Overview
- A TRT commentator confused Iran and New Zealand during the opening minutes of the match in Los Angeles on Monday, calling the teams and several players by the wrong names for roughly four minutes.
- The error was captured on the live feed, went viral on social media and drew widespread criticism of TRT’s on-air oversight.
- TRT called the mistake unacceptable, announced administrative and investigative steps, and confirmed the withdrawn commentator will not return to tournament broadcasts.
- Turkish media identified the presenter as Murat Ekrem Çimen, who has apologised publicly and has about three decades of experience at TRT.
- The incident adds to concerns about live broadcast quality at the World Cup and has drawn sharper attention because Iran’s team faced a disrupted tournament build-up with unusual travel arrangements.