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A view outside the Palatine Centre

Alumni trio cover World Cup live

25 June 2026
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Football stadium

Three alumni are reporting from football's biggest tournament this summer.

 The 2026 FIFA World Cup, broadcast around the world to millions of viewers and listeners – across nations, cultures and audiences - is showcasing some of the best in sports reporting. 

From presenting live television coverage to leading insightful football discussions and conducting multilingual interviews, our alumni are showcasing the breadth of talent and expertise that Durham graduates bring to the global stage.

Mark Pougatch (Politics, Hatfield College, 1987-1990) 

 Alumnus Mark Pougatch is part of the team covering the tournament for British channel ITV. He was the lead presenter for the first of England’s games, anchoring the coverage from the main studio in New York. 

 Mark has enjoyed a distinguished media career, previously working for BBC Radio 5 Live. He co-hosts the 'Sport is History' podcast and various Sky Sports productions.  

Gabby Logan OBE (Law, College of St Hild and St Bede, 1992-1995) 

Gabby Logan in an orange suit seated next to our Vice-Chancellor in a green suit Alumna and honorary graduate Gabby is one of four presenters fronting BBC Sport’s television coverage throughout the tournament. BBC Sport broadcasts from the UK, using a new immersive studio in Salford, Manchester, to connect viewers with the three host nations.

 Gabby was awarded ‘Presenter of the Year’ at the Sports Journalism Association’s British Sports Journalism Awards. 

Image: Gabby Logan OBE with our Vice-Chancellor and Warden Professor Karen O'Brien

Alex Aljoe (Modern Languages, College of St Hild and St Bede, 2010-2014) 

 Alumna Alex Aljoe is part of the World Cup presenting team for Netflix's ‘The Rest is Football’, hosted by ex-England international, Gary Lineker.  

 Alex graduated from Durham in Spanish and Italian. She showed her talent for sport and was vice-captain of the Durham Women’s Lacrosse Club. Her career in international sports broadcasting began at Real Madrid TV and now includes Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video Sport as well as Netflix.  

 She is fluent in five languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French, which gives her a powerful advantage in international sports broadcasting. During live interviews or post‑match coverage, she can switch languages seamlessly, often drawing out more honest, natural, and emotionally rich responses than standard English‑only interviews. 

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