TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Frank Lampard is set to take on a new role during the 2026 FIFA World Cup after agreeing to join The Rest Is Football Podcast on Netflix as a special guest throughout the tournament.
As reported by Football London, the Coventry City manager will appear alongside Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, and regular contributor Joe Cole on the daily football program, which begins broadcasting from New York's Times Square on June 10. The show will provide match analysis, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes coverage, and discussion of the tournament's biggest stories.
The World Cup will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the tournament running from June 11 to July 19.
Lampard will be among several high-profile guests appearing on the program, including Harry Maguire, Millie Bright, Patrick Vieira, Romesh Ranganathan, and Niall Horan.
The appointment marks a temporary return to broadcasting for the former Chelsea and England midfielder, who regularly worked as a television pundit following his retirement from professional football. In recent years, however, Lampard has focused primarily on his managerial career.
His latest coaching success came with Coventry City, where he guided the club back to the Premier League after securing the Championship title. The achievement significantly boosted his reputation as a manager and attracted interest from several Premier League clubs seeking new leadership.
Speculation has linked Lampard with managerial vacancies at clubs including Crystal Palace and Fulham. However, Coventry chairman Doug King has repeatedly emphasized his desire to keep the former Chelsea star at the club.
Speaking earlier this year, King praised Lampard's work in leading Coventry to promotion without the financial advantages enjoyed by some rivals.
"He's done a fantastic job. It's been an incredible 18 months for us and for him," King said.
King also highlighted the difficulty of winning promotion from the Championship, describing the achievement as one of the most impressive accomplishments of Lampard's career.
The upcoming World Cup role will reunite Lampard with several familiar faces from his broadcasting days. Before returning to management, he regularly worked alongside Lineker, Shearer, and Richards on football coverage for major broadcasters.
According to The Mirror, the podcast team is preparing extensive coverage from New York throughout the tournament. Co-host Alan Shearer said the World Cup provides the ideal stage for the program's style of analysis and debate.
"The World Cup is as big as it gets, and bringing The Rest Is Football to Netflix during the tournament is a brilliant opportunity to get stuck into the football properly," Shearer said.
"There'll be huge performances, big decisions, pressure moments and plenty for supporters to debate — exactly what we love talking about."
Richards also expressed excitement about the project, describing the combination of the World Cup, Netflix, and New York as a major opportunity for the show.
"It's going to have everything people love about the show: proper analysis, big opinions, dressing-room stories and, knowing us, plenty of laughs as well," he said.
For Frank Lampard, the role offers a brief return to the media spotlight before attention shifts back to Coventry City's preparations for life in the Premier League, where the club hopes to establish itself after earning promotion under his leadership.
Read: FIFA Relaxes Ban on Water Bottles at 2026 World Cup
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