ITV and the BBC are set to renew their rivalry for the 2026 World Cup, with the broadcasters finalizing preparations for this summer’s tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Gary Neville becomes member of ITV’s Brigade (Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
ITV plans to surprise the BBC with a star-studded line-up of pundits during this summer’s World Cup. Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright are among the players scheduled to travel to the US with ITV when the tournament begins in June.
ITV and the BBC will once again share the rights to broadcast all matches live on British television. But unlike the Beeb, ITV will be based in North America throughout the five-and-a-half week tournament, with a studio in New York overlooking the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.
Meanwhile, BBC chiefs have opted not to book a studio on site and have no plans to send their top pundits and presenters across the Atlantic until the quarter-finals, when Canada and Mexico will not be joint hosts. Instead, the game will be broadcast live from its headquarters in Salford.
Neville, Keane and Wright will be back on ITV to provide reaction and analysis from major tournaments. Presenters Mark Pugatch and Laura Woods are expected to lead the channel’s coverage, with Pugatch expected to cover England matches.
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ITV has the rights to the opening match between England and Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday 17 June, kick-off at 9pm. The BBC will then broadcast the Three Lions’ game against Ghana on Tuesday 23 June at 9pm.
England will then return to ITV for their final group stage match against Panama on Saturday June 27th at 10pm. If Thomas Tuchel’s side qualify, the BBC will broadcast England’s last-32 and last-16 matches.
ITV will broadcast three quarter-finals later in the tournament, including the first two. However, the BBC has the first pick for the semi-finals. Both broadcasters have the rights to broadcast the final.
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ITV and BBC share England match (Image: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Niall Sloane, ITV’s sporting director, said last year: “The 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup is the biggest World Cup in history, showcasing the best football talent from around the world. Viewers will start the tournament on ITV, with live coverage of the first two matches, including hosts Mexico versus South Africa.”
“ITV’s coverage will be broadcast live from the US throughout the tournament, providing expert analysis covering every key moment throughout the tournament. Fans will be able to enjoy two of England’s group stage matches exclusively on ITV, including the opening match against Croatia and Scotland’s group stage match against Morocco. We are proud to be broadcasting the FIFA World Cup here on ITV and will ensure it remains free-to-air for UK viewers to enjoy all summer long.”
Alex Keijelski, BBC Director of Sport, said: “We can’t wait to deliver the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
“We will (hopefully) be able to broadcast England’s knockout game live on BBC1 and iPlayer, from Scotland’s tense games against Haiti and Brazil, to (Lionel) Messi, (Kylian) Mbappe, (Cristiano) Ronaldo and Rami. We’ll bring you the drama and analysis of the big moments, from the likes of Ne-Yamal to (Mo) Salah to (Erling) Haaland. And for those games that won’t keep you awake, don’t worry, we’ll be there the next morning.
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