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As the world’s biggest sporting event takes centre stage this summer, women are driving the action like never before, making real impact both on and off the pitch. To celebrate this year's tournament, Women in Football is proud to launch a new spotlight series championing some of the extraordinary women shaping the FIFA World Cup 2026. From elite broadcasters to tournament legacy managers, the career opportunities within the game are vast. Join us as we go behind the scenes to explore these vital roles and the incredible influence these women hold.

Stay tuned to this page as we'll be continually adding new names throughout the tournament.

 

Faye Carruthers

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Faye Carruthers is serving as the on-the-ground England Correspondent for talkSPORT. She is fully embedded inside Thomas Tuchel's England camp across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, delivering live pitchside reporting, breaking news, and direct interviews with the players and coaching staff. Some of Faye's responsibilities include:

• Pitchside reporting: Offering real-time updates and tactical observations directly from the touchline

• Press conferences and interviews: talkSPORT's primary interviewer for Thomas Tuchel and the England squad

• Audio content: Featuring on the network's World Cup Daily podcast

• Digital coverage: Providing video logs and updates charting the journey across the host nations

What is your role at the tournament? ⁠I am talkSPORT’s England Correspondent, so I cover all the news from inside the England camp and interview the players. On matchdays I am pitchside behind the goal providing inserts into our coverage and conducting the post match interviews with Thomas Tuchel and the players in the tunnel. I'll be following England wherever they go, so I'm based in Florida first, then Kansas where the base camp is, and then travelling to the games all the way (hopefully!) to the final.

What are you most excited to see? I'm excited to watch England walk out for their first match in Dallas. In terms of player highlights, there are too many amazing players to just pick one. I’m most looking forward to seeing them all shine.

Where are you ⁠most excited to visit? Mexico City and the Azteca Stadium. If England top their group, this would be the venue for their L16 match and potentially against hosts Mexico. Going to the stadium where Maradona scored his hand of god goal against England is bucket list!

Winner prediciton? ⁠England – because why not? They have a balanced squad of winners with Harry Kane leading the line.

How long have you been a WIF member? ⁠I’ve been a proud WIF member since 2012!

What inspired you to join WIF? Through meeting other members who encouraged me to join. I thank them wholeheartedly because I found an incredible support network of people who have become friends and who genuinely care about the direction of the game.

How has being a member supported your development? ⁠It’s helped my confidence and belief and after taking part in one of the first Leadership Programmes, it’s opened my eyes to many other opportunities in football that compliment my broadcasting career and challenge me as a person and leader. I’m about to complete an MBA in Football Industries at the University of Liverpool because of the encouragement and support from Jane Purdon and Sue Bridgewater who supported me winning a WIF scholarship to study.

Why would you recommend someone to become a WIF member? For all the above reasons I would recommend people to become a member of WIF. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone, opened doors I thought would be closed and given me a sense of belonging and hunger to continue making positive change.

 

Lianne Sanderson

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, former England Lionesses forward Lianne Sanderson is serving as an official studio pundit and match analyst for beIN SPORTS. This marks her third major tournament working with the network's global English-language broadcast squad. Some of Lianne's responsibilities include:

• Studio punditry: Providing live, tactical pre-match, half-time, and post-match analysis

• Expert analysis: Leveraging her perspective as a former international player

• High-profile panelist: Featuring on premium panel segments alongside other high-profile hosts and legends

• Dynamic insights: Heavily involved in analyzing World Cup matches

What is your role at the tournament? ⁠Pundit for BeIN SPORTS in Doha, Qatar.

What are you most excited to see? The player I am most excited to see is Cristiano Ronaldo, while the team is France.

Where are you ⁠most excited to visit? I'm based in Doha for the tournament but my favourite stadiums at the tournament are SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Lumen Field in Seattle.

Winner prediction? France because they have the best squad and quality in my opinion, unbelievable depth.

⁠How long have you been a WIF member? For as long as I can remember. Since the very beginning when Jo Tongue and Jacqui Oatley first got involved.

What inspired you to join WIF? It felt like a no brainer. I love going to the events and I’ve also hosted several events. There are so many inspiring people and stories in the room.

What is your standout moment as a WIF member? Hosting the recent event at Brentford FC’s Gtech Community Stadium for the inaugral FIFA Women's Champions Cup.

Why would you recommend someone to become a WIF member? Because it’s a place where you feel supported, it’s an inspiring space and everyone is welcome. There are a lot of bad ass women in the room that want other women to be elevated.

 

Photogtaphy credits: Nixon Wong, Lianne Sanderson. Icon credit: <a href="https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/soccer" title="soccer icons">Soccer icons created by Freepik - Flaticon</a>.

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