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Who is commentating the UEFA Women's Champions League match and where to watch
On Wednesday 28 October 2026, the UEFA Women's Champions League returns for its long-awaited showdown between Arsenal and Benfica. The match gets underway at 20:00 UK time, with a full roster of presenters, reporters and commentators ready to guide viewers through every step. Two broadcast channels are offering coverage, ensuring there is plenty of opportunity to follow the action whether you prefer a traditional sports feed or a faster-paced live stream.
The BBC is offering coverage through its Radio 5 Live channel, with the reporting handled by Victoria Polley. This continues a career in broadcasting that has seen her produce radio demonstrations and football-focused content since at least 2015, as evidenced by an archived demo posted on her own site in August 2015. Her presence on the BBC channel gives the match an established sporting pedigree, and her involvement ties directly to a body of work centred on radio sport.
The second channel, Disney+ Europe and Disney+ UK & Ireland, is bringing together a larger team of on-air talent. Presenters Shebahn Aherne and Sanne van Dongen are joined by the main commentator Vicki Sparks, with commentary supported by Gilly Flaherty. The feed is further rounded out by a suite of pundits including Lianne Sanderson, Ryhanna Parara, Marva Kreel and Merel van Dongen, alongside a reporting role filled by Ben Haines.
The Disney+ team and their careers
Shebahn Aherne brings a distinctive edge to the Disney+ feed. Her online presence, including an Instagram account under the handle @shebahn_, reflects a career that has seen her appear on podcasts such as PhysicalEd+ SportsHub. Notably, around late 2025 she was featured explaining the unique reason she supports two football teams, a hint at the kind of dual-perspective work she brings to match commentary. Her involvement positions her as a bridge between competing interests, a common theme for presenters who follow more than one side of a match.
Sanne van Dongen rounds out the Disney+ presenters, and she arrives with a substantial background that stretches beyond typical broadcasting. According to her profile as a speaker, she is a former professional basketball player and a sports presenter at ESPN in The Netherlands. She grew up within a family of top athletes, alongside her twin sister Merel (football) and an older sister Tessel (basketball and rugby). At ESPN she hosts live shows and interviews top athletes across the Dutch Eredivisie, men's and women's competitions alike, down to the NBA and NFL. Her career as a topsporter in the basketball world has helped her understand sports deeply, and she is often seen at matches across the Eredivisie.
The main commentator, Vicki Sparks, is a British sports journalist and football commentator whose career is well documented. A Wikipedia entry describes her as a British sports journalist and football commentator for BBC Sport and BT, anchoring her role in established broadcasting. Her involvement in the Disney+ feed means the match benefits from a commentator with a strong, verifiable sporting background.
The co-commentator, Gilly Flaherty, rounds out the core commentary pair. A Wikipedia entry notes that in 2023 she made numerous appearances as a football commentator, including for the BBC and as a contributor to football-related content. Her Instagram account, under the handle @gilly_flaherty, describes her as a retired professional footballer dabbling in commentary work, which places her among the women's league talent that has shaped this competition's history.
The remaining pundits and reporters
Beyond the headline names, the Disney+ feed draws on a further set of contributors. The pundits Lianne Sanderson, Ryhanna Parara and Marva Kreel add their analysis, alongside Merel van Dongen, who is closely tied to the broader family of athletes that Sanne van Dongen comes from. A reporting role is filled by Ben Haines, rounding out the on-air roster for the match.
With two channels offering coverage, readers have flexibility in how they follow the Arsenal versus Benfica showdown. The BBC's Radio 5 Live channel, reported by Victoria Polley, offers a more traditional sporting feed, while the Disney+ Europe and Disney+ UK & Ireland channels deliver a larger, more varied team of presenters, commentators and pundits.
For those interested in the background of one of the key figures, Vicki Sparks is documented on Wikipedia, offering a reliable source for her career as a British sports journalist and football commentator. Her involvement underlines the sporting pedigree behind this year's UEFA Women's Champions League match, and her work can be explored further through the entry below.
Whatever channel you choose, the 28 October 2026 Arsenal versus Benfica match promises a full complement of talent to guide viewers through the action, from the traditional BBC feed to the richer Disney+ roster. With reporters, presenters and commentators drawn from established broadcasting careers, the competition is in capable hands as it heads into its long-awaited showdown.
Article generated: 28 October 2026, 20:54 GMT