Fox concluded its television coverage of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, capping an eight-year run as the tournament's English-language broadcaster on US TV that began in 2018. With media rights for 2030 and beyond still to be awarded, this could mark the network's final World Cup, and the Guardian's review reflects on a mixed effort that improved on its widely criticised 2022 coverage but still fell short of excellence.

The review highlights standout figures such as anchor Rebecca Lowe, praised for holding together an unruly panel, alongside more divisive contributions from Landon Donovan, sideline reporter Geoff Shreeves, Tom Rinaldi and "fan correspondent" Jameis Winston. James Corden's late-night show segment, featuring guests' beer glasses that stayed flat and half-full throughout the tournament, is singled out as a fitting metaphor for coverage that never quite delivered a "full pour". Fox reportedly rebalanced its on-air talent for 2026 to include more experienced foreign pundits alongside American presenters, a change credited with lifting standards from the low point of the previous tournament.