By John Drayton The competition between the two British TV stations covering the World Cup will be as fierce as any on the pitch. Both have invested in big names and foreign stars to try to give viewers the best insight into the biggest tournament on the planet. Here, Sportsmail assesses the two sides and give our verdict on who will do it best in Brazil... BBC’s Gary Lineker is suave and sophisticated. He has a slick line in patter of which his old mentor Des Lynam would approve. Lineker’s 10 goals in two World Cup finals make him as qualified as any of his studio experts to pass judgment. ITV’s Adrian Chiles is not everyone’s cup of tea, but he does a decent job of stirring up his studio guests. He certainly transmits the sense that he knows what it’s like to be an England fan.
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Slick Lineker's 10 World Cup goals make him perfect judge
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ITV's Adrian Chiles gives sense he empathises with England fans
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BBC pundit team includes Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Rio Ferdinand and Sportsmail's Martin Keown
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ITV have Patrick Vieira, Glenn Hoddle, Andros Townsend and possibly former England captain John Terry
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Keane is a big loss for the station
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ITV have England's first match, ITV have tournament opener
Anchorman role: @placeholder will front ITV's coverage but losing Roy Keane (below) is a huge blow