FOX and Telemundo are celebrating World Cup goals in fun (but different) ways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Darren Fletcher stayed silent for 54 seconds after Messi's second goal.
- Andres Cantor screamed “goal” for 38 seconds after Messi's second goal.
- Viewers praised both networks’ contrasting goal calls on social media.
Here’s some friendly advice for any soccer fan who is looking for a new way to experience the 2026 FIFA World Cup before knockout games begin next week.
Change the channel.
If you have been watching the games on FOX with English-speaking announcing crews, give Telemundo and its Spanish-speaking teams a shot. Or vice versa. The differences go way beyond a language change.
Flipping back and forth between both broadcasts during Argentina’s victory over Austria earlier this week proved to be illuminating, especially when Lionel Messi scored each of his goals.
Even in a World Cup that has seen stars shine brightly with Erling Haaland (4), Kylian Mbappe (4), Cristiano Ronaldo (2), Harry Kane (2) and Lamine Yamal (1) all scoring for their national teams during group play, Messi has been the center of attention with an astounding five goals in two matches.
FOX and Telemundo both went all out to showcase his two goals against Austria. But they did so in very different ways.
The English-speaking approach was simple. When Messi scored his second goal, FOX play-by-play man Darren Fletcher shared the following words: “Lionel Messi at the double. Argentina get the win, and the little magic man gets his second goal of the game.”
Then he let the crowd take center stage.
Instead of continuing to describe the surreal moment, he stayed silent for the next 54 seconds as FOX showed many different angles of the celebration taking place in Arlington, Texas.
Many other English-speaking announcers share Fletcher’s approach. At a moment like that, they usually think it's best to let the viewers at home take in the sights and sounds as if they were in attendance.
For example, ESPN took a similar approach when Oklahoma won the College World Series on Monday. Nobody said a word inside the booth for a full minute while OU players stormed onto the field and celebrated the moment.
The players, the crowd and the moment all spoke for themselves.
When executed well, a brief bit of silence from an announcing crew can enhance the broadcast. But it can go also go wrong and leave viewers feeling like they’re watching a golf tournament due to a lack of enthusiasm from the broadcast team.
On Telemundo, there is no risk of that happening.
The Spanish-speaking crew took the opposite approach during Argentina’s latest match. When Messi scored his second goal against Austria, iconic play-by-play man Andres Cantor screamed along with the crowd as if he had found the back of the net himself.
As is typical on Telemundo broadcasts, Cantor screamed the word “goal” to commemorate the moment ... for 38 straight seconds.
He didn’t go silent so viewers could appreciate the crowd. He cheered right along with everyone else in attendance.
Telemundo seemed to be showcasing three things at the same time — Messi, Cantor and the raucous crowd.
Reactions to both calls were fascinating on social media. Soccer fans seemed to like them both, for different reasons.
Turns out, there’s more than one way to successfully call a World Cup goal from Messi.
Viewers can take their pick with their remotes.