World Cup, Italy is not playing but Rai is ‘on the field’ with 35 matches

‘The elephant in the room’ is Italy, the team that this time too, at the 2026 World Cup, will not be there after failing to qualify. But despite this heavy absence, the World Cup will take place – for the first time in 3 countries, Canada, the United States and Mexico – and Rai will talk about them, broadcasting 35 matches with on-site commentary.

In fact, Rai has acquired i multiplatform rights (TV and Internet/mobile) for the Italian territory exclusively free, for 35 matches (broadcast in the 18.40 – 2 time slot on Rai 1) with pre and post-match programming, in addition to highlights of the remaining 69 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled from 11 June to 19 July.

Broadcast matches and coverage

The Rai live broadcasts will cover the main matches of the event: 17 matches in the group stage, 6 matches in the round of 32, 4 matches in the round of 16, 4 matches in the quarter-finals, 2 semi-finals and 2 finals.

Rai investment

During the presentation of the schedule, held in the press room of the Olympic Stadium in Rome, the ‘masters’ of the house did not hide the problem. Starting from the CEO of Rai, Giampaolo Rossi: “These World Cup obviously they will suffer for us for Italy’s absence, even if unfortunately we are now used to it – admitted the CEO – but the latest results, at the last World Cup where Italy wasn’t there either, the audience results were enormous right from the start. And in the final qualifying phase, numbers higher than those achieved at the Sanremo Festival were achieved. This is why we decided to invest in the World Cup.”

Role of the public service

Rai, CEO Rossi continued, “talks about sport in all its forms because the story of sport unifies the country and enhances public service. We – Rossi claimed – are among the most important broadcasters in Europe but with fewer public resources and yet we are the ones who invest the most. It is an enormous, collective effort by this company, which I think should silence the controversies surrounding lost rights, let’s also think about tennis”. Rai “as a public service – he concluded – represents the Italian sport and buying sports rights in such a wild market generates enormous effort. Rai is at the forefront with sports rights to bring these results home.”

Speech by Minister Abodi

The Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, also spoke at the press conference. “Who will we cheer for? For the national teams that have an Italian coach. We would like to see at least one get to the end.” And then, after expressing “gratitude” towards Rai “for the economic and productive effort”, he said he was sure that the broadcast of the event “will make us experience the World Cup as it has always been, even if we look for a team in the schedule that isn’t there… With the hope – he continued – that this lack of presence will make us reflect further not only for the sake of controversy but also to make up for the mistakes that evidently have occurred. I – he maintained – am convinced that in a geopolitical context like the current one is very complex, this World Cup will offer a moment of serenity to the Italian public.”

Listening and passion for football

And, he added again: “I am convinced that you will have a response in the ratings, which will be high, and you will fuel this desire for football, which sometimes is taken for granted, helping to maintain this close, even ancestral, relationship between the country and this very popular sport”.

News in the commentary

An important news: for the first time there will be a female commentator at the World Cup, Tiziana Alla. “We talk about this invisible but very resistant glass ceiling – said the journalist – now in the meantime this gap is opening, it means that it can be done and I give credit to Rai even if I believe it is normal that after a life spent in the field one can aspire to this role. I hope that in 4 years this concept will have become an acquired heritage and that there will be many more women doing sports commentary” she concluded.