We’re two weeks into the World Cup and the actual soccer has been fantastic. The production from both networks has been sharp, the coverage is deep, and the games are delivering. But if you spend five minutes scrolling through social media, you’d think everyone involved is somehow ruining the whole thing.
Let’s be clear about what’s happening here. The tournament is being played against a backdrop of serious issues — political scandals, human rights concerns, the whole dark circus that’s followed FIFA for years. But the games themselves? They’ve been great. And the broadcasts from both major networks have been a genuine pleasure to watch. I’m not going to pretend one is clearly better than the other. They’re both doing excellent work.
Emma Hayes has been one of the real standouts. Her quick tactical breakdowns during hydration breaks are clear, smart, and unlike anything we’ve seen from a manager on live TV. She explains complex adjustments in 30 seconds and makes it look easy. And yet people still find reasons to criticize her. Some of it is garden-variety misogyny. Some of it is just reflexive negativity from people who seem determined to hate everything. The “box ticking” crowd has already made its predictable appearance.
Lee Dixon gets an absurd amount of grief too. The guy could call England’s best performance of the tournament with genuine enthusiasm and people would still complain that he sounds too gloomy. That’s just his voice. That’s just how he talks. If you don’t like it, you have options. Mute the broadcast. Switch to the radio feed. Watch the game with stadium audio only. Nobody is forcing you to listen to a commentator you don’t enjoy. And since you’re not paying for the broadcast anyway, the level of grievance feels especially ridiculous.
The highlights problem that isn’t actually a problem
Some people have complained about the lack of a traditional highlights show. But every game’s highlights are available on demand through the streaming apps right after the final whistle. You can watch them whenever you want, in whatever order you want. The only thing missing is someone telling you when to watch. That’s not a real problem. That’s a preference wrapped in a complaint.
ITV has taken some smart risks with its coverage. Using local voices like Adam Richman was a bold choice that added a different energy. Christina Unkel has been sharp and clear with her referee analysis. Gary Lineker showed up for a stint on the other network and it worked fine. The BBC’s set design gets criticized whether they spend money on it or not. It’s a no-win situation for them and they handle it gracefully anyway.
The real issue isn’t the broadcasts. It’s the culture around them. Algorithms reward outrage. Negativity gets more engagement than appreciation. So you get people who claim to love soccer spending their tournament complaining about accents, set design, and the lack of a 10 PM highlights show that nobody actually needs. There are eight games happening every day for weeks. The soccer is good. The production is good. Maybe just watch the game and enjoy it.
If you genuinely dislike every option available to you, that’s not a broadcasting problem. That’s a you problem. And you can fix it by simply turning off the TV and listening to something else.
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