it's difficult to get the ball off them but I was sitting there going guys you're acting as if it's 1-0 extra time we'll see what we're going to do just nothing are they so used to being on top

19:16Jim Campbell: though that they're patient in these situations and it's sort of kind of a habit that's kind of

19:21Luke Moore: gone against them. Well, I think that's it, Jimmy. You look at every side they've played so far in this tournament, other than, and I mentioned this yesterday, other than the first half of the Senegal game in their opening game, no one's had a go, really. And there's a little bit of disappointment around the Morocco performance when they just didn't try to go. Yeah, and I think, and I get that, when you say, have a go, you know, that's often one of the most stupidest things you can say because it's kind of like, we're trying, but they're bloody good and if we push up, there's space in behind. But Morocco were very disappointing.

19:47Luke Moore: I know that France are a better side than them, oh, we're going to sit in here. They didn't offer anything. And I just felt in midfield, they could have, with the players that Morocco have, could have maybe done something. They had a key player out, they didn't know. Sure. But yeah, Spain were all over them. I mean, even the great Kylian Mbappe, you know, you could see it a couple of times. You thought, right, I'm going to try something. Completely nullified. Yeah, but I think also, if there's an element of him where he gets frustrated, because what I'd have done, all things being equal, you know, is I'd have probably dropped him deeper.

20:17Yes. And put Mateta up there. That's why, We're screaming at that. Because having said what I've just said about, you know, if they got beat four near, it would have been one of the biggest surprises in recent World Cup memory, which it would have been. From France's point of view, you might as well try something. You have to roll the dice. You have to. If you can just take 10, 15 minutes to go long and just offer something slightly different. I'm not saying Spain wouldn't have lapped it up and just dealt with it easily. They probably would have done, but you never know. And they've got other profile of strikers in the squad to try that.

20:46someone who can rough up the centre-backs a bit get a bit more physical because if you were going to argue something about Spain you'd say they're not the most physical side

20:56Jim Campbell: they're deceptively physical I think but we've seen other strikers I think Kane's very good at it Haaland's certainly very good at it I know they're much better compared to someone like Mateta but nonetheless in terms of physical profile Haaland does a lot of his best work by bullying people it's not just the fact that he's a brilliant finisher and really quick and a great movement he's tough as well and I wonder if they just lacked a little bit of physicality as well. And also, the big decision for France before the game, and we talked about it yesterday, is he going to go with Barcala or Douai?

21:26And we were like, oh, bloody hell, what an amazing kind of choice to have type thing. Both of them are terrible.

21:31Luke Moore: Both of them are terrible. And I also think that Jamal did a lot of underappreciated work for Porro. Like Porro was able to really shine because I think everyone was so worried about Jamal particularly Dini who had an absolute shocker he was not alive

21:47Jim Campbell: to Poro for his goal no exactly and so it just became and obviously after a while you know Deshaun makes the change and brings on Teo Hernandez but by that point I mean the ship has sailed

21:58Luke Moore: and Deshaun's ace card was Cherokee and Spain would have known that and also in that midfield it was just nullified and it's also because it's just like for like it was all like for like and that's what I mean tell me what these playmakers can do without the ball nothing and that's the thing though that is why the collective was so much better than the individual talent because not that obviously Spain have a lot of individual talent but again with Mbappe and Alisa and so on the way they've been playing it's been a little bit Harlem Globetrotty at times and it's kind of like you guys just do your thing and we'll be behind you and you know whereas in previous World Cups who have they had up top to do a lot of that kind of teamwork?

22:35Luke Moore: Olivier Giroud. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? And so actually you know you could argue that they're a more cohesive unit because I know it sounds ludicrous obviously Mbappe's a better player you scored more goals but you're and you're you know we're reviewing a game that they've been beaten well that's why you know you are sort of searching for well actually in hindsight what would have been better what would have been this that and that I don't think playing Olivier Giroud in his current form now would have been better we've got him in the studio now anyway he's ours now but but with Mbappe I think that that kind of essentially sort of like free role he has I think against smaller sides or against sides that are just going to sit and defend, that's all very well.

23:16Luke Moore: But evidently, against the Spanish side, it wasn't. But we mentioned Pedro Porro there. The composure that man showed, he's thrown goal. The move to get him in there was delightful. And I tell you what, that finish, like... He came into this World Cup having never scored for Spain. Mad. Amazing effort. And Daniel Elmore got absolutely cleaned out as well. Yeah, he did. I know it sounds like obviously he would have been favourite to score rather than the Kiva save it. but I it's such a confident finish it really was he finished like Kane or Haaland he felt to me

23:48Jim Campbell: more like a sort of old school 4-4-2 winger that will bag you 15 goals a season which I think in a previous life he might have been maybe I think also it was just it all went wrong for France from the start really there was an early exchange where Elisa really left one on Rodri it was a nasty one

24:04Luke Moore: could have been a book and it wasn't looked at which I thought was interesting because I thought okay he's going to let a lot of go this referee is he because that to me in replay, I know it can be dangerous looking at replays in slow-mo, but it was a nasty studs up on the ankle challenge. It could have really hurt Rodri. And I just felt like from then, okay, the instinct I had at that exact moment was, are they rattled? Are France rattled? I mean, Michael Alisse's doing that. Are they rattled, you know? And I think what it came down to is exactly what you guys were saying yesterday, basically, which is you can have Alisse, who's had a magnificent tournament.

24:38He's one of the best playmakers in the world. He's been brilliant, despite having not scored a goal. he has been really good overall. If you can't feed him with the ball, if you're Rabiot and Choumeni, Choumeni appreciates coming back from injury and he was a decision to be made over Kone. If you can't win that ball back and feed those players, they might as well not be there because I'll tell you something now, right, Mbappe's not going to defend for you. Well, this is my point. And Barcola and Dembele aren't the best at it either. No, exactly.

25:02Luke Moore: And that's where the collective is. And that's what, you know, you mentioned about Jamal helping out Porro and on the other side as well. That they doubled out. I also think... They were doubling up on the wings. Sorry, Craig, but just to make that point as well on the other side of the thing, I think with Jamal, Jamal's a magnificent young player, 19 years old, world at his feet, brilliant player, we know that. But if you were going to be ultra-critical about him, I would say there's two criticisms you can level at him. One is he's not very physical, which you'd understand because he's young.

25:29He can get bullied around. And secondly, he's quite naive in some of his defending. When he works back, it's great to see him do it and he does it in a way that, say, Mbappe or some of these great players from down to his name I've never really done but he does make quite shit decisions and he does give away you saw it actually late on he's playing for

25:45Luke Moore: Hansi Flick's Barcelona they defend on the halfway line and he's not ready do you not remember in the last five minutes or so he gives away a really needless free kick on Mbappe right outside the area yes I did see that which comes to nothing and it comes to nothing which is fine but if Mbappe scores that which he's very capable of doing you've got a handful of minutes left it's 2-1 that's the last thing you want a player to be doing so my point just being if you're Dignes who's 30 odd and you've got a load of experience. Of course, it's easier said than done. But I don't think you can, I don't think it's too much to ask for you to stick one on him and make it difficult for him, make it physical, make it hard for him, make him make decisions he doesn't want to make.

26:22And maybe it's impossible because he's too good. But as Jim's already said, he's not been that good this tournament.

26:27Luke Moore: I think the threat of him though,

26:28Jim Campbell: and the speed of him as well. But I think the danger of the player as quick as Jamal, who's very lithe and very tricksy as well, is that if you get that slightly wrong, you might absolutely clatter him and off you go. Yeah, but I mean Digno didn't exactly shower himself at glory anyway. Well, exactly. Do you know what I mean? So I do understand why he's not risking sticking one on him made up with a 10-match ban. Not with his officials. Speak to Trump. You never know.

26:54Luke Moore: You never know. But I just think if you're going to be embarrassed by a 19-year-old and give away a penalty and get dragged, you know, you might as well fucking stick one on him. That's what I'm saying. You might as well get something out of it. I thought it was a great game for goalkeeper headers. It was? Yes. I thought Simon was so there was one moment Simon where he he got a bit of a mix up with it might have been the Oya Tharbel actually set piece other than that he was magnificent he was the proper sweeper keeper brilliant because I did wonder how Spain will deal with that threat in behind and Simon was playing so hard like the way he came out a couple of times

27:22Jim Campbell: yeah it was very smart I think towards the end of the game as well you mentioned Dway having that shot that was straight into Simon's like stomach effectively I feel like even when Mbappe had that free kick late on I think their heads had gone a bit they were rushing everything they had no composure they had no conviction about that freaking totally rattled

27:42Luke Moore: you know rarely do you see something like that but they were rattled very much and Spain didn't even need a goal from Mikel Marina when he came on no exactly that's how good it was

27:50Jim Campbell: well I think it's you know it has to be to take the lead doesn't it or to equalise it and they had loads of options off the bench Spain Nico Williams came on he's probably going to maybe he's going to play a bit more in the final but he's a sensational player Pedri to come on I mean come on Pedri coming on with Marino. Yeah, Marino who always... He's just taking a piss at that point. Yeah, but the profile of the players they brought on, you know, is, you know, Nico Williams, who we know all about. Pedri has just said. Ferran Torres, who's top quality. You know, Mikel Marino, who can just nab you a goal if you need one whenever he wants.

28:22And Marcus Llorente to confuse everyone with his opinion. Every single box is ticked, you know.

28:29Jim Campbell: Ferran Torres is looking very sexy. He looks amazing. He looks amazing. He's Mills and Boone stuff. He is very much so, yeah. Sexy. Very much so. You could see him on the cover of a Mills and Boom with his top off on a horse. Riding a horse, yeah, absolutely. Well, my husband's away and there's a new stable boy.

28:47Luke Moore: Stable in London. Now, mentioning Mikel Marine, obviously he was somewhat involved in the chat when we were talking about Roberto Martinez's belief in numerology. Martinez believed that number six would be lucky for Portugal, before they were eliminated by the Spanish number six, Mikel Moreno, in the sixth minute of him being on the pitch on the 6th of July. Well, Lamin-Yemal turned 19 on the 13th of July, wears number 19, and the final is set to be played on the 19th of July. When asked if he believed in numerology, he denied it. Yeah, I think Martina saying that

29:26Jim Campbell: is an immediate sackable offence. There should be a no-woo-woo bullshit clause in all contracts. Just any contract anywhere, I think. this is just basically a way for stupid people to think they're clever isn't it let's be honest

29:41Luke Moore: moving on from that Jim one of your predictions came in Timothee Chalamet yeah little Timmy was seen in the crowd although I thought the spirit of biggest celebrity spotted was we then have a chat who was the biggest celebrity but he's now in the game but you're in the you're at the yeah you've turned up to the party which is why I went for the rock because I thought I would argue that he's bigger than the world no he's saving himself for the final he's big time he's saving himself for the bronze match yeah he's at Miami Garden he's been there the whole time I think Jim I thought it was a great shout at the start and it's proven to be I thought yeah I was really pleased for you when you went for Timothee Chalamet I thought that is nailed on I was really pleased for you Jim I was playing to percentages there

30:17Jim Campbell: he took a while to turn up I heard reports he was at the Portugal v Colombia game but I've not managed to actually find any footage of that I look forward to when we do the predictions at the end and decide which is the biggest celebrity talking about Tom Cruise's box office takings back over to you Marcus I think you should be safe

30:31Luke Moore: with that one unless Big Dwayne turns up even then yeah but you're not fucking dealing with Cruz that's an argument I really really want Duane to give me so turn up you big bastard right let's go for a break

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31:5833 days, 33 episodes, no off switch. From the goals and the glory to the politics and the problems of the World Cup, if you want soccer analysis from a podcast that's been over analysing the game for more than 20 years, then this is it. Join me, Max Rushton, and our expert team of soccer journalists every day of the tournament. Can England end 60 years of hurt, or will this be another year of falling just short? Probably. World Cup Daily, listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch full episodes on YouTube.

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33:31If you're going to lose, you could say the players need to be more aroused than they were.

33:36Luke Moore: Welcome back to the Football Ramble, everybody. Now, of course, England are playing Argentina tonight at 8pm. We went live on our YouTube channel earlier today to preview the match. So make sure you check that out. It's also available to listen to wherever you get your podcasts. So go and find it. We haven't forgotten that game, funnily enough. We've given it its own little special section. Exactly. A little special show. As we do. As we do. Right. Let's talk about FIFA. They, I can't, I was gobsmacked when I heard this news. They've extended the halftime break for the World Cup final to 30 minutes.

34:11Jim Campbell: They were always going to do this because they planned a halftime show. Correct. We know they need to build the stage and then have the performance and then take the stage down. Why are they only announcing it now? They drip it in, don't they? Yeah, they do. Exactly. They've made so many decisions that they know everyone is going to hate. And you're exactly like, right, they drip feed it. Would you like an iFab take on this? Yes. I'll give it to you now. Law 7, the duration of the match. Law 7.2, halftime interval. Players are entitled to an interval at halftime not exceeding 15 minutes. Competition rules state the duration of the halftime interval may not be altered unless Chris Martin has curated an entertaining halftime show, in which case you can do whatever you want.

35:00Got you on the old Martin clause. Yeah, so Chris Martin, don't worry, guys, we're in safe hands because Chris Martin is sorting it out.

35:08Jim Campbell: So, I mean, this is obviously going to have quite a big effect on the players. I know that they do... Don't tell them. Yeah, maybe just don't tell them. Yeah, don't tell them. I know in American football, for the Super Bowl halftime show, it's a similar thing, isn't it? And the breaks aren't normally as long as that, but that's a very different game with a lot more stopping and starting it naturally. So in terms of like warming down and stuff, this is going to be a really new thing for the players and they can't really warm up on the pitch while Madonna's there. I don't think that. What are they going to do?

35:35Also, I really disagree with the fact that they're going to be back in Singapore. I think that's wrong. I don't think the players should be doing that. No. It's not what they're there for. I think it's wrong that when you go in for a half-time break, underneath your peg in the dressing room is a tux laid out for you. You've got to put it on and you've got to go out there and do a Michael Boo play for half an hour.

35:52Jim Campbell: What if Harry Kane's voice has gone again?

35:54Luke Moore: Exactly. There's much more chance of it. Yeah, that's terrifying. That is terrifying. Well, the half-time show is expected to be 11 minutes long, not including the construction and deconstruction of the stage. See, the 11 minutes,

36:04Jim Campbell: I trust Chris Martin and all the performers involved, they're professionals, to hit that bang on 11 minutes. How long, in terms of the Lego of putting up a stage and then bringing it down again. I've got no idea.

36:15Luke Moore: What was that story that Andy used to love to tell about Iron Robin? Yeah, he was helping. He was helping. Anastasia? Wasn't it beyond, wasn't it beyond, was it Melbourne Anastasia? Whoever it was. Aaron Robin, something like Aaron Robin got so fed up with a half-time show in the Champions League final. Was it Champions League final? That he ended up helping to deconstruct the stage. Yeah, he basically was walking on going, come on, hurry up. I don't know who the performer was. Could do with Anastasia. I can't remember who it was. I hope he's there again. it must have been Champions League final there's no other Aaron Robert didn't deal with any of these kind of lesser European finals did he no but I'm saying that there's no other you know it's not like it's just a hey it's the round of 14 on the Bundesliga it's half time show time I don't think it was that I don't think it was that yeah so are you you're looking forward to the half time show Jim I

36:58Jim Campbell: it's what the World Cup final is all about oddly yes in that it's going to be a spectacle I've not seen before depends if England are in it or not you know it's going to be like pressing a bruise do you know what I mean I was like oh it's pain but I do like it bit of insight we didn't ask we neither wanted nor asked for Jim you should have said a not if you're getting a deep tissue alright well you know to each their own my dungeon do you want to like it

37:22Luke Moore: that is true

37:24Jim Campbell: Chris Martin in your dungeon he's way too vanilla for that exactly the thing that concerns me about this more than anything else is having watched Coldplay's performance at the most recent Glastonbury Festival just how boring the whole thing's going to be are they playing or are they curating are they there to sniff out people having affairs though they've got a little sideline they might have they might be yeah but I'm quite interested in seeing

37:48Luke Moore: it's visibly easier I'm quite interested imagine if it cuts a Gianni and Fantino that'd be so funny that'd be so good anyway look with Melania now you're talking that would be what a scandal of that. It'd be a world war.

38:08Jim Campbell: Which we knew. You'd just never see Johnny and Pettino again. They probably do. I mean, that's the next step.

38:13Luke Moore: He goes back to FIFA house, presses a button, the roof opens. Mr. Burns. Mr. Burns vibes. Yeah, I mean, the whole thing is crazy. But I was kind of on the, yeah, I could understand how that if you're going to have the World Cup final in the US, part of the kind of sports, entertainment, crossover culture there is to do this kind of stuff. so I'm not necessarily against it per se

38:38Jim Campbell: one song by one artist yeah or you just make the closing ceremony into an equivalent thing that is massive and is long and has all these stars you've got to prioritise the player anyone who's seen the Prince half time show at the Super Bowl

38:52Luke Moore: will tell you that it can be absolutely magnificent okay so with that in mind there will be a closing ceremony that will take place 90 minutes before kick off and some of the performers in the ceremony will include Tom Cruise yes Robbie Williams we know he's you know he's always he's always there with his Adidas tracksuit on and and I show speed yeah he's very much the prince of our generation I show speed I should say

39:13Jim Campbell: I mean yeah the speed thing with Messi when he was trying to put him off the penalty I mean it was just it was so so undignified and particularly because I understand that he's this kind of class clown figure and a lot of people like him and he's valuable to FIFA because he's a he's an influencer who's American who loves football and they want that but it was it's just such like it's just so rubbish and I appreciate as well that lots of people try and put players off but that's dickhead behaviour and this is a guy who's endorsed by FIFA and I just think it just looks terrible on them FIFA have got absolutely no business being anything to do with that is it worse than when Salt Bay had his hands on the World Cup four years ago it's similar to that actually I would argue it's the same sort of thing isn't it it's an intrusion certainly the same sort of thing yeah I forgot about Salt Bay

40:00Luke Moore: bloody hell we're done aren't we yeah we're just done as a species. Do you know what? If England win the World Cup, Salt Bay turns up, Tuchel's giving him a right hook. Yeah. That'd be brilliant. That'd be so good. I don't even know who he is. I don't like that guy. Give that German a knight hook. On the Robbie Williams part of it, my instinct when I hear Robbie Williams is always part of this stuff, I always think, he's doing really well to be still involved in this stuff. And then I read that he is the act with the most UK number one albums of anyone. Yes, he is. More than the Beatles. Surpassing the Beatles.

40:36He's had 16 number one albums.

40:37Jim Campbell: Yeah, he has. It's quite something. I've got no problem with him. I've got no problem with him. He's got 16 albums. 16 number one albums. Does that include Take That? It must do. It must do. I don't know. I don't know. 16 seems a lot, doesn't it? He's more justified being in an iShowSpeed. I completely agree with that. I'm very excited as to what Tom Cruise is going to be doing. Because as we know, Tom Cruise is basically superhuman and can do anything. He'd be repelling down, won't he? Yeah, exactly. It's going to be something. It's going to be some kind of repelling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Something like that.

41:02I'll certainly be repelled.

41:04Luke Moore: Well, indeed. One man who won't be involved in the final is Erling Haaland. He arrived back in Norway the other day. He's been great value at this World Cup. I think he's been brilliant. I think the world has really taken to him in a... He's not someone who's been created by Chris Martin. I wouldn't have thought so. Yeah. But he's... He's so funny, isn't he? Because Erling Haaland, even though he becomes, across, slightly odd at times, it's quite enjoyable, I think. Yeah, he's endearing. He's a lot of personality. was you compare that to his dad who the dad the dad as Roy Keane would call it yeah the dad the dad and he also said made a comment about the drinking and the dad's on a drink so he's obviously looking at the game differently

41:37Jim Campbell: it's so good it's so so good vintage Keane like proper shot across the bow yeah but like

41:44Luke Moore: but Alfie doesn't I don't think he comes across that well no he comes across like an absolute prick there we go yeah so that's what I mean it's funny isn't it because I don't think Erling Haaland does come across like that I thought he was very gracious in defeat yeah I agree and what he said about bailing them I know they're mates but I thought it was very good and he didn't have to say all that kind of stuff but did you see though that when he arrived back in Norway he had a taxidermied raccoon holding a whiskey bottle tucked under his arm and then on his Snapchat he displayed other similar taxidermied animals including a squirrel drinking a can of Budweiser what is this taxidermist?

42:14Jim Campbell: I don't know yeah sorry no you can have a squirrel but that will be drinking as well all of the animals are drinking I think he could just probably order what everybody wants there used to be one down the Essex Road the big taxidermist shop Get stuffed. It's got a polar bear. Yes. For three grand. Three grand. And I just thought, has there ever been a Donaldson purchase? Yeah, I was going to say. Oh, yeah. It's by appointment, that shop as well. And I think the guy who owns it is a bit mad. Yeah, I think. So it's very Donaldson. Yeah. Really? But I think even in the context of someone who owns a taxidermist.

42:41Yeah.

42:42Jim Campbell: Right. Well, in that video with Harlan. The other taxidermist guy. Yeah, he's a loose cannon.

42:47Luke Moore: Yeah, yeah. Don't go anywhere. We'd never do a polar bear. Yeah. I thought it was a massive. Yeah. It's on its hind legs. I have to see this at some point last time I was in there which to be admitted was a long time ago you've been in there no I've passed it right I see got an appointment it had a price tag on it for three grand but you know on that Snapchat Harlan is introducing these different taxidermy animals going another geezer yeah that's weird another geezer he loves it he does he absolutely does he loves it oh dearie me right everybody we've come to the end of the show thank you very much for listening to the Football Ramble part of the ACAR's created network friends of the Ramble don't go anywhere keep listening for Ramble Uncut.

43:24Luke Moore: We'll be back tomorrow, of course, to review that game between England and Argentina, but the preview of that game is available now, so go and have a listen or have a watch if you're YouTube inclined. Thank you, Luke Moore. Thank you very much. Thank you, Jim Campbell. Thank you. And thank you, Erling Hunt.

43:44Right, Marcus, press the do it jingle. Don't say anything, just press it. Jim knows. Do it! Who is it?

43:49Jim Campbell: That's Ian Holloway, isn't it? We all thought it was Pete. No, you and David thought it was Pete. I can't believe for all this time you thought that was Pete. It sounds like it's from a Street Fighter sequel. Do you know what I mean? Ian Holloway wins. Perfect. The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

44:1333 days, 33 episodes, no off switch. From the goals and the glory to the politics and the problems of the World Cup, if you want soccer analysis from a podcast that's been overanalyzing the game for more than 20 years, then this is it. Join me, Max Rushton, and our expert team of soccer journalists every day of the tournament. Can England end 60 years of hurt? Or will this be another year of falling just short? Probably. World Cup Daily, listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch full episodes on YouTube. Take this as your sign to go. Just get out there and go. This summer at Best Western, get 1 ,000 bonus points and a chance to win 250 ,000 bonus points.

44:51Life's a trip. Make the most of it at bestwestern.com. No additional purchase necessary for sweeps. See bonus points, TNCs, and sweeps rules for details.