The report says Hunter will front the programme from Mexico City Stadium, with Adam Richman also involved in the presenting team. Her background covering La Liga gives the broadcast a strong international focus, while Carney brings direct experience of the biggest stage.
Carney’s tournament background should be particularly useful when Sweden and Tunisia begin a Group F campaign in which the opening result could carry early importance. McAnuff’s playing and coaching experience adds a different perspective, centred on tactical instruction and dressing-room demands.
Joe Speight is expected to call the action, with Lucy Ward alongside him. Ward’s later work in player welfare, following her playing career, gives the commentary team a route into the human side of tournament football as well as the tactical detail.
That balance matters in a match involving two teams with contrasting World Cup narratives. The report says Sweden are making their 13th appearance and last reached the quarter-finals in 2018, while Tunisia are entering a third successive tournament.
The match is expected to be shown live on ITV1 and ITVX. A 3am start will limit the casual audience, but it also creates a clear test for the broadcaster’s ability to make a group-stage opener feel essential.
The next storyline will be whether Hunter, Carney, McAnuff, Speight and Ward can turn that difficult time slot into a compelling introduction to Sweden and Tunisia’s World Cup campaigns.