England kick-off their 2026 World Cup campaign tonight when they take on Croatia in Dallas at 9pm – but there is fear they will not get off to a winning start.
Thomas Tuchel is looking to end 60 years of hurt, with the Three Lions one of the favourites to go all the way in North America.
In the UK, the BBC and ITV are broadcasting every World Cup match live, with tonight’s fixture at the AT&T Stadium being shown on ITV1, which has caused some concern among supporters.
It has long been claimed that ITV’s coverage of England is cursed, with the Three Lions seemingly performing better when their matches are broadcast on the BBC.
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A Lionel Messi hattrick. A Kylian Mbappe screamer. Erling Haaland’s first World Cup goals. We’ve got it all in today’s World Cup newsletter. Oh, and we’re looking ahead to England’s crucial opener against Croatia.
But is there any truth to this conspiracy? Metro has crunched the numbers and worked out that the omens are not looking good for Harry Kane and co. tonight…
ITV’s England record
Since the 1998 World Cup in France, ITV have aired 34 England games but staggeringly, only 10 of those were victories.
That’s a win percentage of just 29.4% for the broadcaster, with their coverage including 13 defeats.
Notable games include the semi-final defeat to Croatia at the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-final loss to France in 2022, as well as the humiliating Euro 2016 exit at the hands of Iceland.
Going back further, they brought us the World Cup penalty shootout losses to Portugal and Argentina, both of which occurred after England’s star player was sent off – Wayne Rooney in 2006 and David Beckham in 1998.
BBC’s England record
Over the same period of time, the BBC have a much healthier record, with 21 wins out of 31 games – a win-percentage of 67.7%.
It’s not all good news for the Beeb, who have aired eight England losses, including the embarrassing 4-1 thrashing by Germany at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Both broadcasters showed the last two European Championship finals, when England lost to Italy and Spain.
Which TV channel will England’s 2026 World Cup games be shown on?
ITV will broadcast England’s group stage games against Croatia (tonight) and Panama (June 27), while the BBC will show the clash with Ghana (June 23).
Should the Three Lions progress through the knockouts, you can expect the BBC to show their round of 32, round of 16 and semi-final matches as they have first pick over which fixtures to air from those rounds.
ITV will have first pick for the quarter-finals. As ever, both broadcasters will air the final in New York on July 19.
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