Antonio Rudiger reveals childhood refugee ordeal ahead of World Cup 2026

Antonio Rudiger has shared harrowing details of his childhood as a refugee during a BBC World Service podcast aired on 13 July 2026.

The Germany defender revealed how his brother narrowly escaped being forced into a child soldier unit in Sierra Leone by hiding inside a bag of rice. Speaking on *More than the Score*, Rudiger also described life inside a refugee centre in Germany during his formative years.

Rudiger’s testimony came as part of a special World Cup 2026 episode focused on refugee athletes. He recounted how his family fled civil conflict in West Africa, only to face new struggles in Europe.

“My brother was almost taken,” Rudiger told the podcast. “He had to hide in a bag of rice to get away. We lived in a centre with nothing-just the clothes on our backs.”

The episode aired the same week Germany kicked off their World Cup 2026 campaign in North America. Rudiger, 33, captained Die Mannschaft in their opening 2-0 win over Japan on 18 June in Houston.

His story adds a human layer to the tournament’s refugee theme. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, CEO of Global Refuge, joined the discussion. Her organisation has worked with the US State Department to resettle displaced people globally.

The BBC podcast highlights three players with African refugee roots: Nestory Irankunda (Australia), Rudiger (Germany), and Alphonso Davies (Canada). All three competed in the expanded 48-team tournament across the US, Mexico, and Canada.

John Bennett and Ian Williams hosted the show, which promised deeper storytelling beyond match stats. The episode dropped on 13 July 2026, midway through the group stage.

Rudiger’s interview underscores the personal cost behind elite sport. It also spotlights how displacement shapes careers-even those of World Cup finalists.

Listeners can stream *More than the Score* on BBC Sounds and major podcast platforms.