Rooney's growing punditry craft could be BBC's trump card at the 2026 World Cup

The BBC is under fire for keeping its World Cup coverage off-site rather than basing a studio in one of the tournament’s host countries, as rival broadcaster ITV has done with its high-profile setup in Brooklyn. But the debate over geography may be obscuring a more interesting story: Wayne Rooney is quietly becoming one of the more compelling analysts on British television.

The argument against the BBC’s approach is straightforward — it breaks with the broadcaster’s tradition of planting itself close to the action during major tournaments. ITV’s al fresco Manhattan studio, with the Lower Manhattan skyline as a backdrop, has drawn widespread praise and is widely seen as giving the channel a visual edge.

Yet the practical reality is harder to dismiss. Pundits on both channels watch matches on a monitor regardless of where in the world they are sitting. Roy Keane dissecting a defensive shape from Salford carries the same weight as Roy Keane doing it with the East River behind him — and, as one observer notes, there is a reasonable case that the Brooklyn backdrop is more distracting than illuminating, inviting viewers to count yellow cabs rather than absorb the analysis.

The more substantive criticism of both broadcasters is a familiar one: a shortage of genuine insight into national teams whose players are largely unknown to British audiences. When coverage leans on Premier League familiarity, teams from outside Europe’s major leagues tend to receive surface-level treatment. That is a research problem, not a postcode problem.

Rooney, however, is emerging as a partial answer. His breakdown of key incidents during Canada’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina drew notice for its tactical clarity. He was not a polished broadcaster when he started out, but he is visibly growing into the role — reading the game on screen with some of the intelligence he showed on the pitch.

ITV’s coverage has its own strengths, with Mark Pougatch widely regarded as one of the most assured anchors in the business. The BBC, meanwhile, can point to a roster of experienced presenters and reporters who have covered tournaments at the highest level for years.

In the end, viewers will watch the football. The studio location is a footnote.