ITV sneak Arctic Monkeys' 'Fake Tales of San Francisco' into World Cup 2026 coverage

ITV slipped a sharp musical easter egg into their World Cup 2026 coverage on Tuesday, playing ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’ from Arctic Monkeys’ 2006 debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not as host Mark Pougatch read out the line-ups ahead of Switzerland vs Qatar — a game being played in San Francisco, California.

The choice raised eyebrows precisely because of how unexpected it was. The early Arctic Monkeys catalogue, recorded when the band were still rooted in the gritty terraced streets of High Green, Sheffield, is a long way from the sun-bleached Californian sound they later adopted around 2009. Playing a track from that era for a match in the Bay Area was an unlikely fit — until the penny dropped on the song title.

ITV’s World Cup coverage has drawn widespread praise since the tournament began, with a high-production studio and a punditry lineup that includes Roy Keane and Gary Neville. The broadcaster has also leaned into themed music throughout, with the Cars’ ‘Life Is A Highway’ serving as the main tournament theme.

The ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’ moment appears to be part of a deliberate effort to weave location-specific references into the broadcast — a subtle, self-aware touch that rewarded attentive viewers rather than announcing itself loudly.