Southgate turns down World Cup TV role to keep England free from distraction

Gareth Southgate has turned down television punditry work at the 2026 World Cup, saying he made a conscious decision to “keep out of the way” rather than risk creating distractions for the England squad he managed until last summer.

The former England manager, who stepped down after Euro 2024, explained his reasoning in an Instagram video, noting that his presence in the broadcast media could lead to his words being thrown back at the current squad during press conferences. “I don’t want anything to be misconstrued or thrown at them,” he said. “So, best for me to keep out of the way.”

Southgate acknowledged the significance of the tournament on a personal level. Having attended the last seven World Cups as a player, broadcaster, scout and then manager, this summer’s 48-team competition in the United States, Canada and Mexico represents the first since 1994 in which he has no direct involvement.

Despite his absence from the coverage, Southgate was unambiguous in his belief that England can go all the way. “All the knockout nights they’ve had means they are going to be full of confidence going into the tournament,” he said. “They have overcome so many hurdles — penalty shootouts, semi-finals — we got so close and they are ready to win.”

His tenure as England manager produced the country’s most sustained run of major-tournament success in decades, including a World Cup semi-final in 2018, a quarter-final in 2022, and back-to-back European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024.

England arrived at their Kansas City base on Saturday ahead of their Group L opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.