The World Cup Final is on both ITV and BBC – here’s why I’ll be watching the build-up on one, then the game on another
It crossed my mind, ever so briefly, that I might be spending my Sunday evening watching England in the final of the World Cup.
Wednesday’s semi-final was already into the last 10 minutes and England were about to reap the rewards of freezing in the headlights of Argentina. They were still 1-0 to the good when the daydream was pushed from my brain by the realisation that England weren’t just going to concede – they weren’t going to make it as far as extra time.
So brief was the moment in which I dared to believe that I’ll be tucking into my Sunday dinner of football with the same enthusiasm as I would have if England had been knocked out weeks ago.
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ITV and BBC are sharing the World Cup Final and I’ll be watching both
Choosing which channel to watch for the most important game in football is usually an easy decision.
For better or worse, I simply prefer my television coverage without advertising. There are lots of reasons for that but let’s say for now that it’s primarily about the interrupted flow of ITV’s presentation.
Consequently, BBC Sport has been my selection for one World Cup after another, for as long as I can remember.
Truth be told, I don’t remember ITV’s meme-ready World Cup foibles all that well. The pub where I watched England vs United States in 2010 didn’t have ITV HD, so I didn’t even miss Steven Gerrard’s goal.
It’s different this year. ITV’s coverage was preferable from the off, not so much because they were on the ground in Brooklyn while the BBC stayed home, but because of the knock-on effects of that fact on their respective presentations.
There’s more to it than location. ITV Sport has been pilloried over the years, often without any real justification, but the vast majority of the matches they’ve covered at World Cup 2026 have been part of coverage worth tuning into in its own right.
ITV’s coverage gathered steam in the depths of the group stage, where hardened viewers and their messed-up body clocks were treated to the tactical interludes of USWNT head coach Emma Hayes. As she found her groove, so ITV edged further ahead of their rivals.
They handpicked their studio pundits perfectly. Patrick Vieira, Juan Mata and the eminently listenable Ange Postecoglou and Duncan Ferguson have been laced through ITV’s match coverage.
Jobi McAnuff and Bradley Wright-Phillips have brought good stuff to the screen, a mainstream promotion for McAnuff and an unexpectedly positive introduction from the former New York Red Bulls striker.
But it’s the big hitters, the quartet lined up for Sunday’s final, that elevate the aggregate beyond the BBC’s studio offering.
Change the channel! Change the channel!
I’d be lying if I said I much cared which presenter is in the big chair – BBC’s anchors are tremendous broadcasters – but Mark Pougatch will be chatting with Karen Carney, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright on Sunday, and that’s a combination that caters to my tastes better than the trio joining Gabby Logan on BBC One.
The BBC panel has lots to offer but it’s ITV serving up the punditry crew I want talking me through the pre-match on Sunday night.
I like their insight, their chemistry, their rhythm, but I think the big difference, over and above personality, is the sense of ease among an ITV group that speak with depth but in a way that makes me feel as if I’m sitting up there with them.
Yet as soon as BBC’s mics are closed on Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards and the show is handed over to the commentary team, I’ll be dropping down a couple of channels to join Guy Mowbray and Alan Shearer.
As excellent as ITV’s coverage has been this summer, my preference for Carney and Keane over Rooney and Richards is nowhere near powerful enough to watch the World Cup Final with Sam Matterface, the top-ranking commentator in ITV’s inexplicably upside-down pecking order, and co-commentator Lee Dixon.
They’ll be joined by the rather more excitable Ally McCoist on Sunday but we all have our limits. In fairness, Shearer has matured into an exceptional pundit and co-commentator anyway and I really like Gladiators.
Just like the studio choice, my commentary decision is no contest. ITV might be the better represented in the pick ‘n’ mix cup of my 104-match World Cup television viewing, but I’ll still be digging into the old favourites come kick-off time.
