Every World Cup pundit ranked as ITV and BBC stars' performances analysed

The World Cup broadcasting battle between BBC and ITV was an entertaining one as the two main channels went head-to-head.

The BBC chose to stay at home in their Salford studio, with only their commentators and reporters present on the ground until pundits and presenters were flown out for the semi-finals.

Taking a different approach, ITV broadcasted from a studio with incredible skyline views of Brooklyn - though their first-choice line up of pundits did not attend any games.

There was plenty of good punditry and plenty of bad punditry. And with that in mind, SPORTbible has decided to rank those who were permanent fixtures on our screens over the past month or so.

24.Darren Cann (BBC)

The Peter Walton/Mike Dean is a tough gig and Cann, an assistant referee in 2010, absolutely gave it his best shot. But being honest, he really didn't add much to BBC's coverage as their designated refereeing analyst.

23.Martin Keown (BBC)

A regular on our screens over the years, Keown is best-suited for debates with Simon Jordan on talkSPORT.

22.Olivier Giroud (BBC)

While he might have won the award for best-looking pundit, Giroud's punditry still needs quite a bit of work. The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker did really say anything interesting.

21.Theo Walcott (BBC)

Walcott comes across well but he is still a little safe in his punditry and does not offer too much.

20.Cezar Azpilicueta (BBC)

Much like his playing style, Azpilicueta's punditry skills are solid. But he did have a tendency to fade in the background whenever called upon.

19.Thomas Frank (BBC)

Frank's analysis was a real highlight at Euro 2024 two years ago but unfortunately he didn't provide anything of note this time around.

18.Christina Unkel (ITV)

As mentioned before, anyone providing the refereeing expertise is immediately on the backfoot but Unkel did offer some good insight for some of the controversial decisions on occasion.

17.Juan Mata (ITV)

A decent addition to ITV's roster for some of the lesser games even if he wasn't particularly cutting.

16.Duncan Ferguson (ITV)

A massive personality who slotted in nicely with ITV's big guns. Executed his role well and told good stories.

15.Thomas Hitszlsperger (BBC)

Genuinely one of the most underrated pundits around. The former Aston Villa and Everton midfielder was on fine form after Germany's shock elimination at the hands of Paraguay.

14.Ashley Williams (BBC)

Steady pundit who will no doubt keep getting booked by the BBC going forward.

13.Bradley Wright-Phillips (ITV)

His reunion with father Ian was very wholesome and the New York Red Bulls legend delivered a strong performance.

12.Karen Carney (ITV)

Capped 144 times for England, Carney is now broadly experienced in punditry and genuinely deserves more credit for what she brings to the table.

11.Patrick Vieira (ITV)

Not afraid to speak his mind and became the go-to voice for all things relating to France, who ultimately finished fourth.

10.Roy Keane (ITV)

You know exactly what you're going to get with Keane and the Manchester United legend was good value on ITV as usual.

9.Jobi McAnuff (ITV)

Normally on duty for Sky Sports' EFL coverage, McAnuff had a tidy tournament and excelled when doing punditry for a chunk of games in the early hours.

8.Gary Neville (ITV)

You don't always have to agree with Neville to appreciate that he is one of the top pundits and co-commentators. He didn't hold back on a number of topics, whether it by ticket prices of FIFA making up the rules as they went along.

7.Gael Clichy (BBC)

A fantastic pundit who should be on our screens more often given the tactical observations he has.

6.Micah Richards (BBC)

The busiest man in all of punditry, Richards was brilliant throughout and displayed his versatility. The ex England man deserves huge praise for being part of BBC's coverage of England vs Argentina after learning of the passing of his father Lincoln.

5.Ian Wright (ITV)

'Wrighty' remains one of the best in the business and his passion oozes through him whenever there's a conversation about England.

4.Ange Postecoglou (ITV)

Such a great talker about the beautiful game and his knowledge is refreshing. Postecoglou has now returned to management with Al Nassr and will work with Cristiano Ronaldo.

3.Wayne Rooney (BBC)

Rooney's ability to talk was ridiculed for years but it's time to acknowledge that he is a top, top pundit. He knows the game inside and out and his unparalleled honesty makes for great viewing - particularly when discussing Gianni Infantino's footwear or the World Cup final half-time show.

2..Emma Hayes (ITV)

The decision to have her do hydration break tactical talks in a kitchen-like space was daft but Hayes is a master of her craft and she did not miss once.

1.Joe Hart (BBC)

The MVP of the tournament. Hart's performance for the BBC was nearly as good as his game against Spurs for City in 2010. Whether it was breaking down how difficult Adidas' Trionda ball was for goalkeepers or sending a strong message after England's elimination, his showing was simply superb.