As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, a new BBC documentary sees former England manager Gareth Southgate tackle a completely different subject – 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 talking to boys and young men about the issues affecting them.
The documentary will be available on BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Monday 8 June and airs 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 managed the England team from 2016 to 2024, leading the team to finals and semi-finals across the World Cup and other tournaments, 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.
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There is no official broadcast or streaming partners for Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men in other countries yet – we will update this page when this information becomes available.
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Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men air date and time
Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men airs on BBC One at 9pm on Monday 8 June. The one-hour documentary will also be available on BBC iPlayer shortly afterwards.
As a documentary special, Changing the game is a stand-alone. Those interested in Gareth Southgate’s own history should check out Dear Englandwhich dramatizes his time at the helm of the English national team.
Why is Gareth Southgate making a documentary about young men?
Gareth Southgate is best known for his time as manager of the England national football team from 2016 to 2024, but the former footballer hit the headlines again in 2025 thanks to his outspoken views on the issues affecting boys and young men.
Speaking at the BBC’s 2025 annual Richard Dimbley Lecture (via BBC News), Southgate criticized the effect of adult and manipulative online content, social media and gaming on boys and young men in the UK, also suggesting that young men have a lack of role models to look up to.
Concerns about the manosphere – a loose network of influencers and podcasters who promote male supremacy and misogynistic views – have grown in 2026 with the release of Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere documentary.
Southgate’s approach emphasizes helping young men and boys avoid fear of failure and pursue achievement 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 realizing their potential.”
Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men – watch here
Here is 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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