BBC confirm pundit line-up for World Cup as 11 names missing

BBC Sport has announced its full line-up of pundits for World Cup 2026.

The World Cup will be played in the United States, Canada and Mexico between June 11, when it opens at Mexico's Estadio Azteca, and July 19, when the final will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Live coverage in the United Kingdom is divided by law between the BBC and ITV. The BBC will show 54 of the 104 matches live from North America.

A mammoth 48-team World Cup demands a colossus of a punditry crew and BBC Sport has gone all in, announcing on Monday that its team of presenters and commentators will be supported by no fewer than 18 expert analysts across its many broadcasts.

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney will be up top with Alan Shearer.

Ex-Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud will grace our screens too, along with former Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

Thomas Frank will be part of the BBC line-up. Image credit: Getty

Several noteworthy names have not joined the BBC Sport ranks for the summer tournament.

Gary Lineker will be absent from the free-to-air coverage for the first time in decades having departed the BBC in May 2025. He was initially due to leave the corporation after the tournament but rode off into the sunset early after instigating a social media storm sharing a post with antisemitic implications.

Lineker's podcast rival and former England defender Rio Ferdinand and ex-Welsh internationals Ian Rush and Danny Gabbidon are also not on the BBC pundit list.

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has been deployed by BBC Sport before but will not be included on this occasion, while Laura Georges, Jurgen Klinsmann, Pablo Zabaleta, Gilberto Silva, Didier Drogba and Mark Schwarzer are in the same boat.

According to the Express, "Those decisions have been made for a number of reasons."

The full list of BBC pundits for the World Cup

While BBC Sport has chosen not to bring back some big names for World Cup 2026, the full roster of 18 pundits is packed with heavy hitters and voices capable of providing insight across a wide range of teams.

England and Scotland will be well represented as the only two home nations to have qualified for the World Cup.

Rooney and Shearer will be joined by Micah Richards, Joe Hart, Paul Robinson and Danny Murphy, along with Lionesses legends Steph Houghton and Ellen White.

Scott Brown, James McFadden and Rachel Corsie will be among the BBC's Scottish voices, while Giroud and Frank will be joined by former professionals Gael Clichy, Cesar Azpilicueta, Benni McCarthy, Ashley Williams and Lucas Leiva.

BBC Sport has announced its full roster of pundits and co-commentators across television and radio.

The full list is as follows:

Alan Shearer, Ashley Williams, Benni McCarthy, Cesar Azpilicueta, Chris Sutton, Clinton Morrison, Conor Coady, Darren Cann, David Edgar, Dion Dublin, Efan Ekoku, Ellen White, Gael Clichy, Hassan Kachloul, James McFadden, Joe Hart, Kris Boyd, Leanne Crichton, Lucas Leiva, Martin Keown, Micah Richards, Neil McCann, Olivier Giroud, Pat Nevin, Paul Robinson, Rachel Corsie, Scott Brown, Steph Houghton, Stephen Warnock, Sue Smith, Theo Walcott, Thomas Frank, Wayne Rooney.