It was a Messi and Mbappe masterclass: arguably the greatest World Cup Final in history and a fitting conclusion to perhaps the greatest-ever World Cup in on-field performance and drama. It was everything that viewers, and FOX, could have wished for. With Qatar 2022 now in the rearview mirror, did FOX live up to the standard set on the field? Did it improve on an abysmal showing in Russia 2018? The short answer is no. Here is a breakdown of where FOX fell short:
The Talent
While rating on air-talent is a subjective exercise, FOX does deserve plaudits for bringing in long-time favorite Ian Darke into this year’s commentary booth and enhancing its roster of announcers. However, the network failed to follow a similar strategy with their studio talent. Keeping the oft-maligned Alexi Lalas might be defendable in the context of debate, but the addition of former NFL WR Chad Ochocinco was less so. There were complaints about mispronunciations of countries and cities abound, as well as criticism over use of the sideline reporter role. But overall, it was abundantly clear who FOX thought their audience was during this World Cup: the “tune in once every four years” American soccer fan.
The rotating studio cast was almost exclusively American and offered incredibly little insight. The “compare international countries to US states” schtick can only be used so many times. Compare the FOX roster to that of its predecessor, ESPN, which in 2010 and 2014 relied upon diverse international contributors who could bring actual insight into games that did not include the United States. From former players like Michael Ballack, Steve McManaman, and Efan Ekoku to an active manager in England at the time Roberto Martinez, every match provided an opportunity to educate the viewer just a little bit on the rosters and tactics from various ex-players and ex-managers. ESPN’s Argentine analyst Santiago Solari might have been able to provide a little more insight than the “I need a cigarette” comment from Landon Donovan after the scintillating first 90 minutes between Argentina and France. That FOX had this same problem in 2018 — a World Cup without the United States — makes it disappointing that the broadcaster yet again failed to educate and inform the audience.
The Sportswashing
There are some things FOX could not help at this World Cup. It is not their fault that it was hosted in a country that bribed FIFA officials. It is not their fault that it was hosted in the winter, or that thousands of workers died to build the stadiums, or the problems that occurred with free speech and human rights. Nor is it their fault that the autocratic emir of Qatar gave Lionel Messi a bisht — a Middle Eastern formal cloak worn on special occasions — that turned a crowning moment of the sport’s greatest player into the last bit of soft power Qatar could squeeze into an abominable World Cup off the field. What could have been a great gesture turned sour by breaking FIFA rules (a stark contrast to how the gay pride captain’s armband was handled earlier in the tournament), and arguably marring one of the best moments in sports (a moment so important that Spain changed into their home jerseys when they won in 2010). What FOX can be blamed for is not just completely ignoring the flaws of the host country, but actively participating in the sportswashing exercise.
FOX was heavily supported by Qatari government ad-buys and it was clear the money was well spent. Every commercial break featured pro-Qatar spots. During their coverage, there were numerous “Exploring Qatar” pieces — produced by the Qatar Foundation — without any context added. The Qatar expert on set was Khalifa Al Haroon – “Mr. Q.” A social media influencer, he is the founder of the website “I Love Qatar.” The uniformly pro-Qatar setup was a unique one as well. BBC and Telemundo both reported on the geopolitical issues that served as the backdrop for the tournament. For a US-based comparison, NBC was not shy about letting Mike Tirico talk about the Uyghur Muslim genocide during the Beijing Olympics. Its in-studio expert was Jing Tsu, not a social media influencer but a Yale professor in East Asian Studies. NBC also covered the coronavirus problems during the Tokyo Olympics, the North and South Korean hostilities during the Pyeongchang Olympics, and water quality, economic problems, and the partnerships with authoritarian governments during the Rio Olympics.
One could argue FOX was merely showcasing the positive aspects of the host and trying to help display its culture for the world — but can you tell the story of Qatar without mentioning the 2.1 million migrant workers who make up the majority of the country’s population (just three million) and 95% of the labor force? It was perhaps fitting that the FOX coverage of this World Cup ended with a segment featuring Mr. Q, Lalas, and Stuart Holden in traditional Qatari garb and no last tribute to former Fox employee Grant Wahl, an outspoken critic of the Qatar World Cup throughout the tournament, until his untimely death of natural causes during the quarterfinals. Telemundo made sure to include a nice tribute in their coverage wrap-up.
Concluding thoughts
FOX eschewing all mention of controversy may have been poor form, but it was not exactly a surprise given that this style of coverage was their stated intention. Fox Sports executive David Neal made a point in saying that “viewers don’t come to us expecting us to be ‘Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,’ or ‘E:60.'”
There were other issues, such as the decision to move the World Cup trophy presentation to FS1 in order to allow the first quarter of an NFL game to be shown (it bears noting that the NFL is Fox Sports’ biggest and most important property and it is a testament to the World Cup’s global status that the company would have even risked preempting NFL coverage to begin with). Technical issues earlier in the tournament aren’t so easily forgiven, including the live feed cutting out multiple times during the pregame coverage of the England and Iran match. On a more positive note, this year FOX had all of their broadcast teams on site, compared to just two out of six calling games in Russia in 2018.
Hopefully, there will be less controversy in the North America-hosted 2026 World Cup and that FOX will improve its lineup in the studio and in the booth. No matter the quality of its coverage, FOX is primed to see a significant windfall in what could well be the biggest sporting event in history.
[Sources include The Athletic 12.19, New York Magazine 12.15, The Guardian 12.5, World Soccer Talk 11.27, New York Times 11.22, Daily Mail 11.21, Washington Post 11.18]
