World Cup 2026 Preview

Pibisi podcasten on suurin suurin edes. Mikä ihan lause? Saa hengähtää ja unachtaa heskeksi huolet ja hommat. Sillä mielivirkistyö ja sydärkevene ja kuuleja maukkaimat tutut. Tai saa vain hetken olla ja nauttia. Arkea ikää kaikki ja se on hyvä niin. Elavena täyttä elä. 1226. Mitä on Katman? Vemme on BBC-sounds. Mä oon kyl, että ei ole kyl. jocom blivin pel Dudeo L Airaurassa posiitisettäliselle niin että dalla odotgl away meidän kokonala-ituskalaisin Countersluvoa poivittaminen query ja hämpäästäristi. Varkaisetミー porta oot sen k time on tällainen seroma valmiereista on seuraava, että jocom blivin peltaa, jota on tullut hienoa, että he ovat näkään näkään, ja tämän ja kohonan ja kohonan, että he ovat näkään näkään näkään. Tämä on kohonan ja tämän ja kohonan. Tämä on, että he ovat näkään näkään näkään. Oniran, joten hei, koska se on seuraavasti, että teikäin luoksiin, että Nantalia, että tämä on täällä. Se on se, että me olemme yksin näkökön, - että me olemme varttuu Fedot, - ja me olemme, että me olemme järjestelmää, - että me olemme järjestelmää, - että me olemme järjestelmää, että me olemme järjestelmää, - ja me olemme järjestelmää, että me olemme järjestelmää, - että me olemme järjestelmää, että me olemme järjestelmää, - ja me olemme järjestelmää, ja me olemme järjestelmää, - ja me olemme järjestelmää, järjestelmää, - ja me olemme järjestelmää, ja me olemme järjestelmää, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehty, - että seuraavaksi tehty, että seuraavaksi tehty, - ja me olemme järjestelmää, ja me olemme järjestelmää, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä. - Ja sitten, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - ja seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - ja seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - koska seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - ja seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - ja seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - ja seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - John? Onko se, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - mutta seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - että seuraavaksi tehtyä, että seuraavaksi tehtyä, - he had hung his hat, Johnny Infantino, on this being a very inclusive world cup. And, you know, we are in the situation where we are. But as he said at the outset, before he started taking questions today, he said, again, repeating his claim that this is the biggest event in the history of mankind. He said, you can't organize it in an absolutely perfect way. We are confronted with challenges. We would rather not be, sometimes we can solve them, sometimes we can't. That's that. Okay. So he's done a run and he's done visas. Now we're on to ticket pricing. Let me say one thing as well at the outset. Let me congratulate Mayor Mamdani from New York. I have to congratulate him because he put on sale a thousand tickets at $50, a couple of months ago. Since then he gets fantastic news. We put on sale a hundred thirty thousand tickets at $60. And we don't get great news. Probably has better communication people than us or probably he's better than me. I don't know. But I want to congratulate him, of course, for that and for that initiative as well. And to reiterate that the starting price is at $60. The market is here, what it is, that if you sell it at the lower price point, and again, this has been part of intense and extensive analysis in this particular market, it would have gone, which is perfectly legal in this country in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices. And where would the money go then? Well, to those who organize secondary market or black market activities and not to football. So every dollar that comes in goes back into the development of football. We have one competition, every four years, the generates revenues. The 47 other months out of the 48 of four years, we are investing this revenue in the growth of the game. Nobody else is doing that. Nobody. Nobody. This allows us to maintain as well 3 TV. I said we could put everything on pay. We would generate 30 billion revenues, probably. But then you have billions of people in the world who would not be able to watch the World Cup. So the soul and the heart is the fence in the stadiums, it's the fence in the fence zones, it's the fence at home. It's every football fan. We want to bring the World Cup to every football fan. And this is what this price structure is, this is what dynamic pricing is. As well, we had the club World Cup. Last year, the prices of some matches went up, others went down in this situation. They could have gone down as well. They didn't really go down. This shows that maybe the price point was the right one. As FIFA president, I have the statutory responsibility to generate the income which allows FIFA to invest in all of these countries, where otherwise nobody would invest. I mean, again, John, I have no idea where to begin with that. So dynamic ticket pricing means that the World Cup isn't behind a paywall and it allows-- And it makes sure tickets are on the black market. And he's comparing it as well to ticket prices for other sporting events. And indeed, the entertainment event in America and his point he's saying there that the prices he referred to, the lowest entry price is $60 for tickets, the average price for tickets for this World Cup is $500. And we know it is a very small proportion of the tickets that are available for $60. But also, isn't there a problem that the $60 may have only gone on sale after people had spent more on tickets? There is that. But it's a strong argument. I've heard it before from him. You know, he underlines the fact that all he says, every dollar we generate goes back into football and is distributed around there. I think it's 211 member nations of FIFA. But what we don't know yet is, and what was rather frustrating listening to it is that really, he never addressed the issue of, you know, if you like the common man and woman in the street not being able to afford to get into these matches. And we are really saying it here in Mexico City, the people we talk to here, you know, clearly are not on the breadline, but they're saying we cannot afford tickets to get into the stadiums in Mexico. So as we've experienced before, I'm sure you'll have been to Mexico matches and seen the Mexico fans on the march in countries, far-flung countries, you know, in Russia, they were there in huge numbers and getting into matches to watch Mexico all around the world. They can't afford to buy tickets to watch Mexico in their own country. And that included some of the guests that you had on on Monday night show after the Monday night show. And you or Steve asked those guests, you know, are you going to end and came in and they said, well, no, we can't afford to. Yeah. And what we don't know yet, so we've heard Johnny Infantino make the point that he has, what we don't know is how will this pricing affect the experience of being inside a World Cup stadium watching a World Cup match? Because it has to be that the what would normally have been like the Champions League final a couple of weeks ago where you've got two stands full of supporters of the two teams. Even though I know people will feel there should be more tickets for supporters for those matches, which is very valid. For these World Cup matches, are we going to see an atmosphere that is totally unlike what we've experienced and the passion and you know, the further that you get from World Cup matches that we've been to in the past? Well, I will go see half empty stadium. And well, that's another point. Yeah. And you know, he's saying that there are six and a half million tickets have been sold so far for the stadiums. I'm not sure any of the USA venues have a capacity under 55,000 maybe? No, that's right. He says this World Cup will be watched by six billion people around the world, but they do not want you know, stadiums that will and then the the thing is that if they are full, that will in some way justify the pricing, won't it? John Murray with us, let's talk Scotland next, how confident are you? Oh, I'm feeling confident, just now. I think that's, aren't we all? I feel if you're not confident, cut the days ahead of it then with no chance. But yeah, I'm feeling good. I feel good. I think the squad's great. I think we've got great staff there. I saw a photo the other day, to Scottish National and Postard and you see the staff and the players and I just think we've got some serious resources there. We've and a lot of good people and I'm really excited to see us get going. And actually, maybe we as a media don't look at the resources and the backroom enough. We just tend to focus on players and squad, but you're actually looking at those personnel that have been put in place there. Yeah, there's loads of the the backroom staff as well that I know personally and I think you know, we're quite a small nation and we know we've not been at this tournament in the men's games have very, very long time and I think we have this thing about us culturally that we stick together. You know, whatever sport we're playing, we always have that great support of one another and I think just knowing so much of the environment, you know, the time you spend on the pitch is not that much. Especially as you get closer to the game, you know, even your training times get condensed and condensed and it's much more about the whole environment, the whole experience. You spend more time preparing on the other small things. What you're eating, just, you know, getting an escape from the hotel, getting to do little fun tasks, whether it's with your own media or external media or some people don't love the media, some people rather do, you know, the little games rooms and things like that. It's a whole experience that affects what you then do on the pitch and when I just see the pictures, I can just tell that we have this collective energy about us and I think that the first game being Haiti being the team that's the lowest ranked in our group comes with enormous pressure. A lot of people are looking at that and going, that's the game, we're going to win, that's the game we have to win, we have to win it. I think the first game comes with huge anticipation, you know, that feeling in November when we qualified, it was at ham, then it was honestly unbelievable. One of the best games I've ever been in the stands at, just the feeling was remarkable. Then you wait from November to get to this first game against Haiti, the anticipation and relief and all those feelings will be a lot. That's really hard to contain. We were discussing this here the night about whether, where we Chris, about whether, whether the order, the order is a good order to be playing Haiti first. I think it's hard, I think it's really hard. You're doing that reverse I call it the onion. I can't remember what you said, what did you say Chris? It's okay if you win, isn't it? It doesn't matter which, what the order is. I mean, you know, the players would have enjoyed the build up, the staff would have enjoyed all the build up, of course, but now they can't wait to get on with it and the pressure is all on the first game because we know what'll happen if Scotland don't win, then everybody will write them off and everybody's expecting Scotland to win. Haiti are thereby right and certain set the other night, they've got some capable players. I'm not saying everybody is thinking it's going to be easy, but that then puts pressure on the Scotland players to perform and they've had a good little, a couple of good warm-up games scored plenty of goals, so there is a feel, good factor, but you know, Steve Clark knows that this is the be all an end all and people can talk about Morocco and Brazil, but it's about getting the job done and then if they do that, then brilliant. ٩w i ou souffidd Wyr gwneud captain pan y hwnw i gwy ανogi'm pupilau tanne Double Trichtys yn yn ardal Beth Ontausto. Wrth deg i 's yna sut neu figns wo魔 Gift mynd o bryd قdeg ff better confusingedd dynyawn Withsiaol. a, byddai, Ess sixth yna mae 'cwyffs Goofwfff bwysio Cyfrph 얼마 Y CSR ondau ef tail UKrd Beltrwy infaod yw. Mae'r ddan cadwaeth gyfer Wf本当 yw'r Rhely Roedd gwneud gwiaithol iawn, incredibly llawyn spread er c mandraeth gwrdd ddondosecac a'n gwyllol gwneud â'r hwnw i fواam asking w هald wymaethür i ff lavoro. "Ym archisol awwbwys y bot sy'n fath da caird ar ymodd o fel That It's anойти Mae fer excitend湾 Match that happens with Johnigan'd— "y mawn Sect Dun fan, Hunter passof Hello_Claif— or Schotland Dyl W badly an抱aeill myydat d hyd yr i gen gerethio gwla Cabinet structuralis uff 성공, grow lid 13, wnawy ydy'n primys {beth ddim y cymd newydd yn fel pan y All jusqunu'n gwybod yn uffoddrumch eto Starfnwch ond y fra Halloween} Yn tenwn対'n y G employees, o liberal ac wynid euällos yn enghazd byddum yn gydwar wedi fy dos i chi wna employed damn. Mae drumch ar i'r cyfer from isning a'r rather thwafwyl ynを ynno ni josや yw perren o ni hwn y Montana. Ond'r codd automatic. Ond prardio mae atod Edith downdiusti'r oedd cafodio â adding yn ei hynlleddig. Mae ensuring yn y gynaw doedd hads hwnnw i hwnnw i enghor ddyskawer o mae'r reuth搵ald Riar aebau'r hofodaethu cynni sa o'r ey ystwaer a cy отвciong estimated hon. Alastod 4 wrnt rharaith o bargu fe esses oedir eu hun go ط் Investonaidoen. Mae'r oedd am yma i'r wyfodaethu cynni'n yw yna gwyllfa i'r hynny. Ond yma oedd yn ymwch yn ymwch yn ymwch yn ymwch yn gwyllfa. Mae'r oedd amddeus yn ei gwyllfa. Mae'r oedd amddeus yn ei gwyllfa i'r oedd amddeus yn ei gwyllfa. Ond yn ffyrnau, ac mae'r oedd amddeus yn ei gwyllfa. two and a half years I've been there now and I think I've had three games that have paused because of the weather. There's been a couple of delays. The first one I had, I remember it was at Red Bull and it was like an hour and 20 minutes delay and I think we had 22,000 in the ground and then we kicked off for the second half. There was about 4,000 left. Yeah, so it can be a common thing but not as common as you would be made think I suppose. What do you, what protocols do you put in place for a delay and what do you, and kind of I'm sort of thinking do you allow your players to go on their phones for example during the rain delay? To be honest when it first happened as Red Bull, yeah I did, you know he's now within 20 minutes so and you get a time to go and re-warm up and before the game starts again so you know a half an hour before it starts again right phones away start getting focused in and get ready for the game. Because I was talking to the FA about this stuff, just when we were talking about England's preparations when I was with them for something and the phones thing I think is kind of quite a big thing because I don't know, say an hour into a game and then you have this weather delay. Do you really want your players looking at what people may be saying about them on social media? It's so hard because I think those that are a little bit old school would want to be on the phone because you want to try and stay focused but the generation now everything is on the phone so it's like how do you get the players to be able to relax in their moments at the can but then like what Dean said as soon as that 30 minutes when you're going to warm up it's like how do you refocus so I think I would be very much against having the phones because now social media you could actually check on what your performances like people will probably look at what they've done and what people are saying and you don't really want that interference but I think you just can't stop it so I think the more you try and stop someone doing it the more probably likely they want to try and do it. I think you've just considered that makes you officially old school. I was very old school I think that's when I knew that my time was up that when I was really annoying as that people were checking the phones at half time and I used to just turn mine off but yeah for sure I'll put myself in that bracket. I think what's interesting because I did play in the States for a long time. I actually think they had a slightly different sort of culture to that. It wasn't such a I found there there were a lot more relaxed over sort of phone use and the change rooms like we had some girls that when we would get a delay like the way they would pass the time is they would do like dance routines and things and I initially I imagine they had done this even what they could do so they're similar. I hope so. I've tried to prompt them so well I'll wait the footage but just I think you've got to understand that these things can go on for a while so you kind of need to have almost a switch off. Can you take your mind elsewhere because I've literally been involved with the game kicks off like four hours after it's supposed to so you can't stay dialed in a game mode for those four hours you'd be absolutely exhausted before even kicked the ball. So I think it's a good thing to do to say do you know what let's do what you need individually do what you need. Once we get the sort of firm time of we're going out to warm up in 20 minutes 30 minutes then it's a case of right let's go back to the standards we've set and I imagine that that is going to be a team by team scenario what they're allowed to do if there is delays. The Scotland camp dinner seems to be very happy with both the facility and being in Charlotte so sell Charlotte to us. It's quite easy actually it's a great city to be in quite a diverse city. I think that it's a big financial district now a lot of the big banks are leaving New York and going to Charlotte as well but yeah the weather's fantastic the golf course is a fantastic one the biggest reason I actually went there was the facilities at the training ground that's where you spend the most of your time you know we've got two main pitches that Scotland are using at the moment we've got three further grass pitches up the hill and you know everything there that Scotland need was is catered for so Clarky came in March I think the only thing you were worried about was in March the grass was yellow and those who've been in the men those who've been in America will know that the Bermuda grass lies dormant until the end of April when the sun gets at it and then he goes green again. Did the facilities surprise you when you went out there then? Yeah they did a little bit I wasn't sure what to see in terms of MLS facilities I'd been over to Minnesota we've asked them Villa before and trained at their training facilities before but Charlotte's were a step up from that a lot of the the college university facilities are unbelievable wherever you go college college life is massive in the States and you know so my son was at NC State and I saw the facilities that they had so I knew a new club coming into the MLS was going to have good facilities. When you were in camp what did you want from facilities? I think it was a bit different for us because we were probably allowed that little bit of freedom to go out into towns go to coffee shops because in terms of that public view when we were say in France in 2019 you probably weren't under the spotlight as much I can imagine it's changed a lot now but I think although to be fair Steve Clarker said it is close to the city centre and that will help the players relax and have things to do I felt our camp for Euro 2024 was a bit isolated. I think it is important that there's an option there for players I think the more options that you do have I think it gives that players the players the sense of that you're away for a long time in a tournament it can be the same it can be the same day it can be the same routine so I think having that option to even maybe meet your family for an hour at a coffee shop it just gives you that little bit of kind of normally what you would normally do at home but I think in general we were very lucky chapers in terms of we always had one of the best hotels we had a lot of space which is probably really important in terms of just getting out with your room and being able to mix and socialise and I think for me it was always about them social areas just to be able to meet up and chat and maybe talk about not talk about football for a bit and just to have there's always a games room there was always a room to watch Loveland for those that wanted to because the sum of tournaments were always over that so I think that that variety but that also them options really made it help as a player. It would be able to go into Charlotte and have a coffee Dean and not get too much as 30 men all dressed identically. It's a safe and walkable city and because it's on a hill they call it uptown rather than downtown but yeah I've already been texting John McGinn and he was amazed at the facilities and I've told him to keep off the scooters around town because they can be a bit dangerous. It's interesting because I've worked with quite a few of the Scottish boys and they've all been texting me and telling me I've got the facilities on and we had some games in the club World Cup by a unique and starting town, Real Madrid and starting town so a lot of clubs and countries before that in concert cafes as well have also played in Charlotte and starting Charlotte. How are you mentioning John McGinn? How proud of you of where he is at? Oh unbelievably well. I sort of do an interview with Danny mentioned all the managers that he's had at Aston Villaciant who's been there and how each one of them had helped him steeper us and help him become an Aston Villa player I out to become a Premier League player Steven Gerard out to become a leader and no nice took his game on to the next level. Just the way he talks about the game, you know when I remember he was never the best trainer he never used to like enjoy training but you always knew what he was going to get on a match day and I think because he's got quite a unique running style I think his qualities can sometimes get overlooked. Chris you when you actually look at the Scotland squad and he's following on from again, you know we always go into tournaments we talk about the leadership that squads have and have they got enough Lee, Scotland got a lot of leaders. Yeah I think they haven't and just you know just going back to you know what Dean was saying about John and his development when he was at Hibbs you know he was a good player but it was all about him getting to the next level and I think you know there was a lot of interest from Celtic, Celtic fans still talk about the fact that they didn't get that deal over the line and he went to Aston Villa and his game has developed and Dean has mentioned you know the managers who have helped improve him and his gate and you know the way that he gets his big backside in. He's a tremendous footballer and he's a really intelligent guy and you know you're talking about leadership. Yeah I think there are leaders, McTomin is taking his game to another level by you know going abroad to Italy to play a lot of Manchester United fans think well you know why did we end up letting him go but you know he was brave to do that. And there are like Ryan Christie, you've got Shanklin now, Shanklin's you know mature in years but you know he will bring great leadership to the groups. I think Scotland are in you know they're in a pretty good place you know going into the world cup, there'll be concerns over maybe the goalkeeping position or you know who are the two main centre halves going to be but all in all I think that Steve Clark and his team can feel quite good about themselves and yeah go in with good spirits. They do have a good mix don't they? We've got a great mix. I almost think actually about a place it's hard to actually put your best team down on paper I think we've got great depth and I think what Steve Clark has built by being consistent with a lot of things. lot of the players he's picked, which over the course of his tenure, people have been critical at times of it, sticking with the same group. But now we're at something like the World Cup. We've got significant players that can be leaders. We've got players that can play within shapes that allow us to play different formations, have slightly more bit more tactical now-singames. We can be more attacking. We can have the ability to counterattack well. We've got somebody like Ganondoke who can give us that electric pace. I think that's something that at the Euros I remember where we were speaking about. We just didn't have someone that, you know, maybe you could bring on that could just stretch the game that little bit. Now we do have that. We've got a couple of younger players now in his well in the squad, which I think in terms of just the mentality, the environment, I think that's great too. I think lots of mentioned Marga Andy Robertson and people like Kenny McLean, Kenny will probably come off the bench and play as little cameos, but he's a brilliant player to have in and around the group. You've got that quality bandy Robertson. You know, I forgot about him actually. I could I figure him in terms of leaderships of Scotland or in a good play. He just can't even play for. No, it's in there. Thought you'd know you've got that in there. Before we let you go, Dean, let me just turn it around to the American perspective. We have Mark Warburton on Monday night who's sporting director at Jacksonville now. And I'll ask you the sort of same question as him, which is what what would a successful World Cup for the American national team mean for you at club level? I realize Jacksonville at the level below Charlotte in the MLS. But what would it mean? I think if the if the national team are successful, it can be transitional for the whole game in the in the country. It's one of the most patriotic nations I've ever known. There's American flags all over the place and they just want to get behind their own. You know, so I remember 94 and you know, they played well. They went out against Italy, but we're really good on that day. And I think that gave everybody a lift in the whole country because of how they'd fared. I think now there, I mean, the MLS is 30 years old now. They feel that they've come on. I said before, I think they're the US. I've got to write their appointments. We've Maritio Parchitino, Emma Hayes. I think they've both been excellent so far, but they've got something to prove now for the whole nation. And is everybody ready for it? Or are they still just interested in the NBA finals at the moment? And then they'll come to it after that? Yeah, I mean, and that's the thing with football in the US. College sport is probably bigger than any professional sport. But I think because of the distance between all the cities, you only feel it within that city. I know that Charlotte speaking to people, I'm actually in Birmingham at the moment. I don't fly back to Wednesday. I know Charlotte is feeling it at the moment, even though they're not hosting, you know, but yeah, it will quickly start getting the buzz around the place. Lovely to see you, Dean. Thank you. See you. Good to talk to you, Deesmith, with us on five live sport current head coach of Charlotte FC. Well, that you mentioned Emma Hayes there. Did you see that the Brazil USA game? I had about 112 records in it. Didn't Brazil have eight red cards, or something? Yeah. What a clue to staff, yeah. Yeah, clue to staff. Yes. Clue to back. Yeah. Well, it's not going to that. There's the time of the footage was questionable. It's like me to move on. Yeah. We'll move on and talk about some of the other nations that we're going to talk about the European champions next Spain, who are in the same group as Catverde and Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. And the former Spain right back says that Aspa La Quetta is part of our team for the whole of the tournament and joins us now. Welcome to the team. Says how are you? I'm good. Good. Yeah. Very well. Very well. Thank you. What, what are, what are the concerns for Spain going into this? Are there any, is it simply the fitness of Luminium? And that's it. Well, to be fair, they come as a European champions. So confidence must be high in the camp. Workup is different, especially this one. More teams, more games, three different countries to play. So it will be different, but yeah, regarding fitness might be the one to be aware of the key players. They didn't play any hard. They don't have the rhythm of competition the last couple of weeks, but to be honest, they have a very strong spot. And given how long this tournament is, they can manage the fitness of Luminiumal early on, can't they? Yes, and they will. I guess in a tournament like this, a long one, it will start slowly, progressively in terms of minutes. So Luminium is a key player for the national team and they need him in the best shape possible to have more chances of winning the workup. What do you think the biggest challenges are for a player given, given how big this tournament is? Will it be travel? Will it be the fact that different games are going to be taking place in very different conditions? I mean, Spain have two games in Atlanta, which is a indoor stadium, isn't it? And the Mercedes Ben Stadium, I don't know if that's the roof open or not. But the Uruguay game is in Guadalajara, whether it's indoor or outdoor, Guadalajara is very different to Atlanta. Yeah, we have a little taste of how it would look the workup of national teams when we were last summer with the let's come at red plane, the club workup. And we played two games in Los Angeles, we played one in Seattle and the weather was very different. We had a problem and we didn't go through, but already in three games we felt it's a challenging one. Yeah, definitely and traveling, recovery time, more games, more teams. He's going to be a tricky one there for sure. What was Luis Delafuente like? I mean, you have been in a Luis Delafuente squad. So what kind of manager is he or coach is he for players? Well, I've been only once with him, but what I can see from the outside is someone who in terms of he was playing for the whole grants of the job teams in Spain. He was very successful. Then he when he caught the senior squad, he won the European Champions, the Nationals League once. They lost another final on penalties. So he's delivering results for Spain and some other year who keeps more or less the system very balanced for two, three, one or four, three, three in terms of players. He trusts his players and the way they play and they will they will keep doing the same system with the same players and also have maybe more variability in terms of the striker, but otherwise they have very similar profiles in every position. We we you surprised when he got the job given his pathway. No, because in Spain, it's quite used to have their coaches that they come through the job teams to move up when you see his success in the job teams. I was not surprised after this issue. Do you think I mean, Spain won the euros? Do you think this squad is better placed going into the world cup than before? They went into the euros. Hard to say because we know how difficult it is to win again. I think only Spain did it in 2008 and 12 with the euros and they had the workup win in 2010 in between. So that was very very hard to replicate. But if I see a team that can be able to replicate it will be this Spanish national team also the squad is bigger now they have 26 players. So to manage all these will be also a challenge. My biggest concern is the fitness of key players. If they start getting competition means they keep training with the team and they get the fitness up through the tournament, I see the team is stronger towards the last stages of the workup. Is the expectation at home that they will win? I don't know if to win but yes to compete for it. Yes, definitely. As opposed, given recent, the last 15, 20 years, the expectations they always have to compete now. Every time I've been there, the expectation was so soon. When you come behind this gracious squad, they don't have an expectation rather than win every tournament. So yeah, this summer is a very different. How much pressure did you feel then with that when you're following in those footsteps? You're massive pressure because when you see the players, my first workup was in Brazil and when they were coming from winning the two last euros, the workup in South Africa and we just lost the confeditions captain's Brazilian in 2013 was massive pressure and our first game did them. It started very well. We were one in Lapa again. Netherlands and we lost five one and since then we couldn't get back on track and we were out in the group stage which was a big disappointment for the country. But it started well by going one little up. Yeah, it was on the feet. She was enjoying, watching the first game, the work of Wani Lab everything was in there. He said, well, that's looking promising and then everything collapsed. Let me ask you about one of your other experiences which is working with Thomas Tukkel and I'm sure over the course of your working with us, over the next few weeks we'll talk a lot about Thomas Tukkel and his approach. What impressed you about working under him? A couple of things to be fair in terms of football. He arrived if I don't remember bad, it was like a day before of a game. I was playing Wolves at home and he made it very clear through the first session on the pitch in Cobham, the way he wanted us to play and in the team meetings we had, especially the first ones we had, he made it very clear and the team understood very well what he wanted. So that was the first impression and since then I think we started building the way he wanted to play at half time, the changes he could make. So the team grew in four months, incredible. I think it was hard to predict when first meeting we had and the way he explained us how he wanted to play. And then as a person was someone very close to the players, he was also after Covid times so the building was half empty and we enjoyed a lot of time together and it was his captain and we share a lot of thoughts and it was very close to myself and to the group of senior players so we built a very strong relationship. He seems in the couple of times that I've interviewed him or spoken to him. He's very honest and very open. Did you find that as a player for him? Yes, my connection was straightforward with him to be fair. I felt the confidence, I felt the power and I had some of my best games under him and I really enjoyed the style of play and I felt someone on the pitch and also off the pitch that there was helping a lot the team to get the results that we wanted. You would expect, we were just talking about them, about players and different roles and where they might fit in and you would expect every player already probably knows what's expected of them, certainly through this group stage, where they might play, where they might feature how many minutes they might get here, how many minutes they might get there, whether they might be a centre half or a right back. And I know that sounds obvious in some ways but from what I hear some managers don't give you that clarity. You would expect that squad to have that clarity, wouldn't you? It's very hard. Every player we want to play and I think our expectation from a surface point of view you want to play and you feel yourself that you are going to be in the line up. But this is very important because when I get a couple of examples in World Cup Final, Champions League Final, some of the key players that can't score the goal or assist or the ones that they didn't start the game. And even now we have a bigger squad, five changes. So as a player sometimes we need to keep this frustration of not starting because sometimes even in the knockout stages, maybe the ones on the bench they played for longer than the ones we started because maybe at the 50-55 minutes you are out and the guy who comes in he plays until the last one or the shootout. So it's a player I think is very important to be humble and not to be frustrated when you are not starting even if you want to play of course. And the other thing with Thomas Tuchel as well is that on the one hand we've seen have it done if you've seen this stuff but you've seen some of these team meetings where he's basically saying to them this is where we want to get and yet some of the press conferences recently he's just tried to take a little bit of the expectation off them. I think that's what says I was kind of alluded to in terms of that real clarity for the squad and I presume that's how it happened with the Champions League when there was a name to be there but from an internal point of view that stays within and of course we know when it gets to a World Cup stage it's about control and the media and with his experience and all that he's won it is about kind of dampening their expectations to allow the players to be free and to be able to produce on the pitch and I think that's what you get with someone like Tuchel in terms of he's quite honest but I think for me the biggest thing that stand out is that players know what their roles are and the clarity is quite clear because he's continuously saying in the press conferences in terms of he's got 14 or 15 starters so for the rest of the 11 players that potentially not in that group you've had to have a conversation that their role might be a bit different to those that do start and the influence like says are said in terms of you might have to come off the bench but also have a massive impact and being able to be ready for that impact is what England maybe need to be successful this tournament? Well just going back to what you said about when he first came in at Cobham then and he instructed you how he wanted you to play it is his football and style of football and his instructions generally quite easy to pick up. It depends for who maybe it's for you. Personally I had so many Mara years and every Mara years I had to adapt to it. I played in maybe I would say back three on the right side was my what I played most in my career but it was not the same back three on the Antonio Conte or Frank Lampar or Thomas Tuchel. You know I played even with Luis Enrique we were playing for the back but I was in the national team like building up as a three on the right so every Mara is very different but I have to say that not only the way he explained how he wanted to play but also the feedback we got after the game or even at half time was very useful to keep progressing and to keep improving. So says does that mean England have a better manager than Spain then? Now I have to say that every country they believe their Mara years are the best and every country their expectation and the media I think we can counter we need more fingers than the ten we have in our hands to think about more than ten countries that we believe our country is going to win the World Cup. So say so over the course of the next UEs I'll explain to you in greater depth what is like to work with Chris Sutton from time to time and how he tries to catch people out. What if Spain aren't going to win this? Who else would you tip? It's hard it's hard there are so many countries that I believe they can make it. I think I would name the obvious names and also I see that it's going to be one that might not be the best team who starts the tournament who could be reaching the finals because taking the examples like the one we had in Spain when the in 2010 where we Spain lost against Switzerland and everybody thought that was the end of the Spanish national team and they can to win and then in Qatar I was on the pitch we won seven Nile against Costa Rica the biggest win the World Cup and then last 16 we were flying back home after penalty seconds Marocco so even Argentina don't go too far. First came they didn't go to plan and they ended up winning so it's going to be it's going to be one to watch and I think we will have more clarity towards the last eight of the tournament who can win it Chris who are you thinking? I've got four or five. Okay well go on then. Are you doing predictions during this World Cup? Yeah are you? No no I'm really bad. We could go on then Chris who are they? I've done my first round of predictions. I don't think I'll get any right. I don't want to say there's too many teams but there's so many teams. I mean you can't know every team inside out but no I actually think France I quite like their tactic of not preparing properly so they'll probably come and win it. I'll give you lots and end up winning it weren't they? Will you be not preparing properly by having their friendlies at Clarefonton not in North America? Yeah exactly. Get out there and they'll acclimatise. Do you know what you predicted for Jordan Austria? Yeah it's obviously a win. Austria win. Everybody will be Jordan. All right okay who are you looking at? Well the more I've looked the more I've gotten a picker thing I did say France as well initially when I was first that question. Don't tell me me Rachel. I'm on. The name reasons too. For that reason I'm going to say someone else. I've very recently looked at Portugal and I just think they've got a great team. They've got a great team. They need to be good. Yeah well no I'm not going to say yes and agree with that statement. I think he's I love Ronaldo. It'll be really How do you think they're doing? How do you think they're doing? Ronaldo, Ramos, Chalfelix, Leão, Netto, even someone like Gverdesche, I really enjoyed him at Wolves. He scores brilliant goals. We're talking about having depth and bringing players off the bench. Going forward, Portugal looked like they are a force. If I say France is Chris not going to be happy. You're probably complaining about that. If it's not France, I think Brazil is going to throw that out just in terms of the strength and depth. I think the reason I went for France is just in terms of their forward line. The likes of Mbappe and Lisa are going to have a trick you the night. Just players that I've got that little bit of an X factor. I think there's huge pressure on them. But yeah, I think for me, France or Brazil. Who's using Mark? I'm not allowed to say. No, you can say you must come on. I'd rather just wait. As says I said, it's important to wait till say the first round of group games are underway. You get a sense of how every team is going out. I think your team is going out. Yeah, exactly. I just got to take my time and see how everybody looks. Is that because you've not read your Bible? It's because I've got through all the notes. Quite. Yeah, step. Sadly, says I want to do what's your first game for us? Spain against Saudi Arabia. Great. We will see you for that then. Thank you very much for joining us this evening. Say is that a special part of the BBC Sports Team for this World Cup? I'm told one of your predictions in the group stages is France 3 Senegal 3? Yeah, well, yeah, that Senegal is quite good. And yeah, they'll get off to a draw. How you start these tournaments, Mark? Always consistent on that. That's how you finish. And the French mood will be right at the end. Sté, Rachel, thank you. That's it for the World Cup. Preview shake and get the football daily every morning from the USA. Just search football on BBC South. The 2023 Ballandor France footballer is Leonardo Missy. This is the story of the greatest rivalry in the history of sport. A rivalry that split football into two fates for a generation. There could be no Oh, Messi and Ronaldo are both great players. They had to be one that was better. The 100 million percent pushed each other to the next level. You know, we were the lucky one to go to see it. I'm Steve Crossman. This is Sporting Giants, Messi V Ronaldo. Listen first on BBC Sounds.