FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Heather O’Reilly Will Make Studio Debut on FOX Sports
It is almost that time … and this time, the games will be brought to viewers all over the world in World Cup style with a host of former players explaining what is happening to the audience.
From Friday, June 7, through Sunday, July 7, FOX Sports offers unprecedented studio coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, live from Paris’s iconic Place du Trocadéroon its television and digital platforms.
All 52 matches air live, including 22 on broadcast television – more than any FIFA Women’s World Cup ever.
FIFA World Cup™ champions and Olympic gold medalists highlight FOX Sports’ FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 broadcast lineup this summer. Collectively, these champions played on a total of 30 FIFA World Cup teams, amassing numerous World Cup titles, Olympic gold medals, and legacies for club and country.
“Our world-class broadcast team for the FIFA Women’s World Cup brings sharp insight and bold personality to our studio and match coverage,” said David Neal, Executive Producer, FIFA World Cup on FOX and Vice President of Production, FOX Sports.
“We assembled some of the most trusted, experienced players for in-depth analysis to enhance the viewer experience.”
Four years after its award-winning 2015 Women’s World Cup presentation, FOX Sports brings back a core group of broadcasters for this summer’s tournament.
Here is the lineup of soccer stars off the field and now in front of the camera —: and why you want to listen to them:
- Heather O’Reilly – Two-time World Cup champion makes her tournament debut as a studio analyst. She is also a three-time Olympic Gold medalist. As one of the most successful players in U.S. Women’s National Team history, O’Reilly played in 231 matches and ranks seventh in assists.
- Christie Pearce Rampone – Two-time World Cup champion and longest-serving captain of the U.S. Women’s National Team. She is also a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Over the course of her illustrious 20-year career with the U.S. WNT, Rampone made the second most appearances in the history of international women’s soccer, with 311 caps.
- Alexi Lalas – U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer and standout U.S. Men’s National Team defender during the 1994 World Cup.
- Ariane Hingst – Two-time World Cup champion with Germany. She played in four World Cups and made 173 international appearances throughout her career. Hingst was the youngest player on Germany’s 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad.
- Kelly Smith – England’s all-time leading women’s goal scorer, recording more than 100 international caps and a record 46 goals. She competed in three UEFA Women’s Championships, two FIFA Women’s World Cups and one Olympics.
- Karina LeBlanc – As a member of the Canadian National Team, she participated in five FIFA World Cups and two Olympic Games. In 2018, she was appointed Head of Women’s Football for Concacaf and its 41 countries.
- Kate Gill – Australian Women’s Asian Cup champion. In 2010, Gill was recognized as the Asian Female Player of the Year and is the second leading Australian goal scorer.
- Leslie Osborne – Former U.S. Women’s National Team defender and member of the 2007 Women’s World Cup team, makes her second World Cup appearance as a studio analyst.
- Eniola Aluko – England striker and FA Cup champion with Chelsea, she made 102 appearances for England from 2004-16 and competed in three FIFA Women’s World Cups and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Rounding out the studio lineup are FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP™ TODAY and FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP™ LIVE lead host Rob Stone; FOX SOCCER TONIGHT host Kate Abdo; and Jenny Taft, who serves as co-host and correspondent-at-large for the month-long tournament.
Reporter Alex Curry is embedded with the U.S. WNT, providing in-depth reports, breaking news and features on the squad throughout the tournament. Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl serves as a reporter-at-large and FIFA referee Christina Unkel weighs in as rules analyst. Unkel is a FIFA referee and litigation attorney. She has a 21-year career in refereeing and is one of three women in the country to have a FIFA badge, which allows her to referee professional soccer games abroad.
FIFA Women’s World Cup MATCH SCHEDULE
A total of 52 matches will be played to determine the winner of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France. Find out when and where all the matches will take place.
Click Here for the france-2019-match-schedule-updated-in-english
Source: FOX press release and FIFA
