As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, a new BBC documentary sees former England manager Gareth Southgate taking on a different topic altogether – the issues affecting young men in today’s Britain.
Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men follows the former footballer and manager as he travels across the UK, speaking with boys and young men about the issues affecting them.
The documentary will be available on BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Monday 8 June, airing on BBC One at the same time. The one-hour special sees Southgate travel to Essex, Middlesbrough, and an unnamed prison to discuss employment, education, and crime.
Southgate famously managed the England squad from 2016 to 2024, leading the team to finals and semi-finals across the World Cup and other tournaments and becoming something of a British icon in the process. Since leaving his role as head coach, Southgate has been an outspoken advocate of young men’s issues.
How to watch Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men in the UK for free
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Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men FAQs
Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men broadcast date and time
Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men will broadcast on BBC One at 9pm on Monday 8 June. The one-hour documentary will also become available on BBC iPlayer shortly afterwards.
As a documentary special, Changing the Game is a one-off. Those interested in Gareth Southgate’s own story should check out Dear England, which dramatizes his time at the helm of the England national team.
Why is Gareth Southgate making a documentary about young men?
Gareth Southgate is best known for his time as the manager of the England national football team from 2016 to 2024, but the former footballer reentered the headlines in 2025 thanks to his outspoken views on the issues affecting boys and young men.
As the speaker at the BBC’s annual Richard Dimbley Lecture in 2025 (via BBC News), Southgate criticized the effect of adult and manipulative online content, social media, and gaming on boys and young men in Britain, also suggesting that young men have a lack of role models to look up to.
Concerns over the manosphere – a loose network of influencers and podcasters who promote male supremacist and misogynist viewpoints – have grown in 2026 with the release of Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere documentary.
Southgate’s approach emphasises helping young men and boys to avoid fear of failure and pursue achievements in their own lives. In a BBC release, Southgate said: “I hope this documentary will go some way towards changing the national conversation and encourage us all to support [young men] in realising their potential.”
Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men – watch here
Here’s the link to watch Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men when the first episode goes live at 9pm on Monday 8 June.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
