Houston Dynamo could not resist taking a jab at the BBC after an obvious error during their live coverage of the 2026 World Cup. The corporation made an executive decision to provide punditry from their studio in Salford's MediaCity, rather than sending staff to North America for the group stage fixtures due to environmental and budgeting reasons.
As a result, presenters such as Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates, and Alex Scott have been providing analysis from home soil. While the move has been largely successful, it has not been without minor hiccups.
During Portugal's 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Wednesday, June 17, Chapman was joined by Wayne Rooney, Olivier Giroud, and Gael Clichy. A screen behind the team displayed a picturesque Houston skyline, aligning with the match taking place at Houston Stadium.
However, eagle-eyed viewers quickly noticed that the image had been manipulated to include scenic mountain views. Houston, the World Cup host city, sits 105 feet above sea level and does not boast such mountains. Football fans took to social media to sarcastically mock the BBC.
One wrote: "The Houston mountains are actually gorgeous this time of year." Another added: "@BBC adding mountains to the green screen background of Houston is one of the most dubious things I’ve ever seen." A third joked: "I moved from Houston to Colorado to get away from the mountains." A fourth said with satire: "The Houston mountains are usually snow-capped well into July, so this BBC photo might be a fake."
MLS outfit Houston Dynamo also had a sly jab at the BBC, sharing on social media a manipulated photo of their Shell Energy Stadium overlooked by a snowy mountain range. They wrote: "You just can't beat this view."
The NBA's Houston Rockets joined in the fun, adding: "Just another beautiful day in the Houston Alps," while sharing a mock-up postcard showing the city amidst towering mountains. The BBC has since confirmed that the background error has been corrected.
The BBC's decision to broadcast the early stages of the World Cup from Salford has faced criticism, even from former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker. The 65-year-old boasted in April about heading to the US for the tournament while his previous employers remain "in Salford in a green box."
Boyd Hilton also wrote on social media: "Terrible decision by the BBC to cover the World Cup from...Salford. It’s a massive cultural event. Broadcasting the games from a virtual studio in England is weak sauce."
However, director of BBC Sport Alex Kay-Jelski hit back at the criticism as he unveiled the new studio to media guests, explaining: "It's not a green box in Salford. It's a beautiful state-of-the-art studio. No one's seen it until now. I'm really proud of this." He added: "The actual end product people are getting at home, I don't really think it's that different. If these people were sitting somewhere else, would your viewing be massively changed?"
He further argued: "If I was standing here saying, 'Everything is going to be done from a studio in Dallas', you would rightly be saying to me, 'How can you justify that spend?'"
