BBC Radio 5 Live World Cup coverage: Steve Crossman leads England v Croatia with Joe Hart and Olivier Giroud on the BBC Sounds app

Match date: 17 June 2026

BBC Radio 5 Live will carry live audio coverage of England v Croatia in the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Steve Crossman presenting on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sounds app at 13:00 UK time. The broadcast also features Joe Hart and Olivier Giroud as pundits, giving British listeners a strong mix of home-grown insight and international elite experience. [1][2][5]

This is part of the BBC’s wider World Cup radio offer, which FourFourTwo says will include live commentary on all 104 matches, with 5 Live’s tournament coverage presented by Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Steve Crossman. [1] For this match specifically, the BBC programme listing confirms it is live football commentary of England v Croatia in Group L from Dallas on 17 June 2026. [5]

Steve Crossman is one of the BBC’s best-known football presenters, regularly fronting major national and international coverage across Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport. His role on tournament broadcasts is to steer the build-up, shape the analysis and keep the discussion moving between commentators and pundits. [1][2]

Joe Hart brings recent top-level England and Premier League experience to the studio team. The former Manchester City and England goalkeeper has become a familiar face and voice in football media since retiring, and the BBC has included him among its World Cup pundits for the 2026 tournament. [2]

Olivier Giroud adds a distinctly continental perspective. A World Cup winner with France and one of the most decorated strikers of his generation, he is listed by the BBC as part of its World Cup pundit group, offering insight from a player who has performed at the very highest level on the international stage. [1][2]

The BBC’s World Cup audio coverage is available on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and BBC Sport online, making it easy for listeners to follow the match on radio or via the app. FourFourTwo also notes that the BBC’s coverage can be accessed through digital radio and the BBC Sounds platform, while BBC Sport has promoted the “watch & listen” option for live radio commentary. [1][10]

For readers who want the broader tournament context, the BBC has assembled a large on-air team for the 2026 World Cup, including presenters such as Gabby Logan and Alex Scott, alongside pundits like Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Rachel Corsie and Joe Hart. SPORTbible reports that the BBC’s radio and online coverage is also backed by commentary talent across its World Cup output, underlining how heavily the broadcaster is investing in the event. [2][9]

That means listeners tuning in for England’s latest World Cup match can expect a polished BBC production, with Crossman’s presenting style, Hart’s modern dressing-room perspective and Giroud’s international pedigree all combining on the same broadcast. [1][2]

More on the tournament can be found through the BBC’s World Cup coverage hub at BBC Sport.

Article generated: 17 June 2026, 13:25 GMT