The divide between Alexi Lalas and his Fox World Cup colleagues has become as unmissable as some of the action on the field but the former USA player is starting to get his own back.
Lalas and France World Cup winner Thierry Henry, and particularly the former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have repeatedly clashed throughout the early days of the broadcaster’s coverage.
Henry and Ibrahimovic have mocked Lalas when they’re together on the panel, often referring to their own careers being more prestigious than his and dismissing some of his takes on the games so far. When Lalas was moved out of the studio to Seattle for the second United States World Cup game, Ibrahimovic said live on air: ‘You’re welcome, America.’
But the trio were reunited on Sunday for another round of games and Lalas was clearly prepared for some more jibes to come his way.
Ibrahimovic started it off and made a playful dig about host presenter Rebecca Lowe’s outfit for the day in relation to Lalas, saying: ‘Rebecca, you look like you dressed for a funeral. Alexi is alive, don’t worry.’
Lowe laughed awkwardly with Henry, before Lalas stepped in to try and put Ibrahimovic back in his place.
Alexi Lalas mocked Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s suit on their latest Fox World Cup appearance
Lalas’s tension with Ibrahimovic has created an awkward dynamic through the World Cup
Zlatan Ibrahomvic: “Rebecca, you look like you dressed for a funeral. Alexi (Lalas) is alive, don’t worry.”
Lalas: “You look like you should be welcoming people to Fantasy Island.”
And Thierry Henry was quietly entertained by it all here ��
�� @TWDTV1 pic.twitter.com/2kft29yKRj
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (BlueSky too now) (@sluggahjells) June 21, 2026
‘You look like you should be welcoming people to Fantasy Island,’ Lalas said in a dig about the Swede’s cream suit, patting him on the back in the process.
The joke might have been lost on Ibrahimovic – perhaps Lalas’s intention – but Fantasy Island was a television drama in the 70s and 80s where wealthy guests visited a resort that allowed them to live out their fantasies.
The host of the island and his sidekick both wore white suits throughout the show.
Lalas, 56, even won some credit with some of the viewers, despite many finding him as hard work as Henry and Ibrahimovic seem to until now.
‘Lalas finally got one back on the scoreboard. He nailed that,’ one fan wrote about the viral clip.
Another said: ‘Alexi nailed it with Fantasy Island, but unfortunately Zlatan probably had never seen the show.’
A different viewer commented: ‘Whoever brought these commentators together to roast one another on air is brilliant. Give that person a raise.’
Lalas had also joked about having to ‘carry the show’ when Lowe reintroduced him to the panel after his trip to Seattle, getting a laugh from Henry and Ibrahimovic as he bigged himself up.
Lalas has joined Ibrahimovic and Henry as an analyst on Fox for the tournament in the US
The World Cup continues on Monday with defending champions Argentina back in action against Austria in Dallas.
They won their first game 3-0, thanks to a hat-trick from Lionel Messi and another win will secure their place in the knockout rounds of the tournament.
France play Iraq later in the day, while Erling Haaland’s Norway meet Senegal and Jordan play Algeria.
