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Why Rio Ferdinand is Swapping Football Duty for Dubai Heat

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Rio Ferdinand’s life has always been mapped out by football. From breaking through at West Ham, rising at Leeds, to his glory years with Manchester United. Even after hanging up his boots, his punditry role meant he never really stepped away from football.But at 46, he’s ready for something different. Life in Dubai with his wife Kate and their young children.

Ferdinand says the decision wasn’t sudden but built over time. A visit last Christmas for the Globe Soccer Awards opened his eyes to a new side of Dubai. “We spent time with Kate’s friends out there, and I saw it differently. Then we went back to look at schools, and that was the real kicker,” he explained.

Education was the turning point. With a child beginning GCSEs and two others just starting school, the couple were impressed by Dubai’s system. “The curriculum is the same as in England, but the teachers felt more valued. In the UK, I think a lot of teachers feel underpaid and undervalued. In Dubai, the atmosphere was different, positive, energetic, and good for kids.”

Lifestyle and safety also weighed heavily. The sunshine, family-friendly environment, and sense of freedom all appealed. “I’ve lived 30 years governed by a fixture list. Not anymore. Football will always be part of my life, but it’s not the thing that rules me,” Ferdinand said.

That doesn’t mean he’s leaving the game behind. His business, Football Escapes, already operates in Dubai, and he plans to build on it. He’s also eager to dedicate more time to investments, his media projects including the Rio Presents podcast.

It helps, too, that Dubai holds personal meaning. It’s where Rio first met Kate, where he proposed, and now it’s where they’ll build their family life. “We want to explore everywhere, embrace everything as a family,” he said. His four-year-old loves football, so finding the best coaches in Dubai is already on the to-do list.

The move also places Ferdinand among a growing circle of former stars who now call the UAE home. From Didier Drogba to Clarence Seedorf, many have chosen Dubai for its lifestyle and opportunities beyond football. Old teammate Patrice Evra had long urged him to make the switch. “Patrice kept telling me, ‘Go. You’ll love it.’ Now I see what he meant.”

Conclusion

As for football back home, Ferdinand will still keep a close eye on his former club, Manchester United. But the day-to-day grind of media duties, late-night Champions League games, and endless travel is behind him. “It’s freedom I’ve never had since I was 16,” he said. “And it feels right.”

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Pedro Pascal is Chanel Newest House Ambassador

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Photo Credit: Getty images

Pedro Pascal has been named a house ambassador for Chanel. The appointment follows a growing relationship with the house. His relationship with the house began in October 2025, when he attended Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Photo Credit: Getty images 

He attended to watch his sister, Lux Pascal, walk the runway. He later returned for the spring/summer 2026 show, and by March, he was wearing a custom Chanel look at the 98th Academy Awards, a white tuxedo shirt with an oversized chrysanthemum silk and feather brooch paired with black trousers. Between those moments, he was also seen in New York carrying an unreleased Chanel flap bag he had first brought to the Paris presentation, in many ways.

Photo Credit: Getty images 

In his statement, Pedro Pascal said he “loves Matthieu’s vision,” describing it as “powerful, elegant, and incredibly warm,” and noted that the house “has a remarkable ability to honor its heritage while remaining modern and relevant.”

Matthieu Blazy, in return, called Pascal “a wonderful man and an incredible actor,” adding that “his kindness, talent, and his vision of the world are both inviting and inspiring.”

The move is notable because Chanel does not produce a traditional menswear line, though some ready-to-wear pieces are unisex and have historically been worn by figures like Pharrell Williams. Pascal joins a group that includes Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky.

Photo Credit: Getty images 

His appointment also fits into Chanel’s growing focus on male ambassadors, even without a dedicated menswear line. The modern fashion ambassador is no longer expected to project distance. Pascal’s appeal leans in the opposite direction, shaped by a steady run of leading roles across television and film, known for “The Last of Us”, “The Mandalorian”, “Narcos”, and the upcoming “Behemoth”. This positioning fits with Chanel’s recent casting direction.

Read Next Post: Lady Gaga and Doechii Collaborate on “Runway” for “The Devil Wears Prada 2”

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Lady Gaga and Doechii Collaborate on “Runway” for “The Devil Wears Prada 2”

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Lady Gaga and Doechii have collaborated on a new track titled “Runway,” released on the soundtrack tied to “Devil Wears Prada.” The collaboration dropped on April 10, quickly drawing attention from both pop and fashion audiences, blending two artists known for strong identity-driven music.

The song first surfaced in the film’s final trailer before its official release. Hinting at its role in setting the tone for the movie’s return to the high pressure world of fashion media. True to that setting, “Runway” focuses on visibility, confidence and image in high-pressure spaces.

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Lady Gaga opens the track with a controlled tone, framing herself as someone fully aware of the attention around her but composed. Doechii follows with a sharp, playful delivery. Adding a modern edge that matches her growing presence in hip-hop and pop crossover.

The title directly references “Runway” magazine, the fictional publication at the center of “The Devil Wears Prada” universe. In the upcoming sequel, the story returns to themes of power, ambition and fashion industry politics, making the song feel less like background music and more like a defining part of the film’s identity. Their styles contrast but complement each other.

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Gaga and Doechii have both previously spoken about admiration for one another, and this track feels like the natural outcome of that creative overlap. The same night it dropped, Gaga performed “Runway” live on tour, during her Mayhem Ball concert in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Read Next Post: Lamar Odom Pushes Back on Khloé Kardashian’s Account of His 2015 Overdose

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Lamar Odom Pushes Back on Khloé Kardashian’s Account of His 2015 Overdose

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Lamar Odom offers a different account of the events, and he doesn’t hesitate to speak his truth. Appearing on Today With Jenna and Sheinelle on April 6, the former NBA star was asked whether ex-wife Khloé Kardashian had saved his life following his near-fatal overdose at a Nevada brothel in October 2015. His answer was measured but pointed.

“In some ways,” Odom said. “God saved my life. My lord saved my life, honestly.” He was willing to give Khloé partial credit. “She took care of me,” he added, “but God took care of me the most. What I came back from is like a medical miracle.” Khloé also said that when she got to the Nevada hospital, Lamar’s father, Joe Odom, was there and ready to take him off life support. She said she took charge of the situation, put visitation on lockdown, and became the primary decision-maker in his care.

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Lamar took particular issue with that characterization of his father. “If you know Joe Odom, I don’t think that’s something that would ever come out of his mouth,” he said. “He was my biggest fan. I don’t know where that got mistranslated. I just can’t see him ever, ever doing that.” Joe Odom passed away in 2021. At the time, Lamar was unconscious for three days, surviving six heart attacks and twelve strokes, and wasn’t able to see what happened at his bedside. However, he does not accept that version of events regarding his father’s supposed actions or intentions at his bedside.

What he does not dispute is the substance of what Khloé did afterward. She stayed at Cedars-Sinai for close to four months. When Lamar was discharged in 2016, she rented a house near her own, hired a live-in caretaker and a chef, and was actively overseeing his rehabilitation, By any measure, that was a serious commitment from a woman who had already filed for divorce before his health scare.

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The arrangement ended abruptly. Khloé showed up unannounced one afternoon and recognized the smell of crack from the staircase. She found Lamar in his bedroom. She punched him, told him to be out by Monday, and cut off all financial support. He had, she said, been doing far better than he let on and had used her care to sustain the habit. Lamar told Today he has no memory of that confrontation. “I’m not dismissing that,” he said. What he does seem clear on is where he places the credit for surviving what doctors apparently struggled to explain. The question of who deserves recognition for his recovery is one he has quietly but firmly answered. Khloé played a role. God, in his telling, played the bigger one. Khloé Kardashian’s representative had not responded to press inquiries at the time of publication.

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