The All-England Club's chief executive, Sally Bolton, has confirmed that Wimbledon's ban on showing World Cup matches will extend even to the players' lounge. This marks the first time since 2018 that the men's World Cup coincides with Wimbledon, and the club is enforcing its strict no-football policy.
No World Cup on Big Screens or TVs
None of Wimbledon's big screens will broadcast the knockout stages of the World Cup. England fans hoping to watch Wednesday's last-32 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 5pm BST will need to do so discreetly on their phones. Bolton stated, "We're not going to be showing the football on any of the big screens around the ground. But clearly, if people have got their phones, then we're not going to prevent people from watching the football."
Stricter Policy in Prestigious Areas
A stricter policy applies in more prestigious areas, such as Centre Court. Bolton added, "We do discourage people from using their phones in the Royal Box." In total, 17 World Cup matches overlap with Wimbledon action. Despite media reports that players have requested not to be scheduled during their home country's matches, Bolton said no such requests have been made. "So far we haven't had any of those requests. I'm conscious some people have suggested that in the media. But they certainly haven't made any requests to the referees' officer."
Players Lounge Also Affected
When asked whether World Cup games would be shown in the players' lounge, Bolton replied, "We're not showing the World Cup on any of the TVs in the grounds. If people want to watch it on their phones, that's fine." Two years ago, during England's Euro 2024 penalty shootout against Switzerland, play was disrupted as fans watched on phones while Novak Djokovic faced Alexei Popyrin on Centre Court. Djokovic smiled and pretended to take a penalty, while Popyrin mimicked a save. Reflecting on that experience, Djokovic said, "It's been a few times with European Championships and World Cups in the past where there were particularly interesting matches. I would be last on Centre Court and England would be playing. That was quite the experience for me on court."
