Alexi Lalas left World Cup viewers doing a double take after appearing to call fellow Fox personality James Corden a “w****r” during a live broadcast.
The former United States defender, who earned 96 caps for his country, is one of Fox’s leading analysts at the tournament. But just two days into the competition, he found himself at the center of attention for an unexpected on-air remark.
The moment came during Fox’s pregame coverage ahead of Canada’s match against Bosnia. Host Rebecca Lowe turned the panel’s attention to a promotional segment for Corden’s new late-night World Cup program, After Hours.
“Can we talk about James Corden for a second?” Lowe asked the studio lineup, which included Lalas alongside Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Lalas responded first, and his answer quickly caught everyone off guard. “Oh! What do you guys call them?” he said, before adding: “Full kit w****r right?”
The comment immediately stood out as one of the more startling live-TV moments of Fox’s World Cup coverage, with viewers left stunned by the bluntness of the exchange.
Alexi Lalas stopped the Fox broadcast in its track with a shocking slur at James Corden
Lead host Rebecca Lowe and analyst Thierry Henry couldn’t believe what Lalas had said
All three of his colleagues were immediately stunned by the comment, with Henry staring down the camera with a look of shock.
Lowe, sensing the need to steer the conversation back to normality, then replied: ‘Okay… lucky we’re on American television, because the W word on British TV…’
The host, who also fronts NBC’s Premier League coverage in the US, is correct in that foul language is more accepted on American shores, but the clip quickly went viral on social media across the globe.
Lalas’ comment referenced a derogatory British slang phrase, which refers to someone who dons a full kit, despite not playing in a match.
In a segment on the first episode of the show on Thursday night, Corden appeared in a full Team USA training kit for a visit to the team’s training base ahead of the World Cup.
It is not yet clear exactly how many viewers were watching the faux pas live, but Fox’s day one coverage of the tournament at a similar time hit a peak of 6.3 million viewers.
Corden appeared in a full Team USA kit in a segment on the first episode of his Fox show
Corden, pictured with his wife Julia Carey, is hosting a late-night World Cup talk show on Fox
The remarkable viewing figures from the opening game – a 2-0 Mexico win over South Africa – set a new record for the most-watched men’s opening match and non-USMNT group stage telecast in history.
It was up 97% from the 2022 World Cup and bodes well ahead of the USMNT’s first game against Paraguay later on Friday night.
Meanwhile, it is not the first time Lalas has courted controversy, with the analyst regularly dividing fans with his strong opinions.
Perhaps the most controversial moment came during the last World Cup in Qatar, when he donned a ‘thobe’ – the traditional loose-fitting robe worn by men in the Arab world – during a live TV segment.
He has also been a regular critic of the US men’s national team, both in and out of major tournaments.
Lalas (top, third left) is an icon of the US men’s national team and played 96 times for his nation
Lalas is the USMNT expert on the star-studded panel of Fox analysts during the World Cup
Corden, meanwhile, has not been free of criticism himself, especially after a 2022 incident in New York that resulted in him being banned from a celebrity hotspot restaurant in Manhattan.
The owner of the establishment, Keith McNally, publicly called Corden ‘the most abusive customer’ to ever dine there, leading to a groveling apology from the Brit on his then-CBS talk show The Late, Late Show.
Corden, 47, ended his time on the show – and in America – in 2023, but has returned this summer to front his new late-night Fox show.
The first episode, which aired after the South Korea-Czechia game on Thursday, had Mila Kunis as its first guest – who was coincidentally also the first ever guest on Corden’s CBS show back in 2015.
