Micah Richards learned of father’s death moments before England-Argentina BBC duty

Micah Richards has revealed he learned of his father’s sudden death only moments before appearing on BBC television for England’s World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina, describing the news as “unexpected” in an emotional tribute posted on Instagram.

The former Manchester City and England defender, 38, was working as a pundit on BBC One’s coverage from Atlanta as Thomas Tuchel’s side lost 2-1 to Argentina. Richards said he was told his father, Lincoln, had passed away “not long before going on air”, but chose to continue with his broadcasting duties regardless.

“Not long before going on air today, I received the awful news that my father Lincoln had passed away,” Richards wrote. “His death was unexpected, and he has left us all too soon.”

‘My greatest fan’

Richards, who was born in Leeds and won 13 caps for England during a career that also took in Aston Villa and Fiorentina, described his father as an ever-present figure throughout his footballing life. “He was my greatest fan. He barely missed a game my entire life,” Richards said. “He would take me wherever I needed to go when I was a kid and he was the proudest parent possible during my professional career. It was so rare for him to not be by my side.”

The pundit reflected on the significance of the World Cup to families watching at home, saying he understood “how much watching England World Cup games means to everyone at home, and how the experience bonds families together across the generations, like nothing else”. He added that, “particularly as a proud old-school Yorkshireman”, his father would have wanted the broadcast to continue as planned – and it did.

Richards closed his post by remembering his father as “my hero and inspiration”, extending his thoughts to his siblings and wider family at what he called an incredibly difficult time.

Tributes from football world

Messages of support quickly followed from across the football community. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, a colleague of Richards at CBS, was among those to send his condolences publicly.

Richards’ composure under such circumstances drew widespread admiration, coming on a night already charged with emotion after England’s agonising exit from the tournament at the semi-final stage. His decision to fulfil his broadcasting commitments despite the personal tragedy has been seen as a mark of professionalism during one of the most testing moments of his media career.

Read more: World Cup 2026: BBC heads to Atlanta for England vs Argentina semi-final coverage

Sources

• dailymail.com
• BBC Sport
• The Mirror

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.