Women's premieres at the 2022 World Cup: commentators live on the ARD microphone - even at the final 

Created: 05/07/2022 06:33

By: Christoph Klaucke

Reporter Christina Graf will be the first woman to comment on World Cup games live on ARD.

© Imago

As in 2014, Tom Bartels comments on the final at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for ARD.

The surprise: a woman will also accompany the World Cup final live.

Mainz – Will the events of eight years ago be repeated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?

For superstitious people, the first step seems to have been taken.

At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the German national team won the World Cup.

Unforgettable was the comment by Tom Bartels on the ARD microphone: "Götze.

Make him, he makes him."

The rest is history, Germany was world champion.

SWR reporter Bartels will once again comment on the final of the World Cup on television for ARD this year.

But one thing is fundamentally different.

A woman will also comment on the World Cup final for the first time.

World Cup 2022: Bartels comments on the final on TV – for the first time a woman is allowed to play on the radio

In the men's domain of football, there should be a premiere at the end of the year at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

For the first time in ARD history, a woman will comment live on the final for radio, as SWR announced on Friday in Mainz.

It is not yet clear who that will be.

Last July, Julia Metzner from SWR was the first woman to report live from the final of the European Championships in London for public radio.

Until then, a final commentator at a men's World Cup or European Championship had only been available on private radio in Germany.

Another ARD premiere is also planned: Christina Graf will be the first woman to comment on World Cup games live on the first.

Südwestrundfunk is in charge of ARD reporting from and about Qatar at this year's World Cup.

The finals will take place from November 21st to December 18th.

These games of the 2022 World Cup are running on free TV.

World Cup 2022: ARD and ZDF plan World Cup - critical reporting on Qatar

As at previous major events, most recently at the Olympic Games in Beijing, ARD is setting up a joint broadcasting center and studio with ZDF in Mainz for the World Cup.

This can also save costs.

Fewer employees than before would have to travel to the World Cup.

The SWR has decided to follow the World Cup critically.

In the run-up there will be a report with ex-pro Thomas Hitzlsperger and an article in the “Story im Erste” series.

Qatar is controversial as a host because of the human rights situation and the conditions for foreign workers.

“Beyond the green turf, there are a lot of things that have to be viewed very critically, especially in Qatar.

And they mustn't fall off the back," said director Kai Gniffke.

At major sporting events, the organizers would often like to see only “the colorful, beautiful, and sporty” reported on.

"We will not succumb to this temptation." How do you actually get to the World Cup?

You can find all the information about flights from Germany to Qatar here.