2026 World Cup: No Backtracking—Rai Awards the Final to Adani (and Rimedio)
Lele Adani will be the second commentator for the 2026 World Cup final on Rai. The former defender, now a regular presence at the national team’s big matches and major international competitions, will provide commentary on the tournament’s final match alongside Alberto Rimedio. The decision was made official by Rai, which has finalized the assignments for the World Cup’s final matches. The Rimedio-Adani duo will therefore be the main commentary team for state television coverage of the championship final on Sunday, July 19, at 9:00 p.m.
The third-place match, scheduled for Saturday, July 18, at 11 p.m. in Miami, will instead be covered by Luca De Capitani and German Denis. With his assignment to the final, Adani reaffirms his role in covering major international matches, despite the significant controversy surrounding the former defender’s commentary on Argentina’s matches against Switzerland and England. He will therefore be the one to experience the final act of the 2026 World Cup from the virtual sidelines, joining Alberto Rimedio in commentating on the Spain-Argentina match.
Stefano Bizzotto, on the other hand, has wrapped up his World Cup coverage with the semifinal between France and Spain ending 2-0 in favor of La Roja; he worked alongside Andrea Stramaccioni during this tournament. For Bizzotto, this was the final World Cup broadcast of his career—his ninth World Cup covered for RAI. The journalist thus brought to a close a long career that made him one of the most beloved faces of television soccer commentary.
