Roy Keane is obviously a must-see.
The confirmed pundits to cover the Qatar World Cup for RTÉ, ITV and BBC have been released, which could be vital information for your decision to mute the TV or not.
Of course, some pundits can be more entertaining than the actual games themselves, so it’s critical that you don’t miss out on what could be some golden television moments.
Here are the confirmed list of pundits heading to the World Cup to work with the three main channels.
RTÉ punditry team
No major surprises here as the usual suspects will be on RTÉ this World Cup to give their match analyses and options.
Despite the fact that Ireland are not at the tournament, it still boasts a strong Irish contingent, some of whom had played at the World Cup in 2002.
Shay Given and Damien Duff were a part of that team that went to Korea/Japan, while Kevin Doyle has represented his country during the Euros.
Joanne Cantwell, Clare MacNamara and Peter Collins, with a panel of experts that include Shay Given, Richie Sadlier, Liam Brady, Didi Hamann, Damien Duff and Kevin Doyle, is the full list on the roster.
ITV punditry team
Roy Keane is obviously the big name here, with his views often creating some box office TV, and the fact that he’s an Irishman often covering the England games, usually gives a bit of balance to the often biased takes from English pundits.
Keane will be joined by Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Karen Carney, Graeme Souness, Joe Cole, Eniola Aluko, Nigel De Jong, Nadia Nadim and Hal Robson-Kanu.
Gary Neville will of course have all eyes on him, given the backlash he has faced for just heading to Qatar in the first place. The self-proclaimed socialist has faced some criticism following his decision to take payment and work in a country where so many basic human rights are denied.
BBC punditry team
Gary Lineker and Gabby Logan are spearheading the BBC’s broadcasts and their star-studded line up is ridiculously impressive.
Alan Shearer, Rio Ferdinand, Jermaine Jenas, Micah Richards, Alex Scott, Danny Gabbidon, Ian Rush, Ashley Williams, Vincent Kompany, Didier Drogba, Laura Georges, Jurgen Klinsmann, Mark Schwarzer, Gilberto Silva and Pablo Zabaleta will be working with the Beeb in the coming weeks.
Even their co-commentary team is a high-roller list, featuring the likes of Karen Bardsley, James Collins, Dion Dublin, Maz Farookhi, Danny Gabbidon, Jermaine Jenas, Martin Keown, Jayne Ludlow, Danny Murphy, Robbie Savage, Peter Schmeichel Stephen Warnock, and former Irish International, Clinton Morrison.
Related links:
- The top 20 greatest World Cup moments of all time
- Five big calls as Gareth Southgate names his England World Cup squad
- Gary Neville destroyed by Ian Hislop over Qatar World Cup role
