Midway through a World Cup that’s on course to become the most-watched tournament of all time, one former United States player has found himself going viral almost as often as Lionel Messi is scoring record-breaking goals. Sadly for Alexi Lalas, that’s not because he’s quite as beloved as the Argentinian maestro.
Almost all of the clips of the 56-year-old Fox Sports pundit currently lighting up social media revolve around him being on the receiving end of the blatant disdain of Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović, the two much more successful international stars he’s been regularly placed alongside. In one, a lifetime’s worth of regret seems to pass over Henry’s steely visage while Lalas declares excitedly: “My nether regions are still vibrating!”
In another, Henry’s eyes almost pop out of his head while Ibrahimović openly calls Lalas “ignorant” for labelling the French team arrogant. Henry was equally shocked when Lalas referred to late night host James Corden as a “full kit w*****”, a moment which proved that, like a stopped clock, Lalas is at least right some of the time.
Arguably most telling of all about the state of the trio’s relationship is the on-set clip where Henry fakes to pass a ball in the direction of Lalas before drawing it back with his other foot, leaving the American haplessly performing dance moves to cover his embarrassment. When Henry and Ibrahimović were temporarily left alone while Lalas filmed another segment elsewhere, the latter turned to the camera and stated: “America, you’re welcome.”
It’s unsurprising that Henry and Ibrahimović don’t consider Lalas to be on their level. As a pundit, he’s brash and boorish. As a player, Lalas made his name at the 1994 World Cup as the US central defender who looked like he might be a roadie for Soundgarden. With his goatee and long red hair held back by a hairband, he was an eye-catching figure as the host country exceeded expectations before being beaten 1-0 by eventual champions Brazil. Lalas subsequently earned a move to Padova in Italy’s Serie A, where he spent a largely uneventful couple of seasons before returning to the States to join the newly formed MLS.
Henry and Ibrahimović, by contrast, are two of the greatest to ever play the game. Henry is often cited as the best player in Premier League history, and was France’s top scorer when they won the World Cup in 1998. Ibrahimović won multiple league titles in Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands while scoring the sort of goals that are remembered as modern folklore. Of course they look at Lalas as a braying blowhard when he belligerently opines on the sport.
Watching the coverage from home, it’s hard not to conclude that the awkward dynamic that results from putting Henry and Ibrahimović alongside an American whose ego vastly exceeds his talent is exactly the point. Speaking on the Men In Blazers podcast, Arrested Development star Will Arnett pointed out that there’s a sitcom-esque surreality to watching the three men trapped together debating games.
Arnett compared Ibrahimović to his own Arrested Development character Gob Bluth, saying: “Zlatan and Gob are living on their own planets… It’s fun watching him, because he’s a loose cannon. You never know what he’s going to say… then on the other side of it you have Thierry Henry, and watching his reactions and facial expressions, it’s amazing. It’s an incredible line-up. I know there have been a lot of critics of it, especially of the other guy (Lalas) but I think it’s really entertaining to watch, and there is a lot of tension there which is awesome!”
After Lalas’ former US teammate Eric Wynalda branded him “unwatchable”, he went on to pinpoint exactly why he has been picked for the high-profile role. “Alexi, kind of true to the Fox brand, has been told: this is what we need you to do, start a fight, say some things, insult some people, say something outlandish that no one will believe, and we’ll see how many people will click into that,” said Wynalda, adding optimistically: “I think the American public has grown up now. I think our community, our soccer community is way too knowledgeable to fall for that anymore.”
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I’d say that last suggestion is half-right. Football (or soccer, if you must) coverage in the United States is generally pretty impressive, year-round. Notably, it isn’t usually on Fox. Rebecca Lowe, the host charged with keeping the Henry-Ibrahimović-Lalas triumvirate in check, regularly helms NBC’s excellent Premier League coverage, while Henry is the star of Paramount’s Champion’s League panel (from where his matey banter with Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards and host Kate Scott regularly does the social media rounds).
If Fox wanted to, they could easily have replicated the calibre of that coverage by replacing Lalas with a more sensible and insightful American analyst. There are at least two much better options right in front of them: the first is Clint Dempsey, who is already a part of their analysis crew. Dempsey is a genuine US World Cup icon, having represented his country in 2006, 2010 and 2014, where he became the first American ever to score in three different World Cups. (England fans will painfully remember his crucial equalizer in the opening game of South Africa 2010). He’s become an outspoken pundit who can offer real perspective on the challenges of representing the US at recent tournaments.
Then there’s Tim Howard, who was the US reserve goalkeeper in 2006 before establishing himself as the first choice for the subsequent two World Cups. He’s a colleague of Lowe’s at NBC who brings his experience at Manchester United and Everton to his sharp, clear-sighted Premier League analysis. Lalas, by contrast, only ever played at the World Cup in 1994, before many contemporary fans were even born.
What keeps Lalas in his job is not his insight as a pundit or his experience as a player: it’s the fact he’s a Fox man through-and-through. Speaking to the New York Times about his on-screen role in 2024, Lalas said: “It is an element of a shock jock, an element of political commentary, an element of late-night television host.”
That’s not to say he’s entirely playing a character. Lalas is the sort of guy who attended the Republican National Convention and told Fox News that it was “a cool place to be” and who regularly tweets out MAGA propaganda on social media. “There’s an element of poking the bear and being provocative that I enjoy,” he told the Times.
That’s the real reason Lalas will continue being celebrated at Fox Sports, even as he scores rhetorical own goals and dismays Thierry Henry. Fox aren’t aiming their World Cup coverage at existing soccer fans: we’re tuning in for the games anyway.
They want their shows to attract the casual observers who are much more likely to be hooked by the coverage descending into farce than they are by a serious analysis of the pitfalls of playing out from the back. Lalas is loud, obnoxious and sure he’s right even when he has no idea what he’s talking about. As far as Fox Sports are concerned, that makes him the Lionel Messi of punditry.
