The FIFA World Cup is more than just a global soccer showdown; it’s a spectacle of passion, adrenaline, and yes, even linguistic acrobatics. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gears up, we take a thrilling dive into what it's really like behind the scenes with Rennert interpreter, Phil Isenberg, who played a crucial role during the 2018 and 2022 games. Buckle up, because this isn’t just any job - it’s a high-stakes game within the game!

For Adrenaline Junkies Only: Interpreting Live for a Worldwide Audience!

Imagine this: Game time- “…and we’re live!” -you’re standing by, waiting to be called on for your language moment, heart racing as fast as the players on the field. "An intense adrenaline rush" is how Phil sums up the feeling after interpreting live during the World Cup matches.

But what’s the toughest part? Well, here’s the kicker: interpreters are on call before, during, and after the game, ready to jump in at any moment. Phil describes the intense pressure, saying, "You have to be on top of your game for 90 minutes straight. You don’t know when someone might suddenly start speaking ‘your’ languages. It’s not just the speed,” he says, “it’s the sheer concentration, not to mention the amount of prep work that goes into it-each sport has its own jargon but you’ve got to nail it on the first try—live, in front of a nationwide audience." No pressure, right? Just a little nerve-wracking!

What’s the best part? “The incredible satisfaction once it’s over!"

World Cup Trading Cards… But with a Twist

Now, how do you prepare to interpret for some of the biggest sports stars on the planet? If you’re Phil, you create your own version of World Cup trading cards! The Rennert interpreter made custom cards for each player on the German and Swiss teams, complete with their faces, jersey numbers, positions, and even personal details like where they were born and who they play for during the regular season. This way, when a player appeared on screen, Phil knew exactly who they were and could jump right into action, totally on-point and with absolute confidence.

But that’s not all. He also tried to predict journalists' questions. Beyond the classic "How does it feel to win today?" Phil kept tabs on which teams his players had faced, the match results, and who they’d play next. Talk about next-level prep!

The Dialect Dilemma: “What Is That Guy Even Saying?!”

One of the wildest challenges Phil faced was interpreting Swiss German. Fun fact: there’s no standard dialect in Switzerland, and the argot varies dramatically from city to city, even valley to valley. “I’m fluent in one dialect from the Alps, but there are so many… more than 90!” Phil says. He even hired two Swiss German tutors to help him prep and up his game—both of whom said, “It takes a lifetime to learn a dialect!” Yikes.

So then, there was Swiss star player Xherdan Shaqiri. Shaqiri was born in Kosovo as a native Albanian-speaker and came to Switzerland as a young child, growing up in a small Swiss village. Picture this: The world cup stage -first round qualifier: Shaqiri scores the game-winning goal in the 90th minute against Serbia! He rips off his shirt, and delivers a breathless speech on live TV… in tiny-Swiss-village dialect! “My heart nearly stopped… It was like picking out stepping stones across a roaring river,” Phil asserts nervously, as if reliving the moment, “I was hopping my way across with my Swiss German lessons and all the prep I had done…. It all paid off!” and he nailed it! The world could relate to Shaquiri’s passionate victory speech!

Did I just make a huge blunder on live national television?!

Even the most seasoned interpreters, like Phil, face panic moments. Back in 2018, Phil was interpreting for Vladimir Petković, the Swiss national team’s coach. Petković, originally from Bosnia, spoke impeccable German—crystal clear, almost textbook perfect, which made interpreting a breeze compared to rapid-fire native speakers with complicated jargon. But Petković was also the coach of Italy’s Lazio in Serie A, meaning he spoke flawless Italian too. Oh, and let’s not forget Switzerland has four official languages: German, Italian, French, and Romansh.

Before a big game, Phil found himself in a pre-match interview with Petković and a Swiss TV correspondent from SRF. Everything was smooth—the conversation rolled on in German, as expected. But suddenly, the correspondent said, “Okay, let’s move on to some questions in Italian,” which Phil faithfully translated into English. Petković agreed, but to Phil’s horror, the next question came in German!

Cue the panic: Did I just make a colossal mistake on live TV?! There was no time to fix it, no chance to rewind; Phil had to keep going. He pushed through the adrenaline, translating everything into English on autopilot. Four or five more questions flew by, and finally, it hit him: the reporter was still asking questions in German, but Petković, had switched to answering in Italian! Turns out they were gathering soundbites for the Italian broadcast—something Phil hadn't even realized in the heat of the moment. Talk about high-stakes multitasking!

 Messi Magic and a Personal Touch

Of course, the World Cup is as much about personal moments as it is about global ones. After his language team were eliminated in 2022, Phil was glued to the screen at home, watching his colleague Anabella Tidona interpret for none other than Lionel Messi. “It was such a thrill,” Phil says, smiling.

And here’s the coolest part: Phil’s family was right there with him during this whirlwind experience. “My daughter was nine years old during my first World Cup,” he recalls. “Her classmates were huge soccer fans, and when they heard me on TV, they ran up to her shouting, ‘We heard your Dad on TV!!!’ I felt like a hero.”

After all the preparation, focus, and those unforgettable, heart-stopping moments in the interpreter’s booth, who could argue with that? Live -action interpreters are heroes indeed. 

Posted by Inma Rojas