ENGLAND fans fear the infamous “ITV curse” will strike again as the Three Lions prepare to begin their World Cup 2026 campaign.
Thomas Tuchel’s side qualified for the tournament unbeaten and last Saturday.
England fans fear the ‘ITV curse’ will strike early at the World Cup Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Thomas Tuchel looked frustrated during England’s friendly against New Zealand on Saturday Credit: Alamy
are set to face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the United States.
And some fans are beginning to fear whether the Three Lions will even make it to the knockouts.
That’s because is being shown on ITV.
The clash will kick off at 9pm on June 17.
Yet the Three Lions have a
Since 1996, there have been 32 major England tournament matches aired solely on ITV.
However, just 10 of them have resulted in glory, with
Their last sole ITV major tournament match was thankfully a victory, coming in a 2-1 win over Holland in the Euro 2024 semis.
Despite that, the ITV curse appears even more real with major England tournament matches shown solely on the BBC resulting in 21 wins from 29 matches — with just two draws and six defeats.
Fans now fear that England could be sent packing by Croatia in their opening group game.
One said: “That’s us losing then.”
Another declared: “A shame for us, ITV curse incoming no doubt.”
A third noted: “ITV should never ever show England WC.”
Another added: “ITV curse that’s us going out.”
It gets worse for England fans down the line, with ITV also showing their final group game against Panama.
The broadcaster is also set to show England’s potential quarter-final clash, which could take place against Brazil.
But the BBC has the rest of the action, starting with the group game against Ghana.
Should England progress, the BBC will show their last 32 and last 16 matches, as well as the semi-final.
And if Tuchel’s men make it all the way to the final, the BBC and ITV will both broadcast the match simultaneously as per tradition — with the curse thankfully not applying then.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
