Ian Darke is coming back. Again.
According to The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, Darke will join Fox Sports as a play-by-play broadcaster for the 2026 World Cup in North America. The veteran broadcaster will return for his ninth World Cup assignment, bringing his legendary voice back to the tournament that made him a household name among American soccer fans.
Darke currently calls La Liga games for ESPN in the United States and freelance Premier League matches in the U.K., but Fox always finds a way to get him in the World Cup booth.
The 71-year-old, who has become the soundtrack to some of the most memorable moments in American soccer history, will call some of the tournament’s marquee matchups. John Strong and Stu Holden will almost certainly handle U.S. men’s national team games, as they have for nearly a decade, but Darke’s presence gives Fox credibility and gravitas.
This will be Darke’s third straight World Cup for Fox, even though he technically works for ESPN. The network loaned him to Fox for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, continuing a relationship that began when Fox borrowed him for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Darke’s World Cup résumé spans four decades and multiple continents. His first assignment was BBC Radio coverage in 1982. He worked for ABC and ESPN during the 1994, 2010, and 2014 men’s tournaments, as well as the 2011 Women’s World Cup. He even called games for Australian television in 1998. He has seen it all.
Fox’s summer soccer coverage in 2024 showcased exactly why they keep bringing Darke back. He was the lead voice for Euro 2024, paired with Donovan, and delivered memorable calls throughout the tournament.
The announcement comes as Fox prepares for what should be its most important soccer coverage ever. The 2026 World Cup begins June 11 and will be the first time the tournament has been played in North America since 1994. The draw is scheduled for December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
For American soccer fans, Darke’s return represents continuity with the sport’s biggest moments. He was there when Donovan broke hearts in 2010. He called Carli Lloyd’s hat trick in the 2015 Women’s World Cup final. Now he gets to provide the soundtrack for American soccer’s biggest moment yet, with the tournament being played on home soil.
And with that Fox has another proven voice for what will be the most-watched World Cup in U.S. television history.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.