ITV viewers were left exasperated within moments of last night's World Cup clash, as England faced Norway in a nail-biting quarter-final encounter. England supporters were delighted as Harry Kane's squad triumphed 2-1 over Norway to secure a spot in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals, following a stellar display from Jude Bellingham, who found the net on the stroke of half-time and once more in extra time.
Commentary Under Fire
While numerous football fanatics concluded their evenings in high spirits, some were left rather irked by the ITV commentary that accompanied the thrilling fixture. Commentators Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon came under fire, with several viewers confessing they weren't impressed by the pair's coverage of the encounter compared to alternative pundits.
Football supporters flocked to X, previously known as Twitter, to voice their annoyance regarding ITV's broadcast, reports the Mirror. One individual complained: "That was hard fought and tough to watch. Audience angry at #ITV commentators in the #UK who spent a lot of the match chatting about Norway trivia, instead of saying what was happening in the actual game!"
Viewer Reactions
Another sarcastically critiqued: "Hey @itv any chance we can get an England game without Matterface and Dixon? Would be nice to have some decent commentary." A third mockingly shared a gif of EastEnders' Phil Mitchell pleading, "Please don't do this," as they posted: "Oh come on @ITV a match of this magnitude and you serve up Matterface and Dixon on commentary."
"Guy Mowbray and Alan Shearer would be tearing this display to shreds, instead Matterface and Dixon are simply waffling," another viewer argued, as one more lamented: "They better not do the World Cup Final!"
Praise for Studio Setup
Nevertheless, elsewhere in their coverage, ITV earned plaudits for its spectacular studio arrangement and array of renowned pundits. Sharing an image of the ITV pundits perched high above New York's Central Park, encircled by towering skyscrapers, one viewer gushed: "Mate, ITV had already won the world cup in England's broadcast war, best studio (simply amazing) and pundits..but today this is an overkill." They added: "They are recreating an iconic New York photo. Congratulations @ITV this is brilliant."
"What a studio! @ITVSport," a second person lauded, while another joked: "ITV have embarrassed the BBC in this World Cup. Look at the view."
Upcoming Matches
Today, Argentina emerged victorious in their quarter-final clash against Switzerland, defeating them 3-1. Football fans can tune in for the highly-anticipated France vs Spain semi-final match in Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, 14 July. Kick off is at 8pm with coverage starting at 7pm on both BBC One and ITV1.
