BBC hit Micah Richards received the shocking news that his father had passed away before England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.
Micah Richards reveals he received tragic news before England play Argentina (Image: BBC)
BBC pundit Micah Richards has revealed that he received news of his father Lincoln’s death just before England’s World Cup semi-final match against Argentina was broadcast. The news came as a shock to the former Manchester City defender.
Richards was working for the BBC in Atlanta when Thomas Tuchel’s side fell short against Argentina. The 38-year-old has been working in tougher conditions than anyone expected and the former England international said his father “would have wanted the show to go on”.
Richards posted an emotional statement on Instagram, writing: “Shortly before today’s broadcast, we received the sad news that our father Lincoln had passed away. His death was unexpected and he left us far too soon.
“He was my biggest fan. He never missed a game his entire life. He took me everywhere when I was a kid and was the proudest parent I’ve ever been during my professional career. It was very rare to not have him by my side.”
“I know how much it means to watch England’s World Cup matches at home, and how this experience is like nothing else and brings families together across generations. Especially as a proud old-school Yorkshireman, Dad would have wanted this program to be broadcast tonight, and that’s what happened.”
Get the latest 2026 World Cup news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter
“Today, I think of my brothers and my entire family as I remember my father, Lincoln, who was my hero and inspiration.”
Condolences have been sent to Richards from across the sporting world. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who works with Richards at CBS, was one of the first. “Sending love to you and your entire family,” he said.
Micah Richards announced his father’s death in a heartbreaking post on social media (Image: micahrichards/Instagram)
Joe Hart, who worked with Richards on Wednesday night, said: “Sending love to Meeks…here to you all. Rest in peace Lincoln.”
Juan Mata said: “I’m sorry to have lost Mika.” Former England international Jill Scott added: “Thinking of you and your family Micah.”
Former F1 champion Jenson Button said: “I will pray for my brother. I am sorry for his loss.” Richards has previously spoken about the huge influence his father had on his trajectory, crediting him with keeping him grounded. “‘I grew up in Chapeltown, a run-down area of Leeds,” Richards said in 2007.
“There were drugs and fighting and all sorts of things. There’s a time when you’re 15 or 16 that you want to get involved in that. There was definitely a temptation, but I held back.
“I was able to cope with everything that was thrown at me. I owe it to my father. He raised me well. My father is a strong character. He is very principled. He is a Rastafarian. He set standards for me.”
“It’s great to have someone like that behind me, but at the same time I learned how to be my own man. My dad has always been here for me. He’s only missed one game that I’ve ever played, and that was my debut at Arsenal, when I wasn’t supposed to be in the team.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
