Yesterday, ESPN released the full match schedule for their exhaustive of all 64 World Cup matches in the US.
Of the 64 games, 11 will appear on ABC, 10 on ESPN2, and the remaining 43 matches will appear on ESPN’s main channel.
ABC, the only non-cable entity broadcasting the World Cup in the United States, will show games on the weekends, with only two exceptions: The Holland – Chile match on the second Monday of the tournament, and the World Cup Final itself. ESPN2 is mostly being used to show one of the two games that happen simultaneously on the final match-day of group play. All the USA’s games, including its second match against Portugal on a Sunday, will feature on ESPN.
ESPN’s lead commentator for this World Cup will be the immensely popular Ian Darke, who has risen to a cult-hero status in US Soccer circles over the last four years, first for his calls in the 2010 World Cup and 2011 Women’s World Cup, and then for his commentary on the Premier League for ESPN.
Darke will be paired with analyst Taylor Twellman for all games involving the US. For other matches, he’ll be paired with a different analyst. The rest of ESPN’s announcing team is not hammered down, but their studio team has been announced: Analysts Twellman, Steve McMannaman (who will co-commentate select matches), Santiago Solari, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Gilberto Silva, Alexi Lalas, and Michael Ballack will provide coverage from ESPN’s broadcast center just outside Rio. Hosts for the network will include Bob Ley and Josh Elliott.
In addition to comprehensive match coverage that will include all the iconic World Cup pre-match rituals, ESPN has exhaustive coverage lined up throughout the tournament with pre and post match shows, World Cup Tonight, ESPN FC World Cup Encore, and segments of SportsCenter and other ESPN shows live from Brazil.
Enjoy this coverage while you can. In 2018 and 2022, not only will we have to watch tournaments at horrible times in places like Russia and Qatar (in the winter, if they don’t manage to lose the tournament altogether), FOX will have the broadcasting rights, and their soccer coverage can’t hold a candle to ESPN’s.
But for this summer at least, the perfect World Cup is a possibility very much on the horizon.
Here is ESPN’s full TV match schedule for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Thursday, June 12
Brazil vs Croatia, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Friday, June 13
Mexico vs Cameroon, Noon ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Spain vs Holland, 3pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Chile vs Australia, 6pm ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Saturday, June 14
Colombia vs Greece, Noon ET, ABC and Watch ABC
Uruguay vs Costa Rica, 3pm ET, ABC and Watch ABC
England vs Italy, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Ivory Coast vs Japan, 9pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Sunday, June 15
Switzerland vs Ecuador, Noon ET, ABC and Watch ABC
France vs Honduras, 3pm ET, ABC and Watch ABC
Argentina vs Bosnia, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Monday, June 16
Germany vs Portugal, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Iran vs Nigeria, 3pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Ghana vs USA, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Tuesday, June 17
Belgium vs Algeria, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Brazil vs Mexico, 3pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Russia vs South Korea, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Wednesday, June 18
Australia vs Holland, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Spain vs Chile, 3pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Cameroon vs Croatia, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Thursday, June 19
Colombia vs Ivory Coast, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Uruguay vs England, 3pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Japan vs Greece, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Friday, June 20
Italy vs Costa Rica, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Switzerland vs France, 3pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Honduras vs Ecuador, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Saturday, June 21
Argentina vs Iran, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Germany vs Ghana, 3pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Nigeria vs Bosnia, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Sunday, June 22
Belgium vs Russia, Noon ET, ABC and Watch ABC
South Korea vs Algeria, 3pm ET, ABC and Watch ABC
USA vs Portugal, 6pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Monday, June 23
Holland vs Chile, Noon ET, ABC and Watch ABC
Australia vs Spain, Noon ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Croatia vs Mexico, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Cameroon vs Brazil, 4pm ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Tuesday, June 24
Costa Rica vs England, Noon ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Italy vs Uruguay, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Japan vs Colombia, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Greece vs Ivory Coast, 4pm ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Wednesday, June 25
Nigeria vs Argentina, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Bosnia vs Iran, Noon ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Honduras vs Switzerland, 4pm ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Ecuador vs France, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Thursday, June 26
Portugal vs Ghana, Noon ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
USA vs Germany, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
South Korea vs Belgium, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Algeria vs Russia, 4pm ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Friday, June 27
No games
Read: ESPN’s US TV Coverage Plans for FIFA World Cup 2014.
Saturday, June 28
Round of 16 — 1A vs 2B, Noon ET, ABC and Watch ABC
Round of 16 — 1C vs 2D, 4pm ET, ABC and Watch ABC
Sunday, June 29
Round of 16 — 1B vs 2A, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Round of 16 — 1D vs 2C, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Monday, June 30
Round of 16 — 1E vs 2F, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Round of 16 — 1G vs 2H, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Tuesday, July 1
Round of 16 — 1F vs 2E, Noon ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Round of 16 — 1H vs 2G, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Wednesday, July 2
No games
Thursday, July 3
No games
Friday, July 4
Quarter-finals — W53 vs W54, Noon ET, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
Quarter-finals — W49 vs W50, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Saturday, July 5
Quarter-finals — W55 vs W56, Noon ET, ABC and Watch ABC
Quarter-finals — W51 vs W52, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Sunday, July 6
No games
Monday, July 7
No games
Tuesday, July 8
Semi-final — W57 vs W58, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Wednesday, July 9
Semi-final — W59 vs W60, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Thursday, July 10
No games
Friday, July 11
No games
Saturday, July 12
Third place match, 4pm ET, ESPN and WatchESPN
Sunday, July 13
World Cup Final, 3pm ET, ABC and Watch ABC
Also see: The new FIFA 2014 World Cup game is now out. Read our review.
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