Cantor duo prepares for 2026 World Cup coverage as soccer’s American footprint expands
Andrés and Nico Cantor detail their respective roles in covering the 39-day competition, balancing professional objectivity with personal heritage as the sport seeks to cement its growth in the United States.
Broadcasting veterans Andrés and Nico Cantor are finalising preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a 39-day, 48-team competition that will see soccer’s profile significantly elevated across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The tournament, which commences on June 12 with the United States opener at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles, represents a critical juncture for the sport’s institutional development in North America.
Andrés Cantor, a Buenos Aires-born veteran, is set to provide play-by-play commentary for his 10th World Cup as a broadcaster and his 12th tournament overall. During the first two weeks of the event, he will work matches across nine venues in all three host nations. As the lead play-by-play voice for Telemundo and Peacock, Cantor has established a long-standing presence in American sports media, having begun his career at Univision before moving to California as a teenager.
His son, Nico Cantor, a Miami native and New York University graduate, will serve as an on-air reporter for CBS Sports and Paramount+. Without direct broadcast rights to the tournament, Nico will travel 11,000 miles across 11 United States venues in an RV for 41 consecutive days. His role involves sideline reporting and storytelling focused on fan culture, a task he describes as a quintessential American experience. He will also provide sideline reporting for Fútbol de Primera, his father’s radio network, for the fourth consecutive World Cup.
The Cantors anticipate covering Argentina’s matches, with Lionel Messi potentially playing in his sixth and final World Cup. Messi, who joined Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, is soon to turn 39 and has not officially announced his retirement. Andrés Cantor will call Argentina’s first match in Kansas City, Missouri, while Nico will be present for the second group game in Arlington, Texas. The pair are also involved in a Lowe’s advertising campaign featuring a 10-foot inflatable Lionel Messi.
Both broadcasters emphasise the need for professional detachment despite their personal ties to the sport. Andrés Cantor, a diehard Boca Juniors supporter, states he sets aside his fandom to call matches fairly, though he admits to losing emotional control during high-stakes moments, such as the 2022 World Cup final. Nico Cantor, who supports Boca Juniors due to his father’s influence, notes that his approach is cautious due to the multicultural US audience, though he acknowledges a desire for the United States to win.
The Cantors view the 2026 tournament as a potential "massive game-changer" for soccer’s growth in America, building on the expansion that began after the 1994 World Cup. Andrés Cantor recalls waiting for the 1994 event so his generation could see soccer take off, noting that the subsequent establishment of Major League Soccer laid the groundwork for the current landscape. He expects the exponential coverage of the 2026 tournament to ensure that soccer’s presence in America is undeniable, hoping to leave a legacy of increased local fandom and support for professional teams.
