Bhaichung Bhutia, Igor Stimac, Aditi Chauhan headline Zee's 2026 FIFA World Cup coverage panel

Unite8 Sports, the sports channel of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), has announced a strong list of commentators, experts and anchors for its coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, highlighted by former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia. The FIFA World Cup gets underway on June 11 and will be played across the USA, Mexico and Canada. The extravaganza will be broadcast on Unite8 Sports (TV) and Zee5 in India.

The company is currently in negotiation with more names in world football, including former German captain Oliver Kahn and ex-England striker Robbie Fowler, but if things materialise, they will be involved for the second half of the competition.




The association between FIFA and ZEEL came at the start of the month after weeks of negotiations with JioStar didn't materialise.

The coverage will be available in English, Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali.

Besides Bhutia, other names who will spearhead the English language coverage will be former India manager Igor Stimac, presenter Paul Masefield, Kerala Blasters coach Ashley Westwood and British journalist Seema Jaiswal.

The Hindi broadcast sees a wide range of names: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Aditi Chauhan, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Manish Batavia, Atish Thukral, Sahil Khattar, Arpit Sharma and Arjun Pandit. Ex-India international Robin Singh, who has been seen on Sony Network during UEFA Champions League coverage, will be available for both English and Hindi.

Jo Paul, IM Vijayan, NP Pradeep, Shyju Damodaran, Shiyas Mohammad will work the Malayalam coverage. Meanwhile, Rajat Ghosh-Dastidar, Debjit Ghosh, Arnab Mondal, Pallab Basu-Mallick and Argha will be responsible for Bengali coverage.

“For generations of football fans in India, the FIFA World Cup has been a source of inspiration, aspiration, and unforgettable memories. It is a tournament that transcends sport and unites people through a shared passion for the game,” said Bhutia in a media note.

With the tournament now a day away, the company has also announced association with 12+ brands: Mahindra as the co-presenting sponsor, Diageo as the co-powered by sponsor and further deals with Apple, Pernod Ricad and Mondelez to name a few.

List oF FIFA World Cup commentators/panelists and anchors on Unite8 Sports and Zee5:
English: Bhaichung Bhutia, Igor Stimac, Paul Masefield, Ashley Westwood and Seema Jaiswal.

Hindi: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Aditi Chauhan, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Manish Batavia, Atish Thukral, Sahil Khattar, Arpit Sharma and Arjun Pandit.

English/Hind: Robin Singh, Karan Sawhney

Malayalam: Jo Paul, IM Vijayan, NP Pradeep, Shyju Damodaran, Shiyas Mohammad.

Bengali: Rajat Ghosh-Dastidar, Debjit Ghosh, Arnab Mondal, Pallab Basu-Mallick and Argha.



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