World Cup 2014 TV Coverage: ITV Name their Pundits, Presenters and Commentary Lineup for Brazil

Estadio Do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro - Photo by Arthur Boppré (Via Wikimedia)

Estadio Do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro – Photo by Arthur Boppré (Via Wikimedia Commons)

ITV today revealed their squad of World Cup 2014 pundits, presenters and commentators who’ll be boarding the plane for Brazil this summer.

Kicking-off on Thursday the 12th of June, ITV’s World Cup coverage will be presented by the channels regular football host Adrian Chiles, with Matt Smith also on hand.

The long list of pundits named today are: ITV regulars Lee Dixon and Roy Keane, plus Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, ex-Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright, former Uruguayan international and current Sunderland boss Gus Poyet, Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill, former French international and World Cup winner Patrick Vieira, the currently injured England player Andros Townsend and ex-England boss Glenn Hoddle.

In the commentary box you’ll be hearing the voices of Clive Tyldesley, Andy Townsend, Sam Matterface and Clarke Carlisle, with Gabriel Clarke reporting from pitch-side.

Over the course of the tournament, the team will be covering thousands of miles as they travel between Brazil’s various hosting stadiums. Throughout the World Cup though, the guys will also be broadcasting from their base in Rio de Janeiro. From this hopefully air-conditioned studio, ITV will be looking to bring viewers a taste of this soccer mad countries world famous carnival atmosphere, showing just what it means to Brazilian’s to be hosting the greatest footballing competition on earth.

For more details of the tournament group stages schedule for ITV and BBC, here’s the full list of World Cup 2014 UK Kick Off Times (GMT/BST), or if your only interested in the England games, here’s just the Group D schedule.

Adrian Chiles ITV Interview

What are you most looking forward to about the World Cup in Brazil?

“It’s almost a ludicrous question – like asking what are you most looking forward to about collecting your lottery winnings? Or what are you most looking forward to about drinking this £1,000 bottle of wine? A World Cup. In Brazil. What’s not to die for? The greatest tournament in the world staged in the greatest footballing nation in the world. What an absolute privilege to
be there.”

Which do you think will be the teams and players to look out for during the tournament?

“If Aguero and Messi click then Argentina could well win. Neither of those players, for different reasons, by their standards, have had vintage seasons so perhaps they’ll make everyone else pay dearly for that now. Other than that I think either Germany or Brazil will win.”