| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | AA | AB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Partial list of women who worked as television play-by-play commentators, match analysts (co-commentators), and studio pundits for rightsholders during FIFA Men's World Cup Russia 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Document compiled by Oliver Tse (Twitter: @workingnow88). All corrections and additions are welcome (email: workingnow88@workingnow88.com). Please circulate and re-tweet freely. Updated 2021-02-18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Women calling TV play-by-play (lead commentary) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Name | Twitter Handle | TV Network | Country | Language | Notable matches called | On site or off tube | Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||
8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Iris Cisneros | @IrisCisneros_ | Televisa Canal 9 (El Nueve) & Canal U | Mexico | Spanish | FINAL: FRA-CRO (2018-07-15) | On site (Moscow - Luzhniki) | 28-year-old Iris Cisneros is the 1st woman to call play-by-play of a Liga MX (Mexican 1st Division) men's fútbol match (Club América vs León on 10 March 2018) on U.S. Spanish-language television when she was hired by Univision Deportes in March 2018. Because Univision (which is 49% owned by Mexican media conglomerate Televisa) did not have U.S. media rights to FIFA Men's World Cup 2018, Univision Deportes loaned Cisneros to Televisa Deportes (both Univision Deportes and Televisa Deportes are now run by the same chief executive Juan Carlos Rodríguez), which deployed 4 TV commentary teams (3 all-male teams and 1 all-female team) for the final match across 5 separate TV networks (3 free-to-air terrestrial, 2 pay cable/satellite) in Mexico. Prior to joining Univision Deportes, Cisneros worked at satellite TV network SKY Sports México where she was promoted to play-by-play announcer in 2017. Cisneros, along with Gaby Fernández de Lara and Ana Caty Hernández, formed the world's 1st all-female television commentary team to call a FIFA Men's World Cup Final match on site from the stadium. | ||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Gaby Fernández de Lara | @gabyfernandezdl | Televisa Canal 9 (El Nueve) & Canal U | Mexico | Spanish | FINAL: FRA-CRO (2018-07-15) | On site (Moscow - Luzhniki) | 46-year-old Gabriela "Gaby" Fernández de Lara is the 1st woman in the world to call television play-by-play of a Liga Mexicana (Mexican 1st Division) men's fútbol match (Puebla vs Cruz Azul) for Televisa Deportes on 18 April 2004. Fernández, along with Iris Cisneros and Ana Caty Hernández, formed the world's 1st all-female television commentary team to call a FIFA Men's World Cup Final match on site from the stadium. | ||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Claudine Douville | @douville007 | Le Réseau des Sports (RDS) | Canada | French | Opening match: RUS-KSA (2018-06-14) Semifinal #1: FRA-BEL (2018-07-10) Semifinal #2: ENG-CRO (2018-07-11) Final: FRA-CRO (2018-07-15) | Off tube (Montréal) | 54-year-old Claudine Douville is believed to be the 1st woman in the world to call television play-by-play of UEFA European Championship (1992), FIFA Men's World Cup (1994), UEFA Champions League (1994-1995), English FA Cup (1995), Major League Soccer (2012), and National Hockey League (2008) regardless of language or nationality. FIFA Men's World Cup Russia 2018 was the 7th men's world cup for which Douville has called television play-by-play off tube from Montréal. (She called the final match of FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 on site from Vancouver.) Douville called play-by-play of 43 FIFA Men's World Cup 2018 matches including the final with co-commentator Jean Gounelle. The Douville/Gounelle broadcast team is now in its 23rd year and was formed prior to the 1995 English FA Cup Final. She is 1 of 3 women (along with former Sport 30 anchor/current NHL Montréal Canadiens beat reporter Chantal Machabée & former tennis professional Hélène Pelletier) to have joined Canadian French-language national all-sports pay TV network RDS prior to launch on 1 September 1989. She began her sports TV career at age 16 when she joined French-language regional sports TV network TVSQ in 1980. She is the mother of 3 grown children. | ||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Isabelly Morais | @isabellymoraiis | FOX Sports Brasil & FOX Sports Dois Brasil | Brazil | Portuguese | Opening match: RUS-KSA (2018-06-14) BRA-SUI (2018-06-17) Semifinal #2: ENG-CRO (2018-07-11) 3rd place: BEL-ENG (2018-07-14) | Off tube (Rio de Janeiro) | At age 20, Isabelly Morais is the youngest female TV play-by-play announcer to call FIFA Men's World Cup matches. Morais entered a national talent contest Narra Quem Sabe conducted by FOX Sports Brasil and was 1 of 3 play-by-play announcers selected, despite having only 8 months of professional radio sports play-by-play experience prior to winning contest. She studied journalism at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte. | ||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Manuela Avena | @manuelaavena | FOX Sports Dois Brasil | Brazil | Portuguese | POR-ESP (2018-06-15) BRA-CRC (2018-06-22) RUS-CRO (2018-07-07) | Off tube (Rio de Janeiro) | 29-year-old sports journalist from Salvador de Bahia. | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Renata Silveira | @renatasilveirag | FOX Sports Brasil & FOX Sports Dois Brasil | Brazil | Portuguese | ARG-ISL (2018-06-16) BRA-MEX (2018-07-02) BRA-BEL (2018-07-06) Semifinal #1: FRA-BEL (2018-07-10) FINAL: FRA-CRO (2018-07-15) | Off tube (Rio de Janeiro) | A 28-year-old native of Rio de Janeiro who studied physical education as an undergraduate before studying sports journalism as a graduate student, Renata Silveira was the first Brazilian woman to commentate a Men's World Cup match on radio when she called play-by-play of the Uruguay vs Costa Rica match for Radio Globo in 2014. Silveira, along with sports journalist Vanessa Riche and former assistant referee Nadine Basttos, called the final match of FIFA Men's World Cup 2018 "off tube" from the studio of FOX Sports Brasil in Rio de Janeiro. | ||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Claudia Neumann | N/A | ZDF | Germany | German | ARG-ISL (2018-06-16) CRC-SRB (2018-06-17) COL-JPN (2018-06-19) DEN-AUS (2018-06-21) IRN-POR (2018-06-25) MEX-SWE (2018-06-27) BEL-JPN (2018-07-02) | Off tube (Mainz) | 54-year old Claudia Neumann calls matches by herself (without a co-commentator). She has 7 years of play-by-play experience beginning with FIFA Women's World Cup 2011. She called her first men's match during UEFA Euro 2016. She began her sports television career in 1992 with pay TV network SAT.1 before moving to free-to-air terrestrial TV network ZDF in 1999. | ||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Maria José González | @majolab | SKY Sports Central America | Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama | Spanish | MAR-IRN (2018-06-15) RUS-ESP (2018-06-30) URU-POR (2018-06-30) ENG-SWE (2018-07-07) 3rd place: BEL-ENG (2018-07-14) | Off tube (Mexico City) | Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) pay TV service SKY Sports México/Central America is currently owned by Televisa and AT&T. During World Cup 2018, SKY Sports México/Central America offered two separate audio tracks for each match: one for viewers in Mexico and one for viewers in Central America and Dominican Republic. SKY Sports México promoted 31-year-old Maria José "Majo" González from match analyst/co-commentator to play-by-play announcer in March 2018, after 28-year-old Iris Cisneros left SKY Sports México for Univision Deportes (USA). | ||||||||||||||||||||
17 | SKY Sports México | Mexico | Spanish | POL-SEN (2018-06-19) SRB-SUI (2018-06-22) SUI-CRC (2018-06-27) BEL-JPN (2018-07-02) | Off tube (Mexico City) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Vicki Sparks | @vksparks | BBC One | UK | English | POR-MAR (2018-06-20) | On site (Moscow - Luzhniki) | 30-year-old Vicki Sparks is a sports journalist from Newcastle, England with play-by-play experience on both TV and radio. Sparks was one of two women (along with Robyn Cowen) hired by the BBC to call television & streaming video play-by-play of FA WSL women's matches. | ||||||||||||||||||||
19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Women providing TV co-commentary/match analysis (partial list) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Name | Twitter Handle | TV Network | Country | Language | Notable matches called | On site or off tube | Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||
23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | Ana Caty Hernández | @AnaCatyHdz | Televisa Canal 9 (El Nueve) & Canal U | Mexico | Spanish | FINAL: FRA-CRO (2018-07-15) | On site (Moscow - Luzhniki) | 28-year-old sports journalist Ana Catalina "Ana Caty" Hernández was hired by U.S. Spanish-language sports television entity Univision Deportes upon graduation from ITESM (Monterrey Tech). Univision Deportes promoted Hernández from reporter to host/anchor in 2017, and assigned her to provide match analysis/co-commentary of men's and women's futbol matches in 2018. Hernández and play-by-play announcer Iris Cisneros were part of a broadcast team which featured 2 women calling a Liga MX (Mexican 1st Division) men's fútbol match (Club América vs León) on site from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 10 March 2018. Because Univision did not have U.S. rights to FIFA World Cup 2018, Univision Deportes loaned Hernández to Televisa Deportes during FIFA World Cup 2018. Hernández, along with play-by-play announcers Iris Cisneros and Gaby Fernández de Lara, formed the 1st ever all-female television broadcast team in the world to call a FIFA Men's World Cup Final match on site from the stadium. Hernández accepted a marriage proposal from her colleague, Univision Deportes on-air talent Xavier Sol (Twitter: @XaviSol_), at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow shortly after the conclusion of the final match of FIFA Men's World Cup Russia 2018. | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Aly Wagner | @alywagner | FOX & FS1 | USA | English | IRN-MAR (2018-06-15) TUN-ENG (2018-06-18) ENG-PAN (2018-06-24) ENG-BEL (2018-06-28) RUS-ESP (2018-07-01) COL-ENG (2018-07-03) SWE-ENG (2018-07-07) | Off tube (Los Angeles) Off tube (Los Angeles) Off tube (Los Angeles) Off tube (Los Angeles) On Site (Moscow - Luzhniki) On Site (Moscow - Spartak) On Site (Samara) | 37-year-old Aly Wagner called 10 group stage matches off tube from Los Angeles, and 3 knockout stage matches on site from stadiums in Russia. She was paired with 50-year-old Scottish play-by-play announcer Derek Rae (Twitter: @Raecomm). Wagner has 3 years of professional TV sportscasting experience beginning with FIFA Women's World Cup 2015. She called 3 men's matches "off tube" during FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017. Wagner appeared 131 times for the U.S. Women's National Team and won 2 Olympic Gold Medals (2004 & 2008) and 2 Women's World Cup Bronze Medals (2003 & 2007). She is the mother of 4 young children including triplet boys (age 4) and a daughter (age 2). She operated a family-owned plant food business (Eleanor's VF-11) in the San Francisco Bay Area prior to becoming a TV sportscaster. | ||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Viviana Vila | @viviana_vila | Telemundo & Universo | USA | Spanish | CRO-NGA (2018-06-16) ENG-PAN (2018-06-24) | Off tube (Moscow - IBC) On site (Nizhny Novgorod) | A 50-year-old Argentine sports journalist with 14 years of experience analyzing Argentine 1st Division men's matches for TV and radio, Viviana Vila called 9 group stage matches off tube from the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Moscow and 1 match on site from Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. | ||||||||||||||||||||
27 | Vanessa Riche | @vanessariche | FOX Sports Brasil & FOX Sports Dois Brasil | Brazil | Portuguese | Opening match: RUS-KSA (2018-06-14) BRA-SUI (2018-06-17) Semifinal #1: FRA-BEL (2018-07-10) Semifinal #2: ENG-CRO (2018-07-11) FINAL: FRA-CRO (2018-07-15) | Off tube (Rio de Janeiro) | A native of Rio de Janeiro, Vanessa Riche is a 47-year-old sports journalist with 16 years of professional experience. FOX Sports Brasil hired Riche in 2017 to coordinate and select an all-women on-air talent team for FIFA World Cup 2018. On 17 June 2018, Riche, 20-year-old play-by-play announcer Isabelly Morais, & Brazilian Women's National Team goalkeeper Bárbara formed a 3-women TV broadcast team for a men's professional sports event when they called the Brazil vs Switzerland match. | ||||||||||||||||||||
28 | Bárbara Barbosa | N/A | FOX Sports Dois Brasil | Brazil | Portuguese | BRA-SUI (2018-06-17) | Off tube (Rio de Janeiro) | 29-year-old goalkeeper with 56 appearances for the Brazilian women's National Team. | ||||||||||||||||||||
29 | Nadine Basttos | @nadine | FOX Sports Brasil & FOX Sports Dois Brasil | Brazil | Portuguese | Opening match: RUS-KSA (2018-06-14) BRA-MEX (2018-07-02) BRA-BEL (2018-07-06) Semifinal #1: FRA-BEL (2018-07-10) Semifinal #2: CRO-ENG (2018-07-11) FINAL: FRA-CRO (2018-07-15) | Off Tube (Rio de Janeiro) | 35-year-old Nadine is a licensed dentist who began working as an assistant referee (a.k.a. "lineswoman") at futebol matches in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina in 2007. Nadine received her FIFA assistant referee badge in 2014 and she was assigned by the Brazilian Futebol Confederation (CBF) to work the 1st Leg of the 2016 (Men's) Copa do Brasil Final. Nadine made her television debut as a rules interpretation analyst when she was hired by FOX Sports Brasil to co-commentate the women's international friendly match between Brazil and Bolivia on 8 March 2017 (International Women's Day.) | ||||||||||||||||||||
30 | Lise Klaveness | @Lisekla | NRK | Norway | Norwegian | BRA-CRC (2018-06-22) URU-POR (2018-06-30) CRO-DEN (2018-07-01) | On Site (Saint Petersburg) On Site (Sochi) On Site (Nizhny Novgorod) | An attorney for the Central Bank of Norway, 37-year-old Lise Klaveness appeared 73 times for the Norwegian Women's National Team. NRK promoted Klaveness from studio pundit to match co-commentator in 2018. She is the mother of a 4-year-old son. | ||||||||||||||||||||
31 | Hanna Marklund | N/A | TV4 | Sweden | Swedish | GER-SWE (2018-06-23) COL-ENG (2018-07-03) URU-FRA (2018-07-06) Semifinal #2 CRO-ENG (2018-07-11) 3rd Place BEL-ENG (2018-07-14) | On Site (Sochi) On Site (Moscow - Spartak) On Site (Nizhny Novgorod) On Site (Moscow - Luzhniki) On Site (Saint Petersburg) | 40-year-old Hanna Marklund appeared 118 times for the Swedish women's national team. Marklund became the #1 expert match analyst/co-commentator for men's football on free-to-air Swedish television network TV4 when she was assigned to call UEFA Euro 2016 matches on site from France. She is the mother of 2 daughters. | ||||||||||||||||||||
32 | Helena Costa | N/A | SPORTTV 1 | Portugal | Portuguese | URU-POR (2018-06-30) | Off Tube (Lisbon) | Then 40-year-old former coach Helena Costa became the first woman in Portugal to serve as a co-commentator for a Men's World Cup match | ||||||||||||||||||||
33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
34 | Women working as studio analysts/pundits for rightsholders (partial list) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
36 | Name | TV Network | Country | Language | Studio Location | Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Kelly Smith | @kelly_smith10 | FOX & FS1 | USA | English | Moscow - Red Square | 39-year-old Kelly Smith appeared 117 times for the England Women's National Team a.k.a. "the Lionesses" and scored 46 international goals. She was on the Arsenal FC side which won the 1997 UEFA Women's Cup. Known and respected for her work on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Smith attended Seton Hall University in New Jersey and played professionally in the USA and the UK. She appeared as a studio pundit for FOX Sports during FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015. In 2017, Smith was hired by BT Sport (UK) as a studio pundit for Saturday afternoon (1500 London Time kickoff) English Premier League matches. She is the mother of a 1-year-old son. | |||||||||||||||||||||
39 | Alex Scott | @AlexScott | BBC One | UK | English | Moscow - Red Square | 33-year old Alex Scott made 140 appearances for the England Women's National Team which won a bronze medal at FIFA Women's World Cup 2015. | |||||||||||||||||||||
40 | Eniola Aluko | @EniAlu | ITV1 | UK | English | Moscow - Red Square | 31-year-old Eniola Aluko left her native Nigeria for Birmingham, England at age 1. She appeared 102 times for the England Women's National Team which won a bronze medal at FIFA Women's World Cup 2015. She holds a law degree and is licensed to practice law in the UK and the USA. She will transfer to Italian club Juventus this autumn after spending the past 6 seasons with Chelsea FC. | |||||||||||||||||||||
41 | Nadia Nadim | @nadia_nadim | DR | Denmark | Danish | Aarhus - Havnepladsen | 30-year-old Nadia Nadim fled her native Afghanistan in 2000 with her mother and 4 sisters after her father, a general in the Afghanistan National Army, was executed by the Taliban. Nadim was "discovered" by Danish football coaches while she was playing recreational football at a refugee camp. She has appeared 75 times for the Danish Women's National Team, has scored 22 international goals, and has a silver medal from UEFA Women's Euro 2017. She was a member of the Portland Thorns (USA) club team which won the 2017 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) championship. She recently played for Manchester City FC (ENG). Nadim is finishing medical school at Aarhus University in Denmark and intends to become a surgeon. | |||||||||||||||||||||
42 | Nadine Basttos | @nadine | FOX Sports Brasil & FOX Sports Dois Brasil | Brazil | Portuguese | Rio de Janeiro | (see co-commentator section above) | |||||||||||||||||||||
43 | Johanna Frändén | @juanitafranden | SVT | Sweden | Swedish | Stockholm | 36-year-old sports journalist with 14 years of professional experience. | |||||||||||||||||||||
44 | Hanna Marklund | N/A | TV4 | Sweden | Swedish | Stockholm | (see co-commentator section above) | |||||||||||||||||||||
45 | Ada Hegerberg | @AdaStolsmo | TV2 | Norway | Norwegian | Oslo - Kontraskjæret | 22-year-old Ada Hegerberg is a Norwegian Women's National Team member with 66 appearances. She plays professionally for French club Olympique Lyonnais which won the 2018 UEFA Women's Champions League. | |||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Lise Klaveness | @Lisekla | NRK | Norway | Norwegian | Oslo - Kontraskjæret | (see co-commentator section above) | |||||||||||||||||||||
47 | Guro Reiten | @guro_reiten | NRK | Norway | Norwegian | Oslo - Kontraskjæret | 23-year-old Norwegian Women's National Team member with 25 appearances. | |||||||||||||||||||||
48 | Valmie Ouellet | N/A | RDS | Canada | French | Montréal | A youth soccer coach since 2005, Ouellet has 7 years of French-language sports television experience, beginning with FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011 for Canadian French-language all-sports pay television network RDS. Ouellet was a studio pundit during FIFA Men's World Brazil 2014 for Canadian French-language public television network Radio-Canada Television. She returns to RDS to work at the studio pundit's desk during FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. | |||||||||||||||||||||
49 | Stephanie Roche | @StephanieRoche9 | RTE | Ireland | English | Dublin | 29-year-old forward for the Republic of Ireland Women's National Team with 50 caps. | |||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Hope Solo | @hopesolo | RTE | Ireland | English | Dublin | (Note: Hope Solo appeared on RTE Television on 2018-07-02 & 2018-07-03. ) Hope Solo is a 36-year-old former USA Women's National Team Goalkeeper who won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012. Her career has been marred by controversy, including a alcohol-related domestic violence arrest in 2014 (charges were dismissed because participants involved in the incident chose not to cooperate with state prosecution.) | |||||||||||||||||||||
51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
91 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
92 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
95 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
96 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
97 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
98 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
100 |