Alexi Lalas, pro-Trump pundit, riles Henry and Ibrahimovic during 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Alexi Lalas is fronting Fox Sports’ 2026 World Cup coverage alongside Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a combustible mix on set. According to L'Équipe, the American’s forthright views and politics have already stirred debate.

Now 56 and shorn of his red mane and beard, the former United States defender remains hard to miss. Capped 96 times with 10 goals, he is a polarising pundit.

On 12 June he compared Ibrahimovic with Erling Haaland, saying that if Haaland had a great World Cup he could surpass the Swede. Henry called it bold, Ibrahimovic was unconvinced, and Lalas pushed back.

During United States 2-0 Australia, presenter Rebecca Lowe said Lalas had been sent to Seattle. Ibrahimovic asked who, then looked into the camera and offered America a 'you're welcome'.

His politics remain divisive. In an interview with France Football in May, he said 'I voted for Trump several times and I am proud of it'. In September 2025 he wrote on X praising border security and action against illegal immigration.

His social feeds mix patriotic imagery, cowboy-hat horseriding and get-out-the-vote nudges. They also stray into cruder fare, from a crotch-first pose by a giant World Cup ball captioned 'We got big balls' to a Washington Monument shot about size.

In a TMZ interview he said he does not especially like Lionel Messi but 'adores' Cristiano Ronaldo, calling him 'a star'. A university study in late May suggested right-leaning people tend to prefer Ronaldo, and left-leaning Messi.

Source: L'Équipe