00:00We have Real Madrid and German national team centre-back Antonio Rüdiger.
00:03Thank you so much for coming in.
00:05We really appreciate this. Thank you for coming in.
00:07Absolutely. I'm excited.
00:09All right, boys, who's going to win this game?
00:12Let's ask the professional first.
00:15I think that's a tough question.
00:19Obviously, because I play in Spain, I'm going for Spain.
00:24But it's a tough match because Argentina is really, really a strong opponent.
00:29And yeah, but still, I root for Spain.
00:33Fair enough.
00:33So everyone who is analysing this game say that Spain keeps the ball away.
00:38They don't allow you to have it.
00:39And that's how, you know, ultimately they could beat Argentina.
00:41If they score first and then play keep away.
00:43From your perspective, what makes Spain a difficult opponent?
00:47If you see the way how Spain played the whole tournament, they were always dominant.
00:52They played as a team.
00:54And they have also great individual quality with Lamin-Yamal.
00:59And I think that's a great, they have a great mix, great mix of team.
01:04But then you see Argentina is, they have Lionel Messi and then they have the soldiers.
01:10And that makes them very dangerous.
01:13How has this World Cup been overall?
01:15I mean, I know obviously Germany didn't go as far as I'm sure you would have liked,
01:18but you've been here, you've been playing.
01:19And even watching it, it was very controversial to start, the venue.
01:24But it feels like, I mean, people have called it a worldwide sleepover.
01:27The fans, the Americans, we've gotten along pretty well.
01:30And from a player's perspective, just how was it?
01:32No, I find it very, very, very positive.
01:35Because you see a lot of different nations meet together and the main focus is the World Cup.
01:43And the joy in the people and all the emotions and cultures are meeting together and everyone supports.
01:53And this is just great.
01:54How was your experience just being around the U.S. cities?
01:57One of the things that was unique was that you were traveling all throughout,
02:01you know, back and forth to the base camp and then out to the matches themselves.
02:05What was your experience like as you were traveling and experiencing the different cultures in those cities?
02:10For me personally, it was, first of all, we are there for a job.
02:14Like the traveling, that's part of it.
02:17It's a work trip, yeah.
02:19America is a huge country.
02:21So that's why we knew that before.
02:23But just meeting the people around, because me, I like to have walks outside
02:27and just connect with the people.
02:29And yeah, the people have been great.
02:31They've been great because normally when you come to the U.S.,
02:34you think like people will not recognize you or something like this.
02:37So you think you have more peace.
02:40Not in America, sir.
02:41Not at all.
02:42It's all super fans.
02:43So you did get recognized on the street.
02:44Yes, yes, yes, yes.
02:45But the approach, I like the approach.
02:47It's very respectful.
02:48Really?
02:49And this is really something very, very nice.
02:51Any favorite moments, favorite interactions?
02:53Favorite interactions?
02:55Yeah, like not favorite because they've all been the same.
03:00It's more about the approach, the way people speak to you,
03:03like very friendly, always pleased and thank you,
03:07like very well educated.
03:08Oh, that makes sense.
03:09Thanks, fellow Americans.
03:10We appreciate that on behalf.
03:12You mentioned Messi.
03:14You've played, I think, four times in your career.
03:17What makes him stand out as a player?
03:20Is he worth the hype?
03:22Is he really as good as his reputation?
03:24Well, I think we are all seeing it.
03:28And he's now, I don't want to say anything wrong,
03:31but I think he's now 39 years old.
03:33That's, yeah.
03:34He is 39.
03:35So then you know that,
03:38and he's still delivering on the world stage.
03:41So I think we don't need to speak more.
03:44Fair enough.
03:45I want to go back a couple of weeks
03:46when Flo Balogun, the U.S. striker,
03:49he was given a red card.
03:51Some say that red card shouldn't have been given out,
03:52but based on the rules, it should have.
03:54And we see President Trump get involved.
03:56He asked FIFA to review it.
03:57As you were watching all of that unfold,
04:00what was your perspective?
04:03Well, yeah, it's difficult.
04:05It's a difficult topic,
04:07especially for the player, for the U.S. team.
04:10I think I wouldn't say that is the fault
04:14why they got eliminated,
04:16but I think that also plays a part.
04:18Belgium came out of fire.
04:20It had to be a hard head game, too.
04:22Oh, definitely.
04:23So, yeah, but I think my personal opinion
04:28he should have stayed out of that game.
04:29If you were the coach, would you have played him
04:31or would you have kept him out?
04:32Well, if I would be the coach of USA,
04:35it's the talisman.
04:37It's one of the most important players in the squad.
04:40No, I would play him.
04:40You would play him.
04:41All right, all right, all right.
04:43You mentioned the age, Messi's age.
04:45This World Cup, Bloomberg did an analysis,
04:48has more players in their mid and late 30s
04:51than any other World Cup.
04:52In 2026, 6% of the 48 national team squads
04:56were players on or around 40.
04:59Eight of the 20 oldest ever players
05:00who play in the World Cup match
05:02took the field in 2026.
05:04You're still a young guy,
05:05but career longevity in sports is hard.
05:07Is this encouraging?
05:08How are people achieving that?
05:10And are things,
05:10is that something you think about
05:11on a day-to-day basis when you're playing
05:13is how long you can do this?
05:15Absolutely, I'm thinking about it.
05:17But first of all,
05:17we're all always hoping and praying
05:21that we stay healthy.
05:22But with the amount of games we have,
05:25it's not always easy.
05:27So that's why I'm now in my 30s.
05:29So I'm 33.
05:31So I'm also looking at always sleeping well,
05:36doing the right things,
05:37yeah, to be at this highest level
05:40because the young guns,
05:41they're coming out.
05:42There's always new talents.
05:44So the competition is huge.
05:46So that's why we have to look out for.
05:48But as the statistics say,
05:51we all men doing a good job.
05:52All right, well,
05:52we only have a couple minutes left
05:54and I know you want to get to your foundation
05:55because as you look at,
05:57maybe not after soccer,
05:58but in concurrent with
06:00and just life outside of football,
06:02what is your foundation
06:03and what does it do?
06:04And I know you guys have a big event coming up.
06:06Yes.
06:07Yeah, as you mentioned,
06:09my foundation,
06:10I think this is my biggest drive.
06:13My biggest drive.
06:14And there's when I want to leave my legacy,
06:18my personal legacy.
06:19And my foundation is about young kids in Sierra Leone.
06:23And it's about health,
06:27education,
06:27and sports development.
06:29And this is,
06:30that's why also I have my foundation gala
06:33in Washington, D.C.
06:34on the 21st of July.
06:36We think our tickets got lost in the mail,
06:38but we hope it's going to be a good party.
06:40No, it's going to be,
06:40it's going to definitely be a good fundraising gala
06:43and then a good party.
06:45Okay, perfect, perfect.
06:46Last one for me.
06:47FIFA president Gianni Infantino,
06:49he's thinking about expanding the tournament
06:50from 48 to 64 teams.
06:52I wonder what your perspective,
06:54I think this tournament,
06:55you know,
06:55we saw more matches that I wouldn't say are meaningless,
06:58but don't have a whole lot of weight.
07:00We've only got 45 more seconds.
07:02Saved by the bell.
07:03Saved by the bell.
07:04Expansion, good or bad?
07:06Bad.
07:06Okay.
07:07There we go.
07:08Thank you so much for coming in.
07:10I encourage everyone to go to the website,
07:11take a look at the website of the foundation
07:13and what you guys are trying to do.
07:14And I know you're going to do more of that coming up.
07:16Thank you very much.
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