Micah Richards reveals hectic New York-to-Salford schedule juggling World Cup duties

Micah Richards is committing to a gruelling transatlantic schedule during the 2026 World Cup, shuttling between New York and Salford every few days to fulfil simultaneous commitments with BBC One and Netflix’s The Rest is Football podcast.

The former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender made the 3,345-mile journey from New York to Salford to appear on BBC One’s coverage of Canada against Bosnia-Herzegovina, taking his seat alongside fellow pundits Wayne Rooney and Olivier Giroud. He will return to Manhattan after his BBC duties to rejoin Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, whose podcast is being streamed live from a studio overlooking Times Square — where Richards’ face has been displayed on the big screens.

Presenter Gabby Logan set the scene by pointing to the BBC’s New York-themed studio backdrop in Salford, prompting Richards to quip: “This is amazing. If you look over there you can see Gary Lineker.”

Richards also reflected on the atmosphere he encountered in New York, where the city was still celebrating the Knicks taking a 3-1 series lead in the NBA play-offs. “It felt great — more importantly, it’s been about the Knicks because they haven’t won it for years,” he said. “We won’t feel it until America play their first World Cup games, but out there it was buzzing. I’m absolutely buzzing — thanks for the call-up.”

Shearer, speaking from New York, echoed the mood on the streets. “You could still hear the horns this morning after the New York Knicks win,” he said. “I was lucky enough to be in a bar that was rammed and off the charts. New York is alive and kicking, as are the New York Knicks.”

Richards’ back-and-forth arrangement underlines the scale of the media operation surrounding the first World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with broadcasters and podcast platforms competing to place talent at the heart of the action.