Gabby Logan to make history as first female World Cup final host as Chapman reveals he'll miss it for The Open

Gabby Logan is set to make history as the first woman to present BBC television coverage of a World Cup final, after a candid exchange on a podcast revealed the broadcasting arrangements for the July 19 showpiece at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The disclosure came during the latest episode of The Sports Agents podcast, which Logan co-hosts with fellow BBC anchor Mark Chapman. Following England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia, the pair began discussing their plans for a potential final involving Thomas Tuchel’s side — at which point Chapman confirmed he would not be part of the TV coverage.

When Logan asked whether Chapman was already working out where he would watch the final, he replied simply: “No, I’m not.” A surprised Logan pressed further, asking if he was doing radio, only for Chapman to reveal: “No, I’ll be at the golf.”

Chapman, 52, is the principal presenter of 5 Live Sport and will travel to Royal Birkdale in Southport to front the station’s ball-by-ball radio coverage of The Open Championship — which falls on the same weekend as the final. “I’m doing The Open golf that weekend, and then I will drive back from The Open golf listening to Kelly and the build-up on the radio and then I’ll catch some of you on the telly,” he told Logan.

The BBC sold its television rights to The Open in 2016, but Radio 5 Live retains full audio coverage. Royal Birkdale hosts the championship for the first time since 2017, with the 2026 edition marking a return to a course that first appeared on the BBC in 1955.

For the World Cup final itself, Logan will be joined in the studio by pundits, while Kelly Cates — the third member of the BBC’s presenting trio — will be at the stadium in New Jersey providing live radio coverage. Logan, Chapman, and Cates were announced as the replacements for Gary Lineker on Match of the Day after his departure last year, and the three have been rotating presenting duties for the BBC’s World Cup coverage from their Salford base throughout the tournament.