Alexi Lalas Has a Major Likability Problem Amid FIFA World Cup Coverage
They say perception is reality. And if that's the case, no one is a fan of FOX Sports soccer analyst Alexi Lalas.
Lalas, 56, has been with the network for just over a decade. He seemingly pops up on TV screens every four years when the U.S. Men's National Team qualifies for the FIFA World Cup. He's worked with a handful of analysts in his tenure, but an argument can be made that his counterparts this year are as elite as they come.
Thierry Henry joined the network seven months ago and is one of the faces for FOX Sports' pre- and post-game shows, as well as at halftime. He's a FIFA World Cup champion after leading France to the title in 1998. He's also an Arsenal legend.
Then there's Zlatan Ibrahimović, who joined in March as an analyst. Though he never won a World Cup with Sweden, Ibrahimović is considered one of the game's most prolific scorers and played with legendary clubs like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Italy's biggest clubs, Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. He's Sweden's all-time leading scorer, too.
Lalas, for his part, is a former hippie-looking MLS player whose claim to fame is starring in all four games for the U.S. Men's National Team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
If it feels like Lalas' soccer resume pales in comparison to Henry and Ibrahimović, that's because it doesn't. Their playing careers came to an end long ago, and if you're going to compare their performances right now, you have to compare how they perform as soccer analysts. In that regard, it almost feels like Henry and Ibrahimović think they're better suited for the job, especially Ibrahimović.
By now, you may have seen videos circulating on social media of Henry and Ibrahimović putting in little to no effort, displaying their disdain for Lalas. The most obvious case happened this week, after the France-Senegal game.
For starters, it was former USMNT star Landon Donovan who called France "arrogant" and "casual" for their first-half performance, in which Kylian Mbappé and France were held scoreless. France would go on to win, 3-1, with two goals from Mbappé.
Related: Two Kids Go Viral for Their Makeshift World Cup Jerseys - and Humanity Steps In
Henry didn't take kindly to Donovan's take, prompting a back-and-forth in the studio about whether France played arrogantly or not.
Lalas added, "We can have that discussion, but the reality is that if they are arrogant, it's because they can do things like that. The patience that they showed after a poor first half to come back and provide a masterful second half with the talent that they have, and the big stars showing up, that's pretty special."
Ibrahimović wasn't having it.
"It's not arrogance, it's confidence," he quickly interjected. "Ignorant people will say it's arrogance, intelligent people will say it's confidence."
Henry's reaction is priceless. Watch:
Zlatan hates Lalas so much pic.twitter.com/gKec8ZHwYg
— BuckArmy (@BuckArmy) June 16, 2026
The not-so-subtle clap back immediately sparked rumors that the analysts are beefing. Not helping matters is that Ibrahimović couldn't be bothered to offer Lalas praise after the Swedish star was called out for going on James Corden's show and essentially saying FOX Sports could have formed a better team around him.
After the clip aired, Ibrahimović immediately praised host Rebecca Lowe and Henry but refused to compliment Lalas.
Zlatan hates Lalas so much pic.twitter.com/gKec8ZHwYg
— BuckArmy (@BuckArmy) June 16, 2026
Ibrahimović may have followed that up with, "Trust me, all love," but the perception is that he and Henry are not fans of Lalas.
Meanwhile, Henry, who went viral for his reaction to Lalas' "nether regions" comment, is earning praise from an industry authority for his performance in his first year as a FOX Sports soccer analyst.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 2:52 PM.