Alexi Lalas isn’t going anywhere.
While the former USMNT defender turned soccer television provocateur drew intense criticism in the first weeks of Fox Sports’ FIFA men’s World Cup coverage this summer, the network is seemingly not concerned.
In an interview with Puck’s John Ourand released Wednesday ahead of the USMNT’s knockout-round tilt against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks called Lalas the “cornerstone” of the network’s soccer coverage, and said he doesn’t see that changing.
“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.”
On USMNT match days, Alexi Lalas has joined for segments with an all-American panel alongside Rob Stone, Carli Lloyd and Clint Dempsey on-site in a crowd of American fans, a setup that has seemingly been a more popular fit for Lalas than the star-studded primary studio team of Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović, with whom he has clashed.
However, Shanks’ comments come as no great surprise given Fox’s longtime commitment to Lalas. While his polarizing persona and unrelenting takes have gotten more attention this year as a key studio analyst for the host nation’s broadcaster, Lalas has long been a challenging figure for American soccer fans for a long time.
There is also the fact that Fox Sports could well lose the World Cup after this year. The network’s contract with FIFA ends after this year’s tournament, and talks are expected to begin sometime next year for U.S. rights to the 2030 Cup and beyond.
While Fox still owns rights to several other international tournaments that would allow Alexi Lalas to comment on the USMNT going forward, the spotlight would dim significantly on the network if it were to lose the World Cup.
