Lineker scored hat-trick in 40-42°C heat
Lineker scored a hat-trick against Poland at the 1986 World Cup in temperatures of 40–42 degrees Celsius, transforming his career overnight.
Snapshot · The Louis Theroux Podcast
S8 EP1: Gary Lineker on England’s losing streak, leaving the BBC, and his frosty relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo
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Jun 8, 2026
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Mexico '86: Bobby Robson's Flip Chart and the Hat-Trick
At 36:20 · chapter starts 34:30
Theroux probes Mexico '86 as the hinge of Lineker's career. He'd gone six games without a goal heading into the Poland match, convinced Robson might drop him. He describes the heat — 40–42 degrees Celsius in Monterrey — and then the legendary Bobby Robson moment: a rousing 60-second rally cry culminating in 'Just get out there and win!' at which point everyone stood in goosebumps, only for Robson to immediately turn over the flip chart and spend 45 minutes going through the permutations. Lineker notes this is 'absolutely true.' In the game itself his probability-based movement produced the first goal, then a hat-trick in minutes. Two more against Paraguay followed, and Barcelona — who had already agreed a fee with Everton — accelerated their approach. Top scorer at the World Cup, and life changed permanently. [1] — Gary Lineker "Before the crucial Poland game at Mexico '86, Bobby Robson delivered a barnstorming 60-second war cry — then immediately turned over the fl…" 34:30
Bobby Robson's Rousing 60-Second Speech (Then 45 Minutes on the Flip Chart)
Before the crucial Poland game at Mexico '86, Bobby Robson delivered a barnstorming 60-second war cry — then immediately turned over the flip chart and spent 45 minutes on the permutations. Lineker calls it 'absolutely true' and it still makes you love Robson.
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