Rio Ferdinand’s wife in tears as BBC pundit home from World Cup duty

World Cup briefing: Semi-finals update

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Rio Ferdinand surprised his wife this week by returning home from Qatar before the World Cup final. The former Manchester United and England star had been providing analysis and opinion for the BBC since the tournament kicked off on November 20. 

Ferdinand was one of the BBC’s biggest names at the 2022 World Cup, appearing in the studio alongside the likes of Didier Drogba, Alan Shearer and Jermaine Jenas. The 44-year-old has forged a successful career in punditry since retiring from a distinguished playing career in 2015. 

With British broadcasters ITV and BBC both covering Sunday’s final, many expected to see Ferdinand remain in Qatar until the end. However, a video that went viral this week revealed that the former tough-tackling centre-back is already back in the UK. 

Having returned home to surprise his wife, Kate, the former TOWIE star burst into tears with the interaction caught on camera and posted to social media. 

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In the video, Rio said: “I just got home and she’s crying. She’s pleased to see me. I look horrendous, I feel horrendous, she’s crying. She won’t look. Go on, show us you’re crying. Go on, show us your tears.”

Now back on home soil, Ferdinand is expected to slot back into his BT Sport role with Premier League action due to resume on Boxing Day and the Champions League poised to get back underway in February. The former West Ham and Leeds defender made it into three England World Cup squads with his final campaign coming in 2006. 

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He was supposedly dropped from the BBC’s coverage of Qatar vs Ecuador last month – the first match of the tournament – due to his links to neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Ferdinand was a guest at the Ministry of Investment this year which, it’s claimed, could have impacted his impartiality when discussing Qatar’s human rights record, led by Gary Lineker before the curtain-raiser got underway. 

Ferdinand intrigued viewers with his colourful comments during the World Cup, including telling Lineker to end the show after being called ‘the Kylian Mbappe of punditry’. After England crashed out in the quarter-finals against France, the former Red Devil backed manager Gareth Southgate to stay in the job. 

“If I were him I wouldn’t be able to hand over this team,” he said to the BBC. “You have to remember when he came into the job England used to hope. He’s now got the country expecting.

“Him and his staff have created a great environment for young players, this group of players is ready to win things, ready to do something significant.”

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