When you’re on the pitch playing soccer, you won’t need a narrative voice to walk you through a match. That’s not the case if you’re a viewer, however, and having that smooth and silky voice describe every move on the pitch will add to the overall experience.
While some commentators are there to fill the awkward silence, others became legendary additions to the soccer world with epic lines and goal announcements. FIFA 22 works with some of the most beloved commentators worldwide, which makes it feel like home for the players no matter which country they’re from.
From the Career Mode to Ultimate Team (FUT), commentators are a core part of every FIFA game. Here’s all of the commentators you’ll encounter while enjoying the latest edition of the game.
Alan Smith: All game modes (English)
Alan Smith is a former English soccer player. After retiring from the game, he became a commentator and presented the 2011 Champions League final with Martin Tyler.
His arrival to the FIFA series wasn’t until FIFA 12, where he replaced Andy Tyler and became Martin Tyler’s new partner. Considering the two commentated on the Champions League final earlier in 2011, the change was more than welcomed by the fans.
Derek Rae: All game modes (English)
Derek Rae is a talented soccer commentator from Scotland. During his youth, Rae went to local football matches with a tape recorder to get better as a commentator. His efforts started paying off around 1986. At the time, BBC Radio Scotland’s David Francey had to take time off due to a knee injury, and Rae filled the spot at the age of 19.
The hard-working commentator made his FIFA debut in 2019 and has been a part of the series since.
Lee Dixon: All game modes (English)
Lee Dixon is a retired soccer player from England. Having spent most of his career on Arsenal, Dixon transitioned to a commentator after he quit the sport.
Like Derek Rae, Dixon also worked his way and also made his first appearance in FIFA 19.
Alex Scott: All game modes (English)
Alex Scott is one of the new additions to the FIFA series. After an extensive soccer career filled with national appearances and three stints at Arsenal, Scott transitioned into a career in media.
Though her career in sports media kicked off around 2016, she started making a breakthrough in 2018 during her FIFA World Cup coverage. Shortly after that, she became the first female soccer pundit on Sky Sports.
Stewart Robson: All game modes (English)
Stewart Robson recently became the primary co-commentator of the FIFA series in its latest edition.
Starting his soccer career back in 1978 for Arsenal, he had 150 appearances with the squad before he moved onto West Ham United. His media career took him back to his roots as well since he became a co-commentator for Arsenal TV.
Alan McInally: All game modes (English)
Alan McInally is a former soccer player who hails from Scotland. Starting off his career on Ayr United, McInally made his way to Celtic, Aston Villa, and Bayern Munich before retiring after a year long stint for Kilmarnock F.C.
After retiring from the sport, McInally stayed in the professional soccer industry through media and became a pundit for Sky Sports. He arrived in the FIFA series in 2019 and has been a part of the commentator squad for the game since.
Nira Juanra: All game modes (Spanish)
Originating from Spain, Nira Juanra works as a presenter and a reporter for Gol Television. She was the first female commentator featured in a FIFA game in 2021.
When it comes to providing coverage for sports, Juanra has also offered her expertise covering Formula One.
Frank Buschmann: All game modes (German)
While most soccer commentators have a history of playing the game at a professional level at some point in their lives, that isn’t the case for Frank Buschmann. The German presenter and sports reporter is a former basketball player.
Buschmann has been commentating on soccer games and also has been a moderator in shows like Ninja Warrior in Germany. He first appeared as a commentator in the FIFA series in 2016 alongside his casting duo, Wolff-Christoph Fuss and has been a familiar sound for the fans ever since.
Esther Sedlaczek: Career & UEFA Champions League (German)
Esther Sedlaczek is one of the younger talents in the FIFA series since her media career kicked off around 2010. Her earlier work involves presenting for the TV channel Sky and field reporting from Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and the second Bundesliga.
Sedlaczek joined the ranks of other FIFA commentators in 2021, and she appears quite often in the Career and UEFA Champions League game modes in FIFA 2022 if you have the German language turned on.
Daniele Adani: All game modes (Italian)
Originating from Italy, Daniele Adani has quite the resume. Starting off his playing career for Modeno, Adani had the chance to play soccer in clubs like Lazio, Fiorentina, Inter, and Empoli.
After concluding his career as a player, Adani became a commentator for Sportitalia and later joined Sky Sports. While he was commentating, he also became the vice coach of Vicenza, a Serie B team for a year.
Pierluigi Pardo: All game modes (Italian)
Pierluigi Pardo comes from a more journalistic background compared to some of the other names on the list. Pardo has been involved in the scene since 2001, and his voice also made an appearance in the Pro Evolution Soccer series. It wasn’t until FIFA 15 that fans would hear his voice in the FIFA series.
How to change commentary language in FIFA 22?
Players who are looking to change their commentary language can navigate to the settings through the main menu and Customize tab. Choose “Game Settings” and use your right analog stick to move menus. After making it to the audio settings, you’ll be able to change your Commentary Language.
Trying out different commentary languages can allow players to experience the soccer culture on other continents. It can also be a breath of fresh air if you’re a frequent player. As you play more, you’ll start guessing the next line the commentators will use, and switching to a different language can help keep the voiceovers fresh.
