(Garry Jones Photography; Netflix)Abid RahmanWed, December 3, 2025 at 8:43 AM UTC·2 min readJug Ears, Big Meeks and Smokey Alan are heading to Netflix! The Rest Is Football podcast gang have signed on with the streaming giant to bring their popular soccer show to the platform during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Hosts Gary Lineker, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer will present daily episodes of TRIF, one of the world’s biggest sports podcasts, during the showcase soccer tournament, that is set to be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico next summer. The trio will cross the Atlantic and film the show in a studio in New York City, and will offer analysis on the games, interviews and insights. TRIF also plan to cover the England team in depth with reports from the camp as well as fan zones.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore from The Hollywood Reporter
Matt Rife on How He Landed Macaulay Culkin and Charlie Sheen for Netflix Christmas Special Promo
Biggest Revelations From 50 Cent's Diddy Docuseries 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning'
Regé-Jean Page to Star in and Executive Produce "Erotic" Thriller Series in Development at Netflix
The move to bring TRIF to Netflix is part of the streamer’s plan to expand its sports coverage, and in particular soccer. In August, Netflix secured the TV rights in Canada for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031. That followed the company earlier picking up the same exclusive broadcast rights in the U.S. for the marquee women’s soccer tournament for 2027 and 2031.
The deal also aligns with Netflix’s push to make more big moves into the video podcasting space to compete with market leader YouTube. In recent months, the streamer has signed deals with Spotify and is looking to make deals with the likes of iHeartMedia.
“We can’t wait to bring The Rest Is Football to Netflix for the 2026 World Cup,” said Lineker in a short statement. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for the three of us to do what we love — talk football every day — but on a truly global stage. Expect all the usual analysis, honesty and plenty of laughs… just with a few more cameras pointed at us, all from the Big Apple. “
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTRIF, which boasts over 7 million monthly streams, is part of Goalhanger, the U.K.’s biggest independent podcast company and is also behind the immensely popular series The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Entertainment. Goalhanger was co-founded by Lineker, Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started
Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023
Men in Blazers, Hollywood’s Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
AdvertisementAdvertisement