FIFA World Cup 2026 viewers issued the same complaint as they tuned in to watch the Netherlands vs Japan match on Sunday night. The match, held at AT&T Stadium, started at 9pm UK time and 4pm ET in the US. It is being televised on FOX in the US and ITV1 in the UK, with streaming available on FOX One and ITVX, respectively.
Japan's Form and Netherlands' Challenges
Japan entered the tournament in sensational form, having won their last six matches, including stunning victories over Brazil and England. Meanwhile, the Netherlands remain favourites despite dealing with the notable injury absence of creative star Xavi Simons and winning just one of their last three games.
Viewer Frustrations on Social Media
However, just minutes into the match, frustrated fans took to X to share their frustrations over ITV's live coverage. One fan fumed, "Can we just ban ITV from showing the World Cup? And give it all to the BBC? Constantly poor quality, cuts out, app closes, itv X sucks." Another agreed, "Watching the #Worldcup on @BBC beautiful UHD quality streaming, @ITV looks like I'm playing #sensiblesoccer from the 90s, awful. And with those Dutch kits, it's all a blur!"
A third added, "So the Dutch have broken ITV’s stream with their kits. It’s bordering on unwatchable on my set. No issues with any other ITV game until tonight." "Picture quality on ITV for the World Cup is horrendous. Swear I’m watching pro-evo soccer," someone else echoed.
Mixed Reactions Despite Complaints
However, despite the complaints, some fans were thrilled with the coverage, with one writing, "Hats off to @ITV for the #WorldCup coverage." "I agree," another simply wrote.
Laura Woods Introduces the Match
Laura Woods introduced the commentary for the match, telling viewers, "Changeover complete, and now we head to the Lone Star state and the home of the Dallas Cowboys for our next live game. As dark horses, Japan and the Netherlands face off in Texas." She added, "This is not Japan's first rodeo, but the Dutch will be spurred on to end their unwanted record as three times runners up."
