Fox Sports selects Strong and Holden for World Cup semifinal as Darke steps aside
Ian Darke, 72, will not call the 2026 Men’s World Cup semifinal, with Fox Sports utilising its lead announcing team for the final stage of the tournament.
Fox Sports has confirmed that legendary English play-by-play announcer Ian Darke will not be calling the 2026 Men’s World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina. The network has elected to utilise its lead announcing team, John Strong and Stu Holden, for the final stage of the tournament.
Darke, aged 72, called his last match of the competition during the quarterfinals between Argentina and Switzerland. Argentina secured a 3-1 victory in extra time in Kansas City, marking the end of Darke’s commentary duties for this edition of the World Cup.
The semifinal is scheduled for Wednesday, 15 July, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, with a 3 p.m. ET kick-off. Argentina enters the fixture as the defending champions, while England is seeking its first World Cup final appearance since 1966.
The winner of this encounter will advance to the final on Sunday, 19 July, to face Spain. Spain defeated France 2-0 to reach the final, setting up a decisive match for the global title.
While Darke is not the lead World Cup announcer for the network, his absence from the semifinal has been noted as a significant loss for viewers. Speculation suggests that barring an official retirement announcement, Darke may return for the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, potentially as the lead announcer depending on future broadcast rights.
