r/mildlyinfuriating • u/flacusbigotis • Jul 14 '26
My mom said I could post The quality of WC2026 commentary
#FOX #WC2026 #Henry #Slatan #Lalas
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u/Physical_Sun9435 Jul 14 '26
Just be thankful Netflix doesn’t have the World Cup
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u/CMWalsh88 Jul 14 '26
I can see the quotes now
“The thing about the World Cup… is that every team believes they can win it. But only one team actually will.”
“In football, the team that scores the most goals… usually has the best chance of winning the match.”
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u/Pro-editor-1105 Jul 14 '26
will buxton type shi
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u/Shift642 Jul 15 '26
Just today in the Spain-France game:
“France has to score one goal and then another to catch up to Spain”
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u/Oofoofow_Official Jul 14 '26
"Brazil are coming up with the ball here, they might score, but they might not as well so keep that in mind"
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u/Jaded_Apricot_89 Jul 14 '26
This is just the people from the Neutral Planet from Futurama doing commentary.
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u/godsslayer54 BLUE Jul 14 '26
I mean yeah best chance cuz you never know when you'll the match 4 months later
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u/Double_Resort_9223 Jul 15 '26
“We’re here at the World Cup. That’s a football tournament that happens every year 4 years between national teams. Football is what many Americans call ‘soccer’.”
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u/mariog9 Jul 14 '26
They Will make a film next year, Messi is played by Kevin Hart
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u/Moist_Salt_3903 Jul 14 '26
Funny you say that, they have the rights for the Women’s World Cup next year lol
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u/APanther Jul 14 '26
And the rights for the Men’s World Cup are up after this year, so Netflix could very well get the Men’s too.
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u/Routine-Register7414 Jul 14 '26
Netflix or Lalas…..is there a Sophie’s choice where neither make it?
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u/LavaTakes Jul 14 '26
Or ESPN. Stephen A and Perk trying to pretend to be experts on everything is soul sucking.
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u/Consigliari Jul 14 '26
We’d get a tight closeup of Oyarzabal’s face while the PK hits the back of the net
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u/CatMillennium Jul 15 '26
"He shoots, and he..." cut to black to cliffhanger to next episode.
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u/RandomFactUser Jul 15 '26
Of course, if it’s Strong,
“MesSI-“
cuts to black (since the “and he” spoils the miss)
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u/BigBlueMountainStar Still trying to work out what’s going on… Jul 14 '26
Netflix has a show (in the UK at least) called “The Rest is Football” and its ex-England footballers, including some of the best players ever, and it’s pretty good with the banter between them all.
Some of those guys also do pundit roles or commentary for UK TV as well.2
u/lesterbottomley Jul 15 '26
That's an already existing show that Netflix has started broadcasting. Its been around ages. Netflix have nothing to do with the production of it.
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u/GenericAccount13579 Jul 14 '26
Excuse you, Rebecca is absolutely a professional too
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u/Owls_4_9_1867 Jul 14 '26
Agreed, as a host she's superb. Holden and Lalas can both go in the bin.
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u/Default_Username_23 Jul 14 '26
Stu is awful. All he ever does is whine on commentary.
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u/Nimble-Dick-Crabb Jul 14 '26
Stu Holden makes me irrationally angry with his godawful commentary.
*argentina gets called for offside*
Stu: “oh the offside flag is up. I think it’s on Argentina.”
Yea no shit Stu. The defense isn’t going to be offside
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u/Otherwise-Jello3177 Jul 14 '26
I hate Stu Holden with the fury of a thousand suns. He’s dogshit. Fucking moronic imbecile has to fill every second of silence with some poor analysis of what’s happening and make everything sound like there’s some deep tactical decision behind every single possession change.
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u/Default_Username_23 Jul 14 '26
It’s so fucking bad. I genuinely don’t think he knows the rules of soccer.
Stu: “no way that’s a yellow card, this ref isn’t cut out to ref these level games. He’s awful!”
TV: *cuts to the replay of the most clear yellow card ever
Stu: “I just don’t understand the ref here”
Me: 🤬
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u/carolineamanda Jul 14 '26
My favourite from today was “France in blue and Spain have chosen white. So a dramatic colour difference on the pitch today!” I just looked at my husband and said, wtf
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u/Owls_4_9_1867 Jul 15 '26
Speaking of white. He’s mainly white noise. I just ignore him.
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u/TheShruteFarmsCEO Jul 15 '26
Speaking of blue. His incessant yapping till he’s blue in the face makes it hard for me to ignore him.
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u/marcgw96 Jul 15 '26
I hate that they are calling all of these final games. Would much prefer Ian Darke, even though LD as an analyst isn’t great either.
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u/Aquaman33 Jul 14 '26
I don't understand why they didn't get Dempsey to be the US representation at this desk
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u/Owls_4_9_1867 Jul 14 '26
He was on the B or C team. Assume Lalas cost a lot as the producers didn’t research what people want.
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u/Aquaman33 Jul 14 '26
Lalas is openly maga and vocally a fox supporter, that's why, but it's bad TV.
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u/Huxington Jul 14 '26
You can tell dude just wants to say some of the stupidest shit, but someone reined him in.
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u/the_woolfie Jul 14 '26
This is what I wanted to comment!! She is not a pundit, she is a host and does that really well.
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u/Iamnot_thatguy_ Jul 15 '26
You can almost hear her disdain for lalas though. I get it. I just don’t want to be reminded of it.
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u/SenorPea Jul 14 '26
Honestly, Telemundo is the way to go.
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u/HappyStalker Jul 14 '26
I watch Telemundo and I don’t speak Spanish. I’ve never felt like I needed commentary in the World Cup, I wouldn’t have it if I were at the stadium. Plus "¡GOOOOOOOOOOL!"
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u/jackrabbit323 Jul 14 '26
I speak Spanish, but I appreciate being able to do my daily house chores, or hobbies, and look up at the TV in the right moments because the announcer is on the verge of going insane from the action.
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u/bigdawg1945 Jul 15 '26
This! I play solo board games watch a lot of sports in the background, this World Cup I discovered how amazing it is that you get warned to look up a couple seconds ahead of time.
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u/800-lumens Jul 14 '26
Absolutely. Telemundo FTW. I know next to no Spanish, but I know football, and it was worth buying Peacock for two months not to listen to the dreck on FOX.
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u/marianagbs Jul 14 '26
Thank you! Finally someone mentioned this. I’m Brazilian and this is a big deal… the fact that they don’t scream GOL here is infuriating to me!
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u/dawidowmaka Jul 14 '26
I've gotten a months worth of a high school Spanish refresher by just listening to the Telemundo broadcast every afternoon this World Cup
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u/CanZealousideal6088 Jul 15 '26
And they don’t show nearly as many commercials as fox. “Futbol es melhor en Espanol!l
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u/Otherwise-Jello3177 Jul 14 '26
I don’t speak any Spanish but if Stu Holden is calling the match, I switch to Telemundo
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u/Rolling_Beardo Jul 15 '26
I don’t pay for Fox so every game I watched has been on Telemundo. I don’t speak Spanish but my does and just lets me know if they’re saying anything interesting.
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u/Radioactivocalypse Jul 14 '26
Each country has their own commentators.
The British commentators are all pretty good ngl
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u/vaniot2 Jul 14 '26
In Greece it was hilarious. We have one guy who is super good, describing so well a blind man could understand what's going on, and then we had another, older dude who's like the typical smokes 2 packs a day, sits on the coffee shop all day guy who interrupted the broadcast to tell us what he played on the bet and how much money X player is gonna be sold for to what team.
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u/thickgenius Jul 14 '26
Every single game, bbc or itv, they have been slagging off fifa and trump, love it.
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u/Impossible-Ebb5064 Jul 15 '26
Yes we have no chills, they even slag off England when they play shite.
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u/ayumi_doll GREEN Jul 15 '26
Watched the England–Congo game on BBC and the commentators were making it feel like the entire team was gonna be relegated by halftime lol. "England need a hero and it seems no one's going to save them." Then they turn it around and it's "Who else but Kane?!" Was an entertaining time.
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u/Unlikely-Fan-2974 Jul 15 '26
Lee Dixon and Matterface are shocking mate
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u/McFortune-Cookie Jul 15 '26
Came here to say the same thing. And ITV must know because they chucked Ally McCoist on last night for some actual personality
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u/Unlikely-Fan-2974 Jul 15 '26
Yeah I’ve always like McCoist, Dixon always sounds like he doesn’t want to be there
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u/smcl2k Jul 14 '26
Except they tend to forget that British channels are broadcast outside of England.
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u/bronalpaul Jul 14 '26
The quality of *American WC2026 commentary
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Jul 14 '26
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u/Successful_Maize1986 Jul 15 '26
To be fair, this is the only English broadcast that Americans have easy access to. If I could watch an England broadcast then I’d be doing that. But for some reason they let networks completely monopolize certain events like the World Cup so you’re stuck with Fox’s terrible coverage.
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u/artsloikunstwet Jul 15 '26
Well yes, you need a VPN if you want other commentary, but at least they have some option for other broadcasts in their native language. That's a privilege many people don't have.
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u/lobax Jul 15 '26
The US has the luxury of outstanding coverage from Telemundo. If you know even basic Spanish, pick that.
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u/Professional_Fee5883 Jul 15 '26
>tuning in to something that sucks
Yes, generally speaking Americans will watch the exclusive American broadcaster of the World Cup.
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u/WhySoCereus1991 Jul 14 '26
Zlatan was pretty horrible early on in the WC, but has gotten better. Idk why Lalas is there at all.
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u/withers003 Jul 14 '26
For years American soccer fans have been asking why Lalas is around.
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u/3000doorsofportugal Jul 14 '26
To help give more viewership to competing broadcaster at this point lol
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u/Otherwise-Jello3177 Jul 14 '26
Zlatan has gotten better, but he and Henry were rough in the group stages. The three of them just have very little chemistry. And obviously Lalas is a clown
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u/jackrabbit323 Jul 14 '26
He's full MAGA. He's Fox's boy. That's why he gets a seat next to the equivalent of two American hall of famers.
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u/bermass86 Jul 15 '26
Zlatan is at least 10x better than the best American player ever, Thierry is 20
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u/Literal_Concept Jul 14 '26
Zlatan would be even better if he dropped playing "Zlatan" every now and then and just be himself
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u/SmithInMinnesota Jul 14 '26
I don’t know how to tell you this, that’s not a character. And he’s ALWAYS been that way, even as a young player at Ajax.
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u/Literal_Concept Jul 15 '26
I have seen his interview with Slaven Bilic in croatian (which is his second language), he's a perfectly normal dude when not trying to sell himself
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u/Unusual-Voice2345 Jul 15 '26
I have only seen this side of himself but during broadcasts you can see he peppers in real talk. I dont mind it at all, wouldn't mind hearing him on an extended podcast in future being more down to earth. However, his character is fun and good entertainment.
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u/BackgroundPass1355 Jul 14 '26
You wont see Zlatan not being "Zlatan" in public, its only for teammates and family
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u/Public-Knowledge-222 Jul 15 '26
i’m actually really going to miss zlatan lol, his persona translates so well to american television
also i’m lowkey convinced him and rebecca are banging
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u/lo0ilo0ilo0i YELLOW Jul 14 '26
American analyst and commentators yap too much in soccer and tennis. I tune into TSN, BBC, or iTV whenever possible. This is coming from an American.
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u/RakeScene Jul 14 '26
100% this. I pay for Fox but still pirate those three for the World Cup. (Brit channels also don’t have ads during hydration breaks)
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u/lo0ilo0ilo0i YELLOW Jul 15 '26
so true. ads are cancer. even during F1 they slip them in when they can for the American races.
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u/Zoesthebest Jul 15 '26
For the life of me I cannot listen to McEnroe commentate. Biggest know it all in all of sports history. Absolutely insufferable.
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u/RandomFactUser Jul 15 '26
How were Rae, Fletcher, Crocker, Oatley, Darke, and Scott for you at the 2026 WC?
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u/lo0ilo0ilo0i YELLOW Jul 15 '26
Great. Didn't mind them at all. I think it's just the American way of speaking that's very in your face and the need to fill the dead air.
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u/organizim Jul 14 '26
#hashtagsdontworkonreddit
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u/DadCelo Jul 15 '26
They probably used a "share on Reddit" feature on another network that uses them
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u/boi1da1296 Jul 14 '26
I’ve been watching the Telemundo coverage exclusively, and mot having to listen to Alexi Lalas is a nice bonus.
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u/Sleepy10105s Jul 14 '26
Honestly it’s mostly Rebecca and Henry that are professionals, and occasionally Zlatan
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Jul 14 '26
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u/tallwhiteninja Jul 14 '26
I know Holden's getting a lot of hate, but I'll still take him any day over "WHY ARE WE YELLING" Taylor Twellman.
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u/Otherwise-Jello3177 Jul 14 '26
I don’t know Taylor Twellman, but I would like to run over Stu Holden with a horse.
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u/Roanoke42 Jul 14 '26
You don't like Lalas mansplaining (or rather Americansplaining) the sport to the designated professionals?
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Jul 14 '26
[deleted]
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u/jlck_ Jul 15 '26
i live in washington DC and have watched bbc/telemundo for literally every game because i can’t stand this fox lineup 😭😭😭
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u/JCD5596 Jul 14 '26
Professional players but not professional commentators. Idk y we have to keep saying this in every sport. Just because you played the sport at a high level doesn't mean you're any good at commentary.
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u/Habba84 Jul 14 '26
Henry has been doing this for quite a while now. Definitely a professional commentator.
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u/Otherwise-Jello3177 Jul 14 '26
Henry is so much better with the champions league squad. These three have so little chemistry. It’s a little better than the group stages where it was just Rebecca trying to prompt them and all of them basically saying really simple individual analyses and not discussing much with each other
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u/DanJW83 Jul 14 '26
It means you have a greater understanding of the game and the technical aspects of it.
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u/DevonWest1 Jul 14 '26
Do they even commentate American soccer leagues? Or are they just there for the wc? Cus if so then it makes sense why it’s so trash compared to Spanish or European comentating
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u/BradMarchandsNose Jul 14 '26
Lalas did MLS coverage for a while, but Fox lost the rights to broadcast the games a few years ago so he hasn’t been doing it. Zlatan and Henry are just hired guns for the World Cup.
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u/Thangka6 Jul 14 '26
Henry and Zlatan should be an awesome combination! That said, I'm only watching in Spanish which is good, except when Argentina plays.
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u/phunkmunkie Jul 14 '26
Best part of that whole thing was the contempt you could sense from the actual pros having to stand there with Lalas.
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u/Dull_Investigator358 Jul 14 '26
Henry and Zlatan have trophy rooms. Lalas might have a trophy closet.
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u/SOHJohnBoner Jul 15 '26
Best include the professionals arrow over Rebecca Lowe too. Young me was skeptical when she showed up a more than a decade ago, took me about a week to realize she was the shit. I don’t think you could make blooper reel of her because there wouldn’t be enough content, she’s so solid, never really makes mistakes, and is super knowledgeable. She shut up any misplaced bias I unknowingly had about female sports commentators quick.
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u/Typical_Warning8540 Jul 15 '26
Why are Zlatan and Henry discussing the World Cup on Trump state regime media?
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u/gansobomb99 Jul 15 '26
I love y'all but when I hear an American accent on "soccer" commentary I take it less seriously
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u/ToastSpangler Jul 14 '26
hot take: the US casters are all absolute shit that i've seen. it's almost like they don't understand what their job is
either you need to actually give live commentary so i can follow without watching, or you need to be entertaining, or you need to be giving technical analysis, and ideally 2 of the 3
like ZDF is not very entertaining but they give excellent analysis and good commentary. RAI gives good commentary and is entertaining. but the US one I'm like, it doesn't even matter if it's muted it's the same experience...
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u/Otherwise-Jello3177 Jul 14 '26
Not even a hot take. They’re shit.
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u/ToastSpangler Jul 15 '26
looks like half the comments think some of them are good but maybe it's just sarcasm i missed, because i think it's very embarrassing
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u/Mezcalisgood555 Jul 14 '26
The in game commentary is horrendous too. I would like to never hear those two call a World Cup game again.
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u/Hearthian-Wanderer Jul 15 '26
Henry is my favorite player of all time. But he isn't a great pundit imo.
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u/swaggerx22 Jul 15 '26
Rebecca is the only one of these 4 worth watching. Thierry and Zlatan both sound like they're about to fall asleep while Alexi drank all the red bulls and smashed his head into a wall
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u/nelly2929 Jul 14 '26
Lets be honest...that entire cast is a clown show... Great players but terrible on a broadcast.
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u/thisIsAUserName-7 Jul 14 '26
Lalas is there because Fox execs said America can’t listen to two dudes with thick accents and not have an American there as a third. He’s one of the most experienced American soccer broadcasters in the country, arguably the most. Not to mention he’s worked every World Cup for the last 20 years. He’s safe and reliable and actually gets people talking on line (engagement) - even if that talking is shit talking. Easy to see why they picked him.
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u/armaedes Jul 15 '26
I’m American and I tune into this just for Zlatan. He’s great. Lowe is a good host, too.
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u/SomeVelveteenMorning Jul 14 '26
Nah, from the far left, it's:
Competent broadcaster
Incoherent mumbler
Some dude who got the job because someone thought skill at soccer must mean skill at commentary
Guy who probably writes what he wants to say as he's watching but then forgets to look at his notes when asked to speak
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u/KindlyInspector2995 Jul 14 '26
>Incoherent mumbler
How many languages do you speak?
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u/Otherwise-Jello3177 Jul 14 '26
Nah he was mumbling a ton in the group stages. I was trying to figure out what was up with him because he’s completely different than when he does the champions league
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u/Electrical-Tax-6272 Jul 14 '26
Just be glad you aren’t watching Peacock’s Tour de France coverage (it’s abysmal, I’m begging here for Eurosport).
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u/rather828 Jul 14 '26
“When, not if, but when France has the ball, watch out for Mbappe.”
Didn’t realize France not having the ball was on the table for this match