BBC 5 Live Sport World Cup 2026 coverage: Kelly Cates leads BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds team for Thursday’s match

Match date: 11 June 2026

BBC Radio 5 Live Sport will provide live audio coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture on 11 June 2026 at 13:00 UK time, with the programme available on BBC Radio 5 Live and via the BBC Sounds app. The listing for the tournament confirms that BBC and ITV are sharing live World Cup coverage in the UK, while live audio commentary is also available on BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra.[1][3]

Kelly Cates will present the broadcast, bringing the experience that has made her one of British sport’s most recognisable live football voices. Cates has built a strong reputation across radio and television for calm, clear coverage and for guiding listeners through major matchday moments, making her a natural choice for a World Cup airing aimed at a UK audience.

The pundit line-up is particularly notable. Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones adds recent elite-level playing experience, while French journalist and broadcaster Julien Laurens is widely respected for his deep knowledge of European and international football. David Edgar brings an analytical perspective shaped by years inside the professional game, and Guillem Balagué adds another layer of expertise through his long career covering Spanish and world football in print, television and radio. That mix of former player insight and tactical analysis is well suited to BBC 5 Live’s conversational, fast-moving style of match coverage.

The BBC’s World Cup audio offering sits alongside its wider digital access on BBC Sounds, allowing fans to follow the action on mobile, smart speakers and online. For British listeners who prefer radio coverage to television, 5 Live remains one of the most established ways to track major tournaments live, especially when matches are played across multiple time zones.

This fixture comes during an opening phase of the tournament in which the BBC is also scheduled to show live televised matches on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website on selected days, underlining how central the broadcaster remains to UK World Cup coverage.[1][3]

For more on the BBC’s station and its football output, see BBC Radio 5 Live on BBC Sounds.

Article generated: 11 June 2026, 13:00 GMT