Galvão Bueno announces that the 2026 World Cup will be his farewell to narration
The 2026 World Cup will mark the farewell of Galvão Bueno as narrator. At 75 years old, the main name in Brazilian sports broadcasting stated that this will be his last World Cup in front of the microphone and ruled out repeating the experience in the 2030 edition.
Galvão explained that age will be decisive in ending a career in game broadcasting. According to him, he still intends to follow football, but in other roles.
"Next time, age won't allow it. It won't be possible, right? I'm going to watch the World Cup. If I work, it will be presenting a program, recording a daily commentary, something like that", he said in an interview with Folha de S.Paulo.
The narrator revealed that he even considered the 2022 World Cup, in Qatar, as his last major event. On the occasion, he received tributes and was the subject of a documentary about his career. However, the opportunity to return to broadcasting arose after he joined N Sports, which acquired the rights to the tournament in partnership with SBT.
"Actually, it should have been in 2022. It was a very cool closing moment. (...) Then this possibility arose to buy the rights to the World Cup through N Sports, of which I joined as a partner, in partnership with SBT. It couldn't be better. I'm feeling very good at SBT", he declared.
This Monday (29), Galvão narrates the duel between Brazil and Japan for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The match extends a historic milestone for the announcer, who became the narrator with the most World Cup games broadcast on television.
To date, he has played 149 matches narrated in World Cups, 57 of which for the Brazilian team. The feat earned the journalist a place in the Guinness World Records.
"I didn't really know the number. I was impressed because I've already played 57 games for the national team in World Cups. To reach 148 is a lot. But it was exciting. After all, now I'm in Guinness!", he concluded.
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Source: CNN