FOX Sports Scores Ian Darke as New FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Play-By-Play Announcer
LOS ANGELES – FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, today announces acclaimed soccer commentator Ian Darke will join the network’s FIFA World Cup™ broadcast team as a new play-by-play announcer for this year’s tournament.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ marks Darke’s eighth FIFA World Cup™ and bolsters FOX Sports’ expert announce team. He made his FIFA World Cup™ debut on American television with ABC and ESPN at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™ before going on to call matches for the networks at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany™ and 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. He also called 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ matches for the world feed and covered both the 1982 and 1990 FIFA World Cup™ for BBC Radio and Eurosport.
Darke’s career in broadcasting began more than 40 years ago at BBC Radio, where he hosted the renowned “Sports Report” show on Saturday afternoons. Working with the BBC for a decade, he won the admiration of listeners and viewers alike before landing a role calling soccer and boxing matches with Sky Sports in 1992. His rewarding run as a commentator with Sky Sports lasted 20 years.
In 2010, Darke joined ESPN as a play-by-play announcer and has since been a mainstay on the network’s soccer telecasts. He captured the hearts of American soccer fans that same year when he called Landon Donovan’s injury-time goal against Algeria, which saved the United States from elimination and helped them advance to the World Cup knockout stage amid scenes of joy and celebration nationwide. He also currently serves as lead commentator for Barclays Premier League and other major European league matches on BT Sport in the United Kingdom.
David Neal, Executive Producer of FIFA World Cup™ on FOX and Vice President of Production for FOX Sports, expressed enthusiasm on Darke teaming up to elevate the network’s broadcast team for the tournament.
“Our worldwide search for potential FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ announcers yielded so many talented candidates, but when we saw we had the opportunity to have Ian bring his legendary voice and perspective to FOX Sports, it was a quick call and one we were thrilled to make,” said Neal. “We’re happy to have Ian joining us in Qatar and look forward to hearing his commentary when the competition kicks off on Monday, November 21.”
Darke joins returning lead play-by-play announcer John Strong and new play-by-play announcer Jacqui Oatley as FOX Sports commentators for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. New and returning broadcasters joining FOX Sports at this year’s World Cup will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
— FOX SPORTS —
