Football Daily - The Commentators’ View: FIFA World Cup Q&A

Episode Date: June 5, 2026

John Murray, Ian Dennis & Ali Bruce-Ball answer listener questions ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. From preparing for foreign player pronunciations, to the matches they’re most looking forward to. And from logistical travel arrangements to their favourite national anthems. Messages, questions and voicenotes welcome throughout the tournament on WhatsApp to 08000 289 369 & emails to [e-mail]00:30 John prepares for Mexico, 03:00 International commentary styles, 07:25 Preparing for player pronunciations, 16:40 First World Cup memories, 21:30 Is World Cup prep different? 30:45 Which matches are they most excited for? 34:00 Which cities are they most excited to visit? 36:55 Favourite national anthems & fanbases, 40:50 Thoughts on sharing commentaries, 42:40 Will the commentators be working in teams? 48:00 What does a rare summer off look like? 50:20 Will there be a World Cup TCV?5 Live / BBC Sounds commentaries: Fri 2000 Spain v England in Women’s World Cup qualifying, Sat 2100 England v New Zealand in friendly, Tue 2000 England v Ukraine in Women’s World Cup qualifying, Thu 2000 Mexico v South Africa, Fri 0300 South Korea v Czech Republic, Fri 2000 Canada v Bosnia & Herzegovina.

The Commentator's View on the Football Daily with Alistair Bruce Ball, John Murray and Ian Dennis. Hello, this is The Football Daily. I'm John Murray and welcome to this special edition of the commentator's view as we five live commentators answer listener questions ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Ian Dennis and Alistair Bruce Ball are with us. Just a few days to go now until the first ball is kicked. Mexico versus South Africa. at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca. I've got to say, I am extremely envious of you being in the Azteca.

I mean, what an occasion that will be at one of the most iconic stadiums in world football. I can't wait for it. As we record this, this is before we travel. So I've not yet set foot in Mexico City, but we've had lots of briefings. Actually, our Mexico correspondence, Central America correspondent, Will Grant, has helped us with some advice, things to do, things not to do. But you're right, Ian, above all, to go and watch football, let alone commentate on it in the Azteca.

That, for me, is very much going to tick a box. We've got a question coming in a bit, haven't we, about early World Cup memories. and mine would be Mexico 86, in particular Argentina against England. So, yeah, being there, being in that city, being in that stadium. I totally agree with Ian. I can't wait to listen to that, John. And as you've mentioned, the possibility that England could play Mexico there further down the line in the tournament,

but we'll just have to see how that pans out. But let's hold on that, because I think that might feature a little later on in some of the questions that we've received from. listeners to TCV at BBC.co.uk and the WhatsApp and voice notes to 08,289-369. So thank you very much if you have done that. And here we go. First of all, Sterling and his erstwhile dog-walking companion Angus the puppy, Sterling says, greetings from the Falkland Islands in the deepest South Atlantic. I'm a long-time football daily subscriber and enjoy the whole five-live range. However, says Sterling, since TCV burst onto the scene as the podcast we didn't know we needed,

it has leapt to the top of my rankings above MNC, Monday Night Club, and even the mighty Euroleagues. I particularly enjoy your comments and decides on football fair in the grounds and cities, you visit on your travels. My question is about international commentary styles. Are there any elements from other commentary cultures that you have adopted or perhaps would like to introduce to the BBC? Is the World Cup an opportunity in this regard? Can we expect to hear go, go, go, go, go, Go, go, go, go, go. On 5 live anytime soon. Keep up the good work.

Thank you very much. Sterling in the Falkland Islands, Ian. Well, it's funny that Sterling should say that. And I think we've actually covered this before. But do you recall in 2006 when we shared the commentary at the World Cup and I'd gone seven games without commentating on a goal? And I pitched up at Cologne. And it was Garner against the Czech Republic.

And Garner scored after 68 seconds. and I wasn't a hundred percent who'd got the goal for Ghana. From memory, it was Asimou-A-Jan. But I did, for a moment, think about going, Go! And I didn't. I refrained. But that's the one thing that nobody has done.

However, if you are in Mexico, that could be an opportunity for you to do that, couldn't it? It could. But it won't. Whether that's likely to happen. I'm not sure that's what the listeners necessarily want, is it? And of course, we've already had the opportunity to do this when we commentated on the World Cup in Brazil.

Yes, true. It doesn't suit our commentary style, does it? It's not how we do it. It's not how it's ever been done, and you've got to go with what is natural for you. I was commenting on that game with you, Ian, and Alastair Yeoman's producer at the time, because it had been so long, you know,

that the tournament had gone without you having a goal. he had actually ripped up lots of little bits of paper. I'm sure I've told this story on this pod before as confetti, so that when Ian finally got a goal to commentate on, he was going to shower him with these bits of paper. And as Ian did that, he did really well to pick the goal scorer so early in the game. All this paper just suddenly flew up in the air and came tumbling down on our desk. Yeah, no, I remember that.

Paul Jewel was. I think it was Danny Mills. It was Paul. Yeah, maybe it was Paul. Both with us at that World Cup. I mean, I think that's one. of the things. So on the conference league final, which I recently did in Leipzig, I had a Bosnian television commentator in the booth alongside me. And it's one of the great joys actually of the job is watching others at work and hearing little bits of them and how they do it in the different

styles and what have you. And obviously we always talk, don't we, about our Spanish colleagues when we do Champions League games and just how loud and emotional and demonstrative they can be. But that's one of the things I actually enjoy about sitting in a stadium with commentators from lots of different nations. I quite enjoy as well because we sit in, as they call it, the media tribune. So all of the world's media and the world's commentators are sitting around us. And I always quite enjoy leaning over the top and looking down at all of the different sets of notes that have been done. Baron in my wheel have done our notes. And just saying what everyone else does in that regard.

And in terms of listening to different commentaries, I don't know whether you listen to our Mexico 86 preview, but we played in that, the Argentine commentary on Diego Maradonna's call, which is, I have heard that before, but not for a long, long time. And that's a very distinctive style as well. There's a bit of feeling in that as well from the Argentine point of view. And also listening to how Peter Jones and Brian Butler used to commentate on matches, but I think particularly at the World

Cup, it really comes across in those commentaries when you hear them back again that they recognise, as we do, that these are special matches to commentate on. It doesn't matter which game you commentate on at the World Cup. That is special for someone.

Let's have a voice note from Dominic in Santiago. Thank you for keeping me kind of in touch with all those lovely memories of my childhood growing up watching Liverpool and wolves living in Wolverhampton. I now live in Chile. And I had a question for you about how you prepare for international commentary and increasingly how you prepare for domestic games too because I have learned Spanish, French and Portuguese from a lifetime of

teaching languages and travelling around the world and living in different places. And I must confess that there are some pet peeves of mine, as much as I delight in listening to BBC radio commentary, which is when I hear words like Martinez, which is as common as Smith or Jones in England or Ireland, but it's actually Martinez. And in the Latin world, it sounds very strange to hear English commentators saying Martinez, because it's just so strange to hear it said like that, and it's so wrong. And then there's the constant gimerais, which becomes Gemares or Giroux, which is Girou, which led me thinking, well, it's not easy, is it, being a commentator?

And what do you do when you come across these names ahead of time to be ready because the World Cup is calling? It's not going to be easy. Thank you very much. Dominic, and we'll answer that in a moment. And Olivier Giroux is on the BBC Sport team for the World Cup. But on that similar theme, Tarik in Swansea says, I am half Palestinian stroke Jordanian and half white British. How do commentators decide how you're going to say Arabic names as they are not very accurate? I do forgive you all as Arabic commentators also struggle with English names.

Carry on the good work. So, preparing for pronunciations. Yeah. I'm surprised that Dominic didn't mention Castaganos, Castellanos or Castellanos. But the thing is, is that in answer to Dominic's question, is that there will be a pronunciation guide. And actually, I do say Martinez, the Aston Villa goalkeeper.

But there was Raul Jimenez. Somebody once said, you're pronouncing his name wrong. But there is a guide. And Raul Jimenez actually pronounces his name as Raul Jimenez, not Raul Jimenez. Although I think I've heard him pronounce it Jimenez, which is a little bit like one, and we should explain when you say we get a guide,

actually all of the players will pronounce their own names for the World Cup. And I'm expecting that for the commentators who will be covering matches at the World Cup, we will be sent around these videos of all of the 26 players from every squad saying their own names. And we get this in the Premier League as well. One good example is I think it was last season. David Ryer pronounced his name David Rai.

This season, he pronounces his name David Raya on the video. And I'm sure I've heard Raul Jimenez say Jimenez, but it's entirely possible that on another one he may have said Jimenez. And I think that's why, and it was the message from Tarek, wasn't it, who clearly has some understanding, and Dominic as well, of how difficult it is for us in that regard. You need some understanding from the listeners, don't you, in terms of, but if we're given two different pronunciations,

we've got to pick one that we're all going to go with and then stick with it and you're not going to make someone, you know, everybody happy all the time. I mean, I think you guys are the same. I will use that pronunciation guide. I will also then go and speak to a commentator from that nation, if I can, live at the game,

run down the team sheet. How are you going to say that name? I will get as close to that as I can if it's understandable in an English language commentary. If it's just not going to sound like the player's name, and no one would recognize it, I wouldn't go with it. I think that's the best we can do. But for Dominic's point as well,

he's saying how it's pronounced in that country. So, for instance, with Bruno Fernandez of Manchester United, he would be Bruno Finanche. Brun would he not? Brunfinanche. Brunfinanche. Or Nuno Gomez was Nungom. Petronetto, of course.

One of my favorites. Piedronet. So we're not going to go down that road. You've got, there's got to be an element of common sense and also so that the English audience can recognize the players that we're actually referring to. And also we, everyone is different. I'd just go with whatever you're comfortable with. Yeah. Do you have a favourite nation in terms of surnames that you like commentating on because they trip off the tongue really nicely?

It's a great question. I think you're going to say. You know what I'm going to say? I love the Italians. They're not there again. They're not at the tournament. I love the Italians. You always enjoy the Italians.

I do. I really do. Your degree was Italian films, wasn't it? Well, not quite, John. It was Italian and drama was my degree. But I do love speaking a little bit of Italian when I can. My family really take the Mick at me, my brother and his kids. Because when, do you remember Spinat-Sola, who was a big feat?

for Italy in the major tournaments a few years back and apparently I really went they listened to a couple of commentaries and that was one I particularly went for the for the full proper attempt at the Italian Spittazola like I still get mocked for that mock I could I do quite like the German I do quite like commentating on Germany German names you enjoyed the the Uruguayan player didn't you in the in the recent friendly remind me the Aras Cayetta yes I did. You're great ones, John.

Your great ones are the Portuguese, the joeows. You're very good on the... You're very good on the joules. Yeah, I do like a joan. Also, on pronunciations. What is a great question ahead of this World Cup,

and we will have to get some guidance on this. What do we call the country that begins C-V? Ah, it's either Capverd, Cape Verde, Cabo Verde, or Capa Verde. Yeah, one of those. Isn't it? Yeah.

So we need to clarify that. And, uh, Turkeya, isn't it? Czechia. Yeah. Exactly. I mean, from being in Istanbul recently, they actually do, you know, there's a lot of signs now when you're going through Istanbul airport that actually does say Turkey. Yeah. Let's, let's hear from, by the way, uh, fresh in.

Let's hear from Rao Jimenez, uh, himself. So this is Raul Jimenez, pronouncing his own name from this season's Premier League pronunciation video. Raoul Jimenez. Raul Jimenez. Jimenez? That's a Jimenez. It's a Jimenez.

Not a Jimenez. You see, that's another one. I don't feel comfortable. I don't feel comfortable when it's a Z, saying T-H in English. So I feel I have to anglicize that. but there's always a contradiction because I would call

former Rider Cup captain Jose Maria Olotharbel. Olotharble, yeah. Very quick story which is unrelated to this but must tell this. This is a very good mate of mine. We're on holiday in Tenerife years and years ago and he always tries to speak a little bit

speak a little bit of the language, the Spanish, but doesn't have enough, but feels bad that he doesn't have enough. We once got to the end of a holiday and we got to a petrol station and we barely had any money left to put enough petrol in the car to get back to the airport, but we just had enough and it was all in coins. And so basically he handed this money over to the guy at the till to pay for the petrol.

It was a whole bundle of coins. And he really felt bad about it and wanted to apologise, but wanted to do it in Spanish, but didn't have the Spanish. So what he said was he said, sorry about the thange. He denies that, but I swear that was his attempt. And trying to speak a bit of the language. And also, just because you mentioned Tenereef, you know,

the people who get upset, you know, for example, I mean, this is something that listeners get quite aerated about, isn't it? Well, he's not pronouncing it right. So you can just imagine someone who would say, he's calling them Tenerife, not Tenerifee.

And yet that person, if you say, where are you going for your holidays? It's everyone going to Tenerife. You don't say I'm going to Tenerife. But all, Also, if you were to say, so I would say Castleford, but Ali, you would say Castleford. Yeah. I would say Bath, you would say Bath.

I would. It's different ways of, you know, we're all different. And I think that, like you, I just think that sometimes it just don't, don't try to get too hot up about it. You can overthink it. How about this one from Ipe Switch fan, Alan? Like many football fans, I always feel that the World Cup years mark different times in my life, they enabled me to think about where I was and sadly probably what I was doing

when England got knocked out so I wanted to ask each of you for your first World Cup memories as maybe boyhood fans and then commentators unfortunately mine goes all the way back to 1970 staying in a caravan park in Devon

and my parents decided that we needed to go for a walk and as a seven-year-old I had no choice England were leading Germany 2-0 at that point and I was completely heartbroken the next morning to find out that we'd managed to get beaten by three goals to two and of course by trying to save players for the semi-final. It's an event that has left me permanently scarred and unfortunately for my poor children I recount this story every four years.

Keep up the amazing work and I look forward to hearing about your memories and the new ones you're going to make in the next World Cup coming up in the next few days. Who wants to go first? Youngest or oldest? Ha. Okay. I'll go first. It's the youngest.

My, I mean, I've talked about the the 1980 World Cup. We've talked about this a bit on the pod before, the Brian Robson goal after 27 seconds in Bill Bow. But I think actually, you know, we were recording a few things for the BBC's promotion of the World Cup in the build-up to this tournament. And actually some of the strongest memories I have

are actually the tournament in 86 would be Mexico 86. I mean, I remember. my brother and I, we would watch games and then we would immediately run out into the garden and pretend to be whichever players, you know, it was that we just watched and taken a lot. We loved Preben Elkhier in that tournament. Do you remember Denmark's Preben Elkier? Dains were really good in that tournament. So that's a name that sticks in my mind. But I think from that tournament, it would be Linneker's Hattrick against Poland when England were in trouble and he had his left arm wrapped in a cast and they beat Poland 3.0. I watched those goals back the other day. And that's a really really, really striking memory of World Cup football. And again, it feeling, you know, for people watching their first World Cups and listening to their first World Cups at something, it's feeling so exotic and so far away and so exciting

and watching football at different times of the day. That's what I remember about Mexico 86 as a kid. My first World Cup memory was watching as a young boy, 1978. I had a blue teddy bear. Called it Bluey. It was very creative in those days. cheering on Scotland.

So that would be my first World Cup memory. And then regarding as a memory as a commentator, would it be the first World Cup final in 2018 that shared with John in Moscow. I remember arriving quite late after doing the third, fourth place playoff the night before, arrived quite late into Moscow, and I was just a bag of nerves.

But that was a real honour. So they would be my memories. For me, I think the first World Cup memory, have is actually 1974 but only because Jack Taylor was an Englishman who refereed the final, Wolverhampton Butcher.

Other than that, I can't really remember too much about that. So for me, 78 was the first one. I was just like you in, so into that. I remember being absolutely gripped by everything surrounding that had the Football 78 Panini sticker book, which I think

I've finished. And just watching the sights and sounds from Argentina. The ticker tape was incredible. Everything that's surrounded, some of the goals that were scored from long range, and particularly Archie Gamble's goal against the Netherlands that night. That was, I remember, you know, I can see myself sitting right in front of the television, looking up the television screen, watching that. And I think of all of the things that we do and all of the sports that we cover, all of the events, and I'm including the Olympics here, and, you know, people care deeply about the Olympics.

I do think people care most about the football World Cup and I think it stirs things in you that other sporting events just don't and that's why for me it's the best. Nathan is embarrassing us all slightly here, our producer Nathan, because he's put his first World Cup memory in the script. Have you seen that, John? No.

He says it was watching Ronaldino lob David Seaman at the 2000. two World Cup. First thing in the morning at primary school, everyone sitting cross-legged watching on one of those TVs that used to get wheeled into the classroom. I remember, I certainly wasn't in primary school watching that. I was in Ollie Kay's house. You know Ollie Kay, who now writes for the athletic. He and I watched that game together in his house in Manchester. That was early morning, wasn't it? It was an early morning UK time game, that one. Spurs fan, Sean says, compliments on the show. As I've said previously, it's the behind-the-scenes stuff.

I find most interesting. So, in that spirit, Sean asks, how long have you been prepping, and how does it differ from a Premier League match prep, for example? Is it fun, difficult, exciting, prepping some of the more unusual teams? Kurosau, Kapp Verde, Cape Verde, Kep Verde, Kep Verde, Kep Verde, Vé Préth, etc. What are some of the matches you are most looking forward to,

and which cities are you most looking forward to? forward to experiencing. And completely unrelated, Sean also asks, most weeks there's a mention of a dog. Do any of you actually have a dog? I don't know actually about you. I think I'm the most recent owner of a dog amongst us three. So we had a beagle called Betsy, lived for 14 years and absolutely adored her, gluttonous beagle as they all are, with lots and lots of character.

And we'd been very tempted to get another one. but I've sort of enjoyed our freedom since she's gone. But miss her, obviously. At the risk of alienating probably more than half of the audience that listens to this podcast, I'm actually not a dog lover, and I will never, ever have a dog. Oh, that's revelation. That'll be the clip for this.

For the World Cup questions and answers. That's going to be the clip that Nathan's going to put up. You'll be hated. you'll be you'll be you'll be black bald now from polite society you do a lot of walking john but you don't do it with a dog do you well my daughter has a dog which is who is pip who is a lovely dog

and it's a collie and it's quite a nice story because pip was one of a tis litter isn't it litter of puppies that was born on my family farm in northumberland and pip then was given to her so so it's quite a nice sort of family family history from that dog and he's great.

He's a great dog. So in terms of prepping the World Cup, Ian, you started before us in terms of prepping the games because you had the two England World Cup warm-up games to do. What's your sort of modus operandi for trying to get ready for a World Cup? How long does it take to prep each country you're going to cover? Well, before I left, I'd done 19 of the 48 teams. But looking at my schedule, I'm actually going to – I'm only going to do two more games than I did at Euro

2024. I'm only down to do 13 games at the World Cup. And before I'd left, Saudi Arabia and Iraq actually hadn't named their squads either. So what I'd do, because they'd all had to name a 55-man preliminary squad, I thought rather than

write out all 55 names, I'd just wait until the final 26 was selected. But basically, before I'd left, I had done all of the teams I'm doing in the group stages so I'm doing six matches in the group stages and then I take an educated guess at who is likely to get through to the knockout stages

so I do my own projections and then all of a sudden I think well I'll add the Dutch in there I'll add Argentina and Uruguay and Colombia and Croatia who I think I might be doing in the closing stages and then I'm cheering for them to make sure that they get through otherwise I've got more work to do when I'm in the States that is a great point Ian that this is something

that listeners will not No, you end up with vested interests that you never knew that you had, which is based on the fact, based on which teams you've actually already seen and commentated on. Yeah, and do you know what? I think that's a really good point as well, John, but even World Cup warm-up games, so Germany Curacao is my first game, and the fact Scotland have played Curacao in a World Cup warm-up and you can lay eyes on them. I think that's so, so crucial because the first 10, 50s,

minutes of a commentary when you've never seen a team play live before, if you've not seen television footage of them and just got some visual identifiers on who's going to play where and what they look like, that first 10, 15 minutes is an absolute nightmare. Do you remember you and I doing North Korea against Brazil in Ellis Park in Johannesburg with David Moise? I mean, North Korea, clearly the amount of information we got about them was very, very, that was very difficult, wasn't it? And that was a challenge. I think my answer to this question of preparation has changed over the years because in my early World Cups and early tournaments, very often my domestic season would have sort of drawn to a close with still quite a bit of time to prepare.

But as the years have gone by, you're commentating right until the end of the domestic season, cup finals. And you're concentrating on that. And I find it very difficult to hop between the two. and my general preparation is helped by the fact that I'll cover the draw so you are preparing very basically as Ian says for all of the teams for the draw so I've got that so I've got some information there should I have the need to talk on air about those teams but I do tend to focus on the teams that I know I'm going to cover

so in the past previous tournaments I'll have had much of the preparation done before I get there in more recent tournaments, I've had to do it as I go along. And, you know, that's not ideal because you also want to be watching the matches, don't you? And there are only so many hours in the day. And you've also, this World Cup is going to be another test because of the fact that there are 48 teams in it, because I do like to try and keep across all of those teams and matches, which means that you've got even less time now.

So it's going to be a patch schedule. That was the beauty of Qatar, wasn't it? the fact that Qatar, because there was very little travel time, you could watch a lot of the football, and therefore you knew a lot of the players, whereas because of the sheer grand scale of what we're going to cover here for this World Cup, we're going to spend a lot of time, well, I know I am,

I'm going to spend a lot of time in the air. You're going to miss a lot of the football. Just in case you can hear it in the background, I thought I might have to leave the pot at some point today. There's someone doing a little bit of work on our house, So you might hear some drilling in the background, which I'm glad this chap is doing and I'm not doing because I'm not that proficient with a drill.

But just in case you're wondering what the noise is, that is what it is. Do you know the other thing I was going to say, just in terms of all the prep? And I've definitely learned this, the more tournaments I've done, is that sometimes, John, like you say, you feel you get behind

and you're having to prep when you're out there and you're chasing your tail a little bit. I think sometimes it eventually gets to a point where I feel, do you know what, I'm going to be better if I get to be, bed and rest and I'm fresh and I'm slightly underprepped than if I work, you know, sort of burn the midnight oil, try and do notes on every single player, but then turn up to a game completely exhausted. Yeah. And also, you know, the matches of such importance, almost all of them,

that the match action supersedes everything else. Yeah. And the scenes that you say, you know, we'll see scenes and we'll have a chance to describe things that we just don't have the opportunity You know, the experiences that we'll have at this World Cup. And very often that is more interesting to listen to than, as you say, Ali, things that you've prepped at 1130 at night. I actually think my prep has evolved with experience over tournaments as well. I used to spend a lot of time finding out how many goals and appearances they'd made for the club during the season. But, John, you're absolutely right. It's all about the tournament.

And so what I do now, the caps I update as I go along and the goals that they scored for the country. But then I'm more interested as to whether it's their first appearance in the tournament, or it's their first start in the tournament, or he had a cameo role in the previous game, because it's not about the domestic season of wherever they're from that has been and gone. It's about the actual World Cook. So I think I used to invest a lot of time, and now I spend it a little bit more wisely and productively, I think, moving forward. I'm Steve Bratnell, host of Games Gone, the Steve Bratnell podcast.

What's my favourite World Cup moment as a fan? I have to say Michael Owen, skinning the whole of the Argentina defence and cracking it in top corner for the very short space of time, I believe. My favourite World Cup player in history, it won't be popular, but I'm going to say Diego Maradonna. All right, he unballed it. But the guy was a complete genius. The People World Cup 2026.

Coming soon. Listen on BBC Sounds. The commentator's view on the Football Daily with Alistair Bruce Ball, John Murray and Ian Dennis. What about Sean's question about some of the matches you're most looking forward to, Ian? Well, if my projections are correct, in the knockout stages, I could have Argentina against Uruguay in Miami, which I just think could be a really, really feisty affair. I've got Brazil in the group stages. Brazil are always great to do in the group stages.

Well, they're great to do any time. But I've got to say that Argentina-Irogui one has already been flagged up on my radar. I'm scheduled to be in Philadelphia on July the 4th on the 250th anniversary of the birth of modern America. And that could be Germany, France or something like that. I mean, the game is also, I know, it's an epic. game for a sort of an epic day and you're in exactly the right place for it so i mean in fact whatever the game is it doesn't matter i just think being in philadelphia you know on the 250th anniversary but particularly given you know world politics the climate we we live in at the moment

that that is going to be it's just going to be a really interesting event to be present at that i think and for me as i've said it's the mexico city experience i think going there it's really had a hold over me, almost for as long as I've watched football, the Aztec stadium, because when we were growing up, there were so many references back to the 1970 World Cup and the final itself being one of the greatest games, greatest performances. And that Carlos Alberto goal, you know, as soon as I say that, you see it instantly in your mind. That is in that stadium. Telly and Diego Maradonna have won the World Cup in that stadium. England had the great experiences in that stadium and then the England Argentina match was in that stadium the

hand of God and the goal of the century and I always remember as well from 86 the thing was that I don't know I'm not entirely sure what it was whether it was a speaker or whether there was a television screen that was obviously being suspended above the centre circle and there was a shadow on the pitch at the Aztec stadium a massive circular shadow and again that's really in my mind and if it doesn't live up to expectations, the Aztec stadium, I'm going to be so disappointed. But I almost can't fail to because I'm going to be in Mexico

in the days leading up to the start of this World Cup. And I don't think there's going to be anywhere better to be than that. But there is a scenario where you could go back again for England to play them in the last 16. Yeah. Which might not happen, you see. But if it does, Mexico against England at altitude, in what would be the last 16 and they both have to win their groups and progress through to that point.

Were that to come to pass, Mexico against England in the Aztec stadium has got the ring of an absolute World Cup classic about it. And that would be certainly the potential match that I'd be most looking forward to seeing. Yeah, it gets the butterflies going just thinking about it. What about the cities, as Sean has asked, the locations that you're most looking forward to to, other than the ones already mentioned? I think might have be less obvious here, John, because, I mean, Philadelphia, obviously, for the reason I've mentioned Boston, I've been to before, in New York, I've been to great cities. I'm spending three weeks in Texas at the start of the World Cup. I've not spent any time in Texas before, shuttling between Houston and Dallas. Very impressive arenas that the games are going to be played in.

But I think the idea of exploring Texas with Chris Sutton and Eton Bar, barbecue and doing sort of bucking broncos and a few social media videos and stuff. That floats my boat. You know, I think we could have some fun with that. I think Chris has got the capacity to upset a few Texans. Well, I'm slightly concerned about that as well. That's a good point. I'm not sure.

Is Texas ready for Chris Sutton? I'm visiting seven of the 16 venues, and I did have initially Toronto on my schedule, and then I've had it stripped. I've had it taken away from me. Bad behavior. And I've got to say. Like dogs? I'm going to say I was disappointed with that.

I was looking forward to going to Toronto. I've never been. And of the venues that I'm going to, I think only Dallas is the only place where I've never been before. Really? And I quite like going to new places. I like seeing new things. So I've got to say, there's a degree of disappointment

that I've been to New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston. I've never been to Texas. And when I was growing up, I used to love Dallas. And with J.R. Ewing, et cetera. And what I'm quite excited about is our hotel is in Fort Worth. Yeah. I think that's where Pam came from. Pam Ewing.

Was it, was it Pam or Sue Ellen? I think it was Pam who was from Fort Worth. I mean, that's already, I mean, that's already a social meet. Do you remember the opening credits to Dallas? I mean, I can see, I can see Chris Sutton in Estetzer. at the top of the stairs with the Dallas music underneath. You know, that's tailor-made for that sort of thing, isn't it? Just keep him out of the shower, won't you?

Yeah. Be disappointed if I woke up and found it was all a dream. The other thing is, Phil McNulty, our chief sports writer of the BBC, was telling me that the hotel that we're staying in in Fort Worth is the hotel that JFK spent his last night in with Jackie before the assassination. Didn't know that.

No, well, I didn't. I was spending quite a lot of time there. And of course, you know, the busy of it is that you say in what your schedule is. It could all change. It could all change. It's all dependent on England, isn't it? So it's all based on England topping their group and then everything sort of like filters down from there. Let's just rattle through a couple of these quick questions.

Matt from Retford, love the pod. The guest appearances have been so interesting. Ahead of the World Cup, what country's national anthems and fans that they most enjoy experience? first hand. Also, what World Cup atmosphere they were most moved by or enjoyed the most? What would a quick answer to that be from Matt in Redford? I remember commentating on Argentina beating Iran in Bello Horizonte, Brazil 2014. Horizont. Messi killed in a winner in the 90th minute and the amount of support. I mean, it was, it was, Iran played really well in the game and could have nicked it.

but then obviously the Magic Man turns up and scores a real cracker to win it. And the reaction of the Argentina fans who totally dominated that stadium because they travelled, you know, in their thousands because it was easier for them to get to that World Cup. Just, again, that's the classic example of being at a World Cup and experiencing something you're never, ever, ever going to experience. That was an incredible moment that. I find that when you follow a team, see a team that is supported by mass,

mass crowds. And that's a little worry with this World Cup that I'm not sure we're going to see that because I'm not sure people are going to be able to afford to travel in the huge numbers that we saw. One of my memories was in Russia saying so many South American teams being followed by thousands and thousands of people, whether it was Mexico or Argentina. Do you remember St. Petersburg with Argentina was incredible? And you think they upped sticks.

They were like families traveled from Argentina to Russia, St. Petersburg. And, you know, the match we covered in that steam, Diego Maradonna was there. So, you know, seeing that, and if that is the case, then that is the worst of all of it.

You know, the overpriced tickets. If the effect of that is that we see bland atmospheres and, you know, maybe a little pocket in the corner where they've got the, you know, they've managed to reduce prices to the extent that some people can get in so that they've got the TV shot of the fans from that country. That'll be a crying shame. Whether it would be that love affair of the 1982 World Cup and just seeing that the style

of football, but if the Brazilian fans are out in force, there is no better sight. Very quickly on that end, that's one of the things I would say. And you might get it in Mexico at this World Cup. I'm not sure you'd get it in USA and Canada to the same extent. But you know when we're in the host country, but we're not in the stadium, but you're watching the host nation play a game. So you're sitting with their fans at a bar watching that game. The one I remember was sitting in Recife,

watching Brazil in a penalty shootout against Chile. I think it was against Chile in that World Cup in 2014. I commented on that much. Right. And the experience of watching the Brazilian fans go through the agonies there. I mean, they couldn't watch the penalties or that, you know, There were tears, there was laughter. That's an amazing experience, that.

You know, being in the nation when the host nation is playing with their fans watching it. That's great fun. And also answering Matt's question about the anthems. When you mentioned that match, you know, the two anthems there,

Chile and Brazil. I mean, everyone was in tears. The Chile anthem, everyone's in tears. Then Brazil come. They're all in tears. Everyone in the crowd's in tears. I think any South American anthem has the ability to turn the waterworks on.

And also, my other choices would be France, Italy, Spain, all great great anthems. Germany as all. Come on, Paul, Forrest... You're going to stand up for the Italian national anthem, aren't you? Well, I would. I would, yeah, but it won't be there. Do you remember the... You're doing Japan at this World Cup?

That's quite solemn, isn't it? It starts off like that, doesn't it? It's all very slow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Paul is a forest fan living in Derby, he says, for my sins. You've spoken before about sometimes sharing commentaries. For example, I can recall the days of Mike Ingram, saying we are at the 67 minute mark.

Taking you through to full-time, here's Alan Green. Do you prefer being the lone commentator for a full match and does sharing the duties bring with it a competitive edge? Not so much competitive edge. I know we've talked about this on this podcast before, but because it's what I grew up listening to, those shared commentaries, You know, it's a bit like Test Mike Special, I think.

You're only 20 minutes away from another commentator. I love it when we, I loved it as a listener. I love it as a listener. And I love it as a commentator working with another commentator. And as I always say, you know, listening to you, when we sit together commentating on matches, every single match that we do together, you'll say something or something will happen that I will think, oh, yeah, I've learned something here about commentary, even at our stage.

I completely agree. I think it's a different style. It's a different perspective. But also as well, yes, there's the traditions of the dual commentary. But for what many people wouldn't know as well, it's the different workload as well. And we do it for the FA Cup final, but we do it for the World Cup final, the lead cut final. But at times when John is doing a hit on Radio 5, I might be off doing a hit on the World Service. And therefore, it's the workload that you require for. for the big games to have the two commentators. And newspapers will send two or three reporters to cover a big game, and therefore that's the reason why we still have the dual commentaries as well for the big matches. And I like you, John, I really enjoy it. Yeah, so thank you to Paul for that question.

Also, David in North Shields says, obviously the scale of this World Cup is unlike any before. You three, as the main guys, I assume, will all be commentating on site. But how many matches will you be able to do with the travelling? Or are you all based in specific areas? Will you be working in teams like in Russia again, brackets commentator, summariser and producer?

Or mixing around like usual. If you are in teams, who are you with? How many other commentators will be working for Five Live in Solford? Can't be just Mike Mainey. And also, while the World Cup draws to a close, will Ali be commentating at the Open Golf as usual? Yeah, I will be because my last game at the World Cup is the first quarterfinal and then I'm whizzing home on the Saturday and I'll get to Burkdale on the Wednesday

and the open starts on the Thursday. Very sadly, John, you won't be at the open this year, will you? Because obviously World Cup final is on the Sunday at the Open. Yeah, this sadly will be the first Open championship that I have not attended since 1990. been at every single one since then, but not in 2026. What happened for, oh no, four years ago, it was a winter World Cup, what happened eight years ago? Well, the World Cup would always finish the weekend before the Open.

But with the extra week now, that's not the case. Ah, I see. So does that mean moving forward, you will never do an Open again? Well, I like it. In a World Cup year. It'd have to be a World Cup year, wouldn't it? Yeah, and actually, intriguingly, the Open in a couple of years' time has shifted into August, isn't it?

In a couple of years' time, because that's in the year of the Euros and everything else that's happening that year, Olympics. So it wouldn't surprise me if, it's going slightly off topic, if the Open actually did move its position in the calendar. I know you've got some powers,

but just to accommodate you. Anyway, back on topic. The question about how many matches we're going to be able to do, actually geographically feasibly I look at my schedule and I think compared to tournaments in the past

where it's been like two matches in three days three matches in four days this is much more like a domestic schedule when I look at it and that is purely based around the fact that it would be too difficult to get to

wherever the other match is so I think I will probably maybe, I think it's about three matches a week I will do during the course of this World Cup. I remember in Qatar and also Russia, on occasions I did sort of like three games in three days or in Russia I certainly did three and four days.

But looking at mine, I think I've only got, on two occasions, I've got back-to-back games, Atlanta and Philadelphia and then Boston, New York, which are easy to get to within the space of 24 hours. Yeah, I'm the same. And so Houston and Dallas, you can shuttle between, So I think I've got a back to back there And maybe is there in New York, Boston or something like that that I'm doing as well

Where you don't have to fly and you can get there and you can do it Just taking that on to the next question as well about the teams It's similar in a way, isn't it, to the way that we did Russia In terms of I've got three weeks with Chris Sutton for company doing that sort of Texas bit I know Dion Dublin is over on the West Coast with with Vicky Sparks Paul Robinson is doing England with you, John, isn't it? and we'll hear Alan Shearer on our England coverage as well. I joined Pat Nevin then for my last few games in the last 10 days.

So you'll get blocks of... It's the way it has to be, doesn't it? Because, as you guys have been saying, the area is so vast, we can't just keep dotting around and moving around all over the place. You've kind of got to operate as a unit. But I quite like that. I quite like having that time together and building that rapport that you can bring the off-air stuff on air and all that sort of thing.

I like that, but I also like the variety, which I will, for the first week. I'll be with Chris Sutton in Mexico and then we go our separate ways but then we'll come back together again I think later on in the tournament Clearly nobody wants to work with me I'm just here and everywhere on my own

Boo-hoo Get the violin out And in answer to the question How many other commentators We'll be working for 5 Live in Salford I mean the sheer scale of this means that Yes there are quite a number of commentaries That will be coming from

the BBC's studios in Solford. So Jonathan Pierce, Lee Blakeman, John Aker's, Chris Coles, familiar voices during the course of the football season. They'll be commentating on matches from Solford with Leon Osmond, Sue Smith, Michael Brown, Curtis Davis, Stephen Warnock. I think Clinton Morrison is also doing matches as well.

And for the Scotland matches, it'll be a sort of link up with Radio Scotland for five. live with Alastellamont and Pat Nevin providing the commentary on those matches. Couple more, starting with this one. Hi, Earl. I'm Mark from Bournemouth. I don't funny enough support Manchester United. I think the podcast is brilliant. I only tuned in on it about Easter time,

and I now listen to it on a regular basis. My question is, what do you do during the summer when there's no major football tournament going on? Well, thank you, Mark, for that question. it feels like it's actually quite rare now when there is a free summer but when they're personally as you will know if you listen to us regularly we travel so much

whether it's within the country or outside for the matches that actually I quite like to have a better time at home yeah I mean in terms of... You do do the golf though don't you the two of you both do the golf yep yeah we do that

but when you do have a little stretch of time for me actually the last last thing I wanted to do is patting the bags again. Yeah, we will always find room, obviously, for a family holiday in there, and you're trying to find that in the school holidays and in between the two football seasons. The golf is definitely one that takes up a bit of time, but those are a joy to go and cover those tournaments. But yeah, no, it's true.

It's true, Mark. That's every other year that there's no major football tournament, but there always seems to be something to keep us busy, but we do have a little bit of time to unwind. And you, Ian? Will it be Toromolinos again? I'm doing a road trip in Spain. Oh, you? To practice my Spanish, yeah.

Like Sancio Tanza. So getting a car and just going off on the beaten track. So where are you going to go? Well, it's a road trip. We're just going to find it. Going to go to Granada. Granada. There's a place called Altia.

I want to go there. What's the attraction? Nourha. It's meant to be a nice little quaint town. What about Altia? Altia. I don't know. It's just meant to be sort of like lots of white wall buildings.

It's meant to be really quaint. So I want to go there. So I'm going to be going to be going off driving around Spain. In your Seat, Ibiza. That's what I do. The sound of that. Can I go? If Hare Chapman, he is, that you and I are going on a road trip in Spain.

He'd love that, wouldn't you? Yeah, but John, with your travel nightmares, that's going to jinx it. Then I won't want you anywhere near it. Yeah. But no, you'd be more than welcome. Well, thank you very much. But, no, I think I'll be staying at home after we get back from the World Cup. Watching a bit of cricket, I hope.

That's what I'd like to do. And racing. And racing. A bit of racing, Ian, yes. And finally, on this edition of the commentator's view, Anthony in County Cork says, Good morning, gents. During the World Cup with time differences in your travel,

will there be a World Cup T-Cube? All the best, Anthony. Well, apparently the official answer on that is we'll see if we can get together during the tournament to record a TCV from across the pond. So I suppose it will depend on schedules, et cetera, et cetera. Yeah, I mean, previous major tournaments, even though it probably didn't come under the banner,

the commentators of view, we have gathered like post-group stages pre-knockouts or later in the tournament to do that kind of thing. but you're right, John. I mean, we'd absolutely love to do it, and I would love to hear your stories and Ian's story, everyone's stories of what they've been doing and what it's been like.

So if it's possible, I'm sure, I mean, I would have thought it would probably be in Mark Chapman's rider that there would have to be a couple of episodes of the commentator's view just to keep him happy during the World Cup. It's going to have to have something to listen to, isn't he? Who knows, there might be a bar owner in New York that thinks, hold on. I could say that we could hold an impromptu TCV

small gathering of an audience, it could be the second stage of the world tour. It could be, they're long awaited. With a bit of foresight, you know, that could have been done. I know you and I, Ian, will be in New York at the same time. Will you as well, Allie, at any stage? Will we all be in New York at the same time?

I'm not sure. I'll have a look at my schedule. I'll have a look. Well, we'll leave that one there. So that is it for this episode of the Football Day daily, thank you Ian, thank you, Ali. Good luck to you. Thank you, John. On your travels.

And thank you as well, the listener, for all of your listens, downloads, and correspondence over the course of this season. TCV would not be what it is without the sense of community among our listeners. J4J.4J. And the dogs. And as we say, keep your eyes on the Football Daily feed, as there may be the odd episode of the commentators. view dropping for you during the World Cup.

But that's all for now. And remember, you can find each and every episode of the commentator's view right back to the start of the first series by scrolling down your football daily feed. And as well, make sure you listen to our commentaries on Five Live during the course of the World Cup. And that's where you'll hear us next. Adios amicus. We can't play hard.

feeling you get when it's about to go in the net and everyone goes oh i don't know what that's called but i knew what it feels like we know that feeling the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming soon on 5 live and BBC sounds