FIFA World Cup 2026: beIN SPORTS assembles biggest broadcast team for 104 matches
David Silva, Ruud Gullit and Aboutrika lead the line-up
DUBAI – beIN SPORTS has revealed an extensive line-up of football legends, presenters, analysts and reporters for its coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, assembling what it describes as the largest and most diverse broadcast team in the tournament’s history.
As the official broadcaster of the competition across 24 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the network will deploy more than 80 on-screen personalities to cover every aspect of the expanded tournament. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the biggest edition ever staged, featuring 104 matches, all of which will be shown live and exclusively on beIN SPORTS across the region in Arabic, English and French, with broadcasts also available in 4K HDR.
Global icons
The broadcaster has recruited some of football’s most recognisable names to provide analysis and expert insight throughout the tournament.
Among the headline figures are former Spain international and FIFA World Cup winner David Silva, ex-Brazil captain Fernandinho, former England internationals Ashley Cole and Ashley Young, France EURO 2000 champion and Arsenal Invincible Robert Pirès, and former Portugal striker Pauleta.
The international team also includes Argentina's Claudio López, former Liverpool and Spain forward Luis García, France international Bacary Sagna, Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit and FIFA World Cup-winning defender Marcel Desailly.
Further strengthening the line-up are former Switzerland defender Philippe Senderos, Republic of Ireland legend Jason McAteer and former United States international Christopher Sullivan, all bringing World Cup experience to the broadcaster's coverage.
Former Paris Saint-Germain defender Didier Domi and ex-Manchester City winger Nicky Summerbee will also feature, while women’s football is represented by Denmark international Nadia Nadim, who earned more than 100 caps for her country, and former England international Lianne Sanderson, a bronze medallist at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Arab voices
A significant focus has been placed on representation from across the Arab world, with beIN SPORTS bringing together football personalities from all eight Arab nations that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
Egyptian football icons Mohammed Aboutrika, Ahmed El-Mohamady and Haytham Farouk are among the standout names from North Africa. They are joined by Morocco’s former captain Romain Saïss, who led his country during its historic run to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and former Morocco international Youssef Chippo.
Tunisia will be represented by Hatim Trabelsi, Karim Haggui and Sami Trabelsi, while Algeria's contingent includes Rafik Halliche, former Premier League midfielder Adlène Guédioura and Islam Slimani, the country's all-time leading goalscorer.
The Gulf region also features prominently. Qatar's representation includes former national team player and respected coach Younis Ali, alongside Abdulaziz Al-Sulaiti and Mubarak Mustafa. Saudi Arabia's football heritage will be represented by Taiseer Al-Jassim and Yasser Al-Qahtani, while former Iraq international Salam Shakir joins the analyst roster.
The regional line-up is further enhanced by Jordan’s Abdullah Abu Zema, Syria’s Omar Al Somah and Oman’s Imad Al-Hosni.
Collectively, the network’s pundits bring more than 2,800 international appearances, offering audiences a wealth of experience from the highest levels of the game.
Extensive coverage
The broadcaster's Arabic-language programming will be led by presenters Mohammed Saadon Al-Kuwari, Abdulaziz Al-Nasr, Tariq Al-Hammad, Amine Sebti, Meshari Al-Khuzaim and Areej Sleem. They will be joined by Mohammed Kidan and Abdulaziz Al-Fadli as part of the core presentation team.
English-language coverage will be fronted by Lynsey Hipgrave, Matt Spiro and Aarran Summers, providing international perspective throughout the competition.
Supporting the studio teams will be 18 roving reporters stationed across the host cities, delivering live updates, interviews and behind-the-scenes reporting throughout the tournament.
Mohammed Al-Bader, Managing Director of beIN Channels MENA, said the network had assembled one of the largest and most diverse broadcast teams in world football for the expanded tournament.
He said the combination of international stars, regional football figures, presenters and reporters reflects both the scale of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and beIN SPORTS’ commitment to comprehensive coverage across the Middle East and North Africa.
The broadcaster will air all 104 matches live and exclusively across eight dedicated channels, providing viewers throughout the region with continuous coverage of football’s biggest tournament in Arabic, English and French.