Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks has assured soccer fans that World Cup pundit Alexi Lalas is going nowhere, despite the relentless criticism of his performance as an analyst.
The former USMNT player is part of the primary team of TV hosts for Fox at this year’s tournament alongside presenter Rebecca Lowe and soccer legends Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Over the course of the tournament, Lalas has faced relentless scrutiny online over his brash presenting style, which The Guardian labelled as “trollish, hyperventilating garbage.”
Even his colleagues don’t seem to have much time for him. Ibrahimović has mocked Lalas as “ignorant” live on air, while Henry humiliated him in a studio kickaround — footage of which instantly went viral.
However, in a new interview with Puck News, Shanks described Lalas as a “cornerstone” of Fox’s coverage.
“Lex has been the cornerstone of our soccer coverage for as long as I can remember,” Shanks said. “He’s the straw that stirs the drink, and he’ll be the cornerstone for many years to come.”
Asked about the criticism facing the former footballing trio’s chemistry, Shanks claimed: “They’re having a ton of fun, whether it’s in the avocado room, which is our green room, or on air. We enjoy it, and it seems like the country is enjoying it.”
Lalas has not only drawn criticism from fans. His former U.S. teammate Eric Wynalda also took aim at Fox’s coverage last month, telling The Soccer Media Podcast: “I think it’s been unwatchable at times.
“I mean, Alexi is, 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. 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.”
In a recent article, The Independent’s Kevin EG Perry concluded that “the awkward dynamic that results from putting Henry and Ibrahimović alongside an American whose ego vastly exceeds his talent is exactly the point.”
Indeed, 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.
“There’s an element of poking the bear and being provocative that I enjoy.”
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