A new BBC documentary revisits England's infamous 2006 World Cup failure, where a star-studded squad dubbed the "golden generation" crashed out in the quarter-finals to Portugal. Former defender Rio Ferdinand admits he feels "embarrassed" using the term, calling it "stupid" in The Golden Generation, which examines why a team featuring David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard failed to deliver on massive expectations.

The FA first applied the "golden generation" label in 2001 after a stunning 5-1 win over Germany, with the 2006 World Cup seen as their time to end 40 years of hurt since 1966. Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson faced the challenge of fitting together two similar midfielders in Gerrard and Lampard, while his controversial selection of 17-year-old Theo Walcott—who had never played for Arsenal—left teammates baffled. "If I want a goal, I'm picking Jermain Defoe," Ferdinand recalls thinking.

Off the pitch, the circus in Baden-Baden became a media spectacle. The WAGs (wives and girlfriends) were housed in the same hotel as journalists, their every move captured by paparazzi at restaurant Garibaldi. Ferdinand calls the experience "a shambles" and "a circus act," though former FA executive David Davies insists blaming the WAGs was "complete nonsense" since eventual champions Italy also had their partners there. The real problem ran deeper: club rivalries created fake relationships within the squad. "I honestly believe the disharmony— the rivalries—definitely played a big part in taking us out of the running to win," Ferdinand says.