A World Cup 2026 commentator has been suspended after mixing up Iran and New Zealand during their match on Tuesday. Turkish state broadcaster TRT suspended Murat Ekrem Cimen after he mistakenly referred to the team in white as New Zealand and the team in black as Iran, when the opposite was true.
Mistake Corrected After Four Minutes
Cimen corrected himself after the first four minutes of the match when cameras showed Iran's Mehdi Taremi from behind. Clips of the error quickly spread on social media, drawing widespread criticism of TRT.
Apology and Investigation
Cimen has since issued an apology, and TRT released a statement saying: "The necessary administrative and investigative processes regarding this error, which is inconsistent with TRT Sports' decades-long broadcasting expertise, experience, and commitment to quality, have been immediately initiated. At the conclusion of the process, the necessary actions will be fully implemented."
The statement added: "The relevant commentator has been withdrawn from the World Cup broadcast team in the US as part of the investigation process and will not continue with the tournament broadcasts. It is unacceptable for TRT that a figure with over 30 years of experience in sports broadcasting would make such a mistake. TRT does not tolerate any practices that violate broadcasting standards in national and international events reaching millions of viewers."
Commentator's Experience
Cimen has three decades of commentating experience and has worked for TRT since 2008.
Upcoming Match
England vs Croatia kicks off at 9pm tonight (Wednesday, June 17, 2026). The opening World Cup Group L match is being played at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, and is available to watch from 8pm on ITV1.
