The World Cup: an opportunity beyond the pitch

A prime example can be found in Juan Mata and César Azpilicueta, two of the most highly regarded footballers of recent years. The Asturian signed a deal with iTV and travelled to the United States to commentate on nine World Cup matches for the British broadcaster, starting with Australia v Turkey. It was a particularly meaningful fixture, as Juan has played in both countries – for Galatasaray, with whom he won a league title, and for Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory.

Teaming up with former footballers such as Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira, Karen Carney, coach Emma Hayes and manager Ante Postecoglou, Juan provided commentary on nine matches, and his views were picked up by various media outlets. He also visited Gary Lineker on ‘The Rest Is Football’, a video podcast that the former England player is hosting from the United States for Netflix.

Another opportunity Juan took advantage of during the World Cup came courtesy of eBay, with whom he shared time and space to sign various products.

For his part, César Azplicueta signed up with the other British broadcaster holding the World Cup rights, the BBC. In this case, from the main studios, the Navarrese made his debut as a pundit, offering his analysis of six matches. “What began as a new challenge has turned into a truly rewarding experience off the pitch,” he later wrote on his LinkedIn account.

His involvement with the BBC was not limited to traditional television. César also took part in the broadcaster’s radio programmes and wrote three articles for its website. . It is worth noting that this is the world’s most popular English-language news website, with 996 million visits in June 2026.

Borja Jiménez also appeared on television programmes, in his case on DAZN. The Ávila-born coach was invited to analyse Diomandé’s game and progress. The Leipzig player made his professional football debut under Borja’s guidance at Leganés.

A similar situation applies to Miguel Ángel Ramírez, a key figure in the careers of the Ecuadorian national team’s most prominent players. Pacho and Caicedo were two of the main topics of discussion in the Canarian coach’s interviews with media outlets such as the BBC, Marca and As.

Veljko Paunovic also featured prominently in various media outlets. The outstanding form displayed by Michael Olise during the World Cup is the result of the work that the current Serbia manager began years ago with the French forward when they were both at Reading. Veljko was a key figure in the early career of the Bayern Munich player, as recognised by media outlets such as The Athletic, which spoke to him.

Denis Suárez’s understanding of the game when he has the ball at his feet was on display during his appearance on ‘Carrusel Deportivo’ on Cadena SER, the top-rated programme on Spanish radio. The Alavés player analysed several matches and demonstrated his ability to read the game and articulate his thoughts clearly.