As the FIFA World Cup 2026 enters its final stages, for actor-television host Sahil Khattar, returning to the studio for the tournament’s broadcast on ZEE5 was never just another hosting assignment. In the middle of a transition from digital creator and presenter to actor, Khattar has returned to the world of live sports broadcasting, a space he says offers an adrenaline rush unlike any other.
Having hosted the tournament in 2018 and now returning for the 2026 edition, Khattar remains one of the few Indian presenters to helm the country’s FIFA broadcast twice. Despite juggling film projects and the demands of the film industry, he says that turning down football was never an option.
“A lot of people who are doing films do not take up anchoring work. I picked it up because I have the love for the sport and the live telecast,” says Khattar.
For the Chandigarh-born host, Delhi occupies a special place in that journey. Before Mumbai and the film industry, he lived and worked in Delhi for several years. Khattar recalls the city as the bridge between his hometown and the entertainment world. Delhi still anchors his personal and professional life through friends and family.
Early beginner
His relationship with football, meanwhile, goes back to a childhood fascination with the sport and countless hours spent on PlayStation. A devoted Arsenal supporter during Thierry Henry’s era, Khattar says he now follows football beyond club loyalties, tuning in to matches involving teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Ironically, he credits video games as one of his earliest classrooms. “I failed in Class 11 because I played so much PlayStation,” he laughs. “But in the end, life worked out because of all those games.”
Meeting the stars
For Khattar, the tournament has been full of unforgettable moments—from sharing studio space with German football legend Oliver Kahn and Indian stars such as Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, to witnessing dramatic on-field comebacks.
Yet, he believes that simply knowing football is not enough to make compelling television. His biggest responsibility as a host, he says, is translating the sport for millions of casual viewers.
“You use their language, their humour and their jargon,” he explains. His trademark style mixes Hindi with Punjabi and Haryanvi, drawing comparisons between footballing moments and everyday experiences. The aim, he says, is to make the game accessible without overwhelming viewers with technical analysis.
Before stepping into sports broadcasting, Khattar made quirky internet videos and honed his skills through theatre and radio. His stint as a radio jockey, he says, taught him how to leave a lasting impression in seconds. “Everything has to flow,” he says. “All those skills come together in a live sports broadcast because anything can change at any moment.”
Having hosted reality shows and entertainment programmes across networks from India’s Got Talent and Dance India Dance, Khattar says live sports keeps him “on his toes” in a way no other format can.
The next goal
Over the past year, Khattar has quietly stepped away from YouTube to focus on films. The actor, who previously appeared in Kabir Khan’s 83 and the crime drama 200 Halla Ho, has already shot one project and is developing another—a family comedy and a sports comedy—both backed by major studios, with details currently under wraps.
“My eyes are always on the fish, and the fish keeps changing,” he says, borrowing from the famous Mahabharata metaphor. For now, his focus is firmly on films. Yet, even as he chases the next summit, he remains aware that ambition rarely stands still. “Peace will never come,” he says. “If you climb one mountain, there is always another.”