27/06/2026 22:58 - Deportes
Even before the ball hit the net, the commentator was already screaming. "Allllllllaaaaaaah!" exclaimed Amer al-Khudhiri, an Omani commentator for BeIN Sports, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal in the 2026 World Cup against Uzbekistan. But what followed was an almost two-minute recital that left millions of viewers breathless.
"I knew you came for revenge. I knew you would respond to everyone, to the world, to the World Cup, to those who doubt, to those who lost their memory," al-Khudhiri began, his voice breaking with emotion. "Oh history, place Ronaldo here as Portugal's all-time top scorer!"
This phenomenon isn't new, but the 2026 World Cup is cementing the legacy of commentators who go far beyond technical analysis:
Arabic commentary isn't just passion: it's cultural heritage. Arabic has over 500 different ways to say "lion", and this lexical richness is reflected in every broadcast.
"Arabic has a classical science of eloquence called balagha, and a literary culture that places the poet at its center since pre-Islamic odes," explained Hazar al-Kilani, a public relations manager in Doha, Qatar.
Commentators continue a millenary oral tradition where people competed in improvised poetry for hours, demonstrating their mastery of an extraordinarily rich language.
From crowded cafés along the Lebanese coast to air-conditioned restaurants in Gulf countries, the voices of commentators are an essential soundtrack.
"The language not only increases the drama, somehow it stretches time. A two-second sequence becomes a complete paragraph," described al-Kilani. "Anticipation becomes what you're consuming, not just the goal."
Cherly Abou Chabke, a 25-year-old reporter for a Lebanese television station, stated: "If I have the option to watch the match in French, Arabic, or English, I don't hesitate. I automatically choose Arabic."
The 2026 World Cup features a record number of teams from the Middle East, amplifying the regional relevance of the tournament. Broadcasts from BeIN Sports and other Arab networks are breaking viewership records.
Match clips go viral not just for the plays, but for the dramatic commentary that accompanies them. The creativity of commentators is part of the spectacle: they react with sadness when a chance is missed, scream with passion when a goal is scored, and even give romantic advice when the opportunity arises.
For millions of fans, these voices represent the soundtrack of World Cup summers. "Chaouali's voice belongs to the heat, to the whole family gathered in one room, to a match playing while that voice does what it has always done: elevate an ordinary goal to something monumental," summarized al-Kilani.
BeIN Sports is a Qatar-based sports network that holds broadcasting rights across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region). The network's commentators are famous for their passionate, poetic style that differs dramatically from the more analytical approach common in European or American broadcasts. This tradition reflects the Arabic language's rich poetic heritage, where wordplay and rhetorical flourishes are deeply valued cultural arts.
Source: The Guardian - Report from Beirut on Arab football commentary culture during the 2026 World Cup.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
