FIFA World Cup 2018: Complete list of panelists and commentators

FIFA World Cup 2018 kicks off on June 14. (Source: AP)

FIFA World Cup 2018 is all set to kick off when Russia take on Saudi Arabia in the tournament opener on Thursday. The World Cup for the first time will get telecast in multiple languages in India. Broadcaster in India, Sony, has also roped in a star-studded panel for Football Extraaa, the pre, mid & post-match live studio show that will be telecast in English and Hindi. India’s football captain Sunil Chhetri will be part of both the English and Hindi panels and he would be joined by former captain Bhaichung Bhutia.

Apart from them, Champions League winner, Luis Garcia, ex-Manchester United forward, Louis Saha and former England goalkeeper, David James will also feature on the show. Ashley Westwood, Gurpreet Singh, Robin Singh and Novy Kapadia will come together and debate the nuances of the game to give fans in-depth analysis on the ‘Greatest show on earth’.

“The telecast of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia will be done in six languages. It is our endeavor to reach out to every football fan in the country as per our commitment to go beyond to serve best sporting action through our programming initiatives. We have congregated some of the best international football players with great experience to provide incisive insights to our viewers. The live studio show Football Extraaa and the breakfast show Kick-Off will enrich the die-hard football enthusiast’s viewing experience of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia,” Rajesh Kaul, President, Sports and Distribution Business, Sony Pictures Networks India said.

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), increased their regional outreach with the addition of Tamil and Telugu live language feeds. This will be in addition to the already announced English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam live feeds.