CAIRO / Hussein Al-Qabbani / Anadolu

Algerian commentator Hafid Derradji to Anadolu:

- The Arab viewer today has become more selective, looking for the commentator who suits their taste and meets their expectations

- Arab commentary has gained remarkable appreciation in Western circles, even though many of them do not understand Arabic

- Our generation and the generation before us laid the first brick, but the responsibility will be greater on the next generation

- Imitation kills spirit, talent, and creativity, and destroys the essence of commentary itself

Egyptian commentator Mohamed Al-Kawalini to Anadolu:

- The Arab school is successful by all standards, it is a distinguished school that proves its existence day after day

- The vast majority tend to prefer Arab commentary and the South American school, both characterized by enthusiasm and wealth of information

- The commentator must love the profession from the heart and live the atmosphere of the match inside the commentary booth

- The audience must be made to live the event through enthusiasm, a strong voice, and impactful words

"Goal... goal... goal," "Allah, Allah, Allah," "What a crazy night," and "Wow... wow... wow"... phrases uttered by Arab commentators during the 2026 World Cup matches, full of enthusiasm, painting for the listener, even if they did not watch the match, a vivid picture of what is happening on the field, as if they were sitting in the stands or in front of the screen.

Two Arab commentators who spoke to Anadolu attribute the distinctiveness of Arab football commentary in the World Cup to several factors, foremost among them enthusiasm, football culture, wealth of information, and the ability to interact with match details.

The Algerian commentator Hafid Derradji and the Egyptian Mohamed Al-Kawalini believe that Arab commentary has gained increasing global attention, and that new generations are capable of continuing this presence, provided they avoid imitation and develop their professional and cultural tools.

A touch of creativity

During the Spain-Belgium match on Friday, veteran Algerian commentator Hafid Derradji continued his habit of playing with words, anticipating the danger of attacks before they materialized, and adding more excitement to the match with his enthusiasm.

Before a Spanish goal, Derradji said: "Dangerous... cross... oh, goooal Spain, goal... a play nothing more beautiful from the Spaniards."

Derradji did not stop at enthusiasm, but followed the goal with a stream of information about its scorer and its impact on the match's course, within seconds.

Egyptian commentator Ali Mohamed Ali also excelled in his commentary on his country's team's goals, starting with the match against Belgium on June 15, when Emam Ashour scored Egypt's goal.

He then said: "Score, Emam, score, Emam... beautiful, Emam, Allah... Egypt's first goal in the World Cup, amazing, amazing," before addressing Belgian forward Jeremy Doku with an enthusiastic colloquial phrase.

In the Egypt-New Zealand match on June 22, Ali Mohamed Ali anticipated a Pharaohs' goal with suspense, saying: "Mohamed Salah... it's your game, it's your game."

After the goal was scored, he added: "We don't care... Salah is with us, it's your game... the Egyptian can do it, and Mohamed Salah scores his beautiful goal... look, see what Egypt is doing."

On the same day, during the Argentina-Austria match on June 22, Yemeni commentator Hassan Al-Eidarous delivered a remarkable dramatic commentary after Argentine star Lionel Messi scored a goal.

Al-Eidarous said: "Allah, Allah, Allah... Let history open its arms, and let the world witness this moment, and let glory record a number for eternity. Let me not call you Leo, but rather call you history itself."

He added: "Leo, Leo... O you who break records, is there anything left for you to do in history? Is there anything left for you to write in history? You did not chase records, but they chased you."

The next day, Omani commentator Amer Al-Khodhairi shone after Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal in the 2026 World Cup against Uzbekistan.

Al-Khodhairi said: "Allah, Allah, Allah... I knew you were coming for revenge, and I knew you would respond to everyone, to the world, to the World Cup, to the doubters, and to those who lost their memory."

He continued: "To everyone who wondered, to everyone who called, Ronaldo answers, Ronaldo challenges, Ronaldo speaks. O history, place Ronaldo here as Portugal's all-time top scorer... O God, what beauty is this, you are the only one that words fail to describe."

Arab commentary: a unique phenomenon

In an interview with Anadolu, Algerian commentator Hafid Derradji said that Arab commentary has gained great value among viewers in recent years, thanks to the widespread use of social media, which has helped convey commentators' performances and interactions with football matches to a broader audience.

Derradji added that "the Arab viewer today has become more selective, looking for the commentator who suits their taste and meets their expectations."

He noted that this interest is no longer confined to the Arab world, but has extended to the West, as clips documenting Arab commentary are widely circulated on social media platforms and European media outlets, which treat it as a unique phenomenon.

He continued: "Arab commentary has gained remarkable appreciation in Western circles, even though many of them do not understand Arabic. I know foreigners who prefer listening to Arab commentators' voices to enjoy the enthusiasm accompanying matches, and this is an advantage for Arab commentary."

Derradji considered that the distinction of Arab commentators in the World Cup represents a continuation of an accumulated approach, explaining that the secret of this presence lies in the enthusiasm that the Arab commentator brings, an enthusiasm derived from the nature of the Arab person and their emotional interaction with football.

He pointed to a shift in audience interests, as the focus in the past was on the match, while today the viewer cares about both the match and the commentator alike.

He believed that this shift has increased the responsibility and pressure on commentators, pushing them to keep pace with the growing expectations of the audience.

Regarding the future of Arab commentary, Derradji said: "The future is tied to the rising generation. Our generation and the generation before us laid the first brick, but the responsibility will be greater on the next generation, which may face the challenge of imitation."

He warned that "imitation kills spirit, talent, and creativity, and destroys the essence of commentary itself."

He concluded that "the future of commentary is an integral part of the future of media and football in general," expressing his happiness with the broad public interest, which puts television channels under the responsibility of giving this field greater importance, as it has become an essential part of the enjoyment of football.

An unprecedented version of commentary

For his part, Egyptian commentator Mohamed Al-Kawalini told Anadolu that the Arab school of commentary has presented a successful presence during the World Cup held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

He added that Arab commentary has strongly proven its existence in the current edition, thanks to its special flavor and enjoyment, along with the culture, information, spirit, and enthusiasm that characterize the Arab commentator.

Al-Kawalini explained that the Arab commentator is able to make the fan live the match atmosphere more greatly, thanks to enthusiasm, which, in his view, is a basic feature of Arab commentary and the South American school compared to English commentary.

He said: "The Arab school is successful by all standards, it is a distinguished school that proves its existence day after day."

He pointed out that there are different schools of football commentary, foremost among them the English, Arab, and South American schools, each with its own character and flavor.