Has Fox Sports finally got the World Cup right?

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Let’s start with the Alexi Lalas elephant in the room. The Fox Sports firebrand is part of the main set,playing the role of a loud, confident American protagonist. Even Lalas himself has admitted that he is there to rally and rile depending on the day. At this point, no matter how much the soccer public or media analysts protest, his seat at the desk seems set in stone.

But for as much as thecriticism and commentary of Fox’s World Cup coverage has focused on Lalas (understandably so given his outsized influence and Fox poster child status), it’s unfortunately taken away from what overall has been a vastly improved presentation for the World Cup broadcaster.

From the broadcast booth to the studio and everywhere in between, there seems to be a greater sense of energy and engagement this year. Surely a World Cup on home soil helps those good vibes, but it shouldn’t take away from the fact that the network has largely stepped up to the occasion. It may have taken a long and winding road to get there, but for a World Cup that is bigger and arguably better than ever before, Fox has largely enhanced the experience rather than taking away.

Big additions, big personalities

The biggest changes came in the studio where Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined Lalas to form the new lead foursome. The first week of the tournament featured a little too much forced tension between Lalas and Zlatan, who has a character to play in his own right. But as the tournament has gone on, they have thankfully played that down less as Ibra has gotten more and more comfortable in his new gig.

There are few better in their fields and roles than Lowe and Henry, and they have really lifted the coverage in their own unique ways. Their best contribution yet was before the penalty shootout between the Netherlands and Morocco. Ibrahimovic was unrelenting in his criticism of Dutch manager Ronald Koeman for setting up his team for penalties andbetraying the Netherlands’ “Total Football” identity. Henry was incredibly forthcoming about his experience taking a penalty in a World Cup Final. Alexi Lalas was also there.

For two legends of the game to be so plugged in, so honest, and so open about the stress, the challenge, the composure, the intensity, and the power of the moment was great sports television.

The new studio has also put Fox’s other personalities in positions to succeed. Rob Stone has anchored live coverage at USA games with American personalities like Clint Dempsey and Carli Lloyd, sometimes joined by Lalas. Stone is perfect for the on-site role given his Big Noon Kickoff experience and energetic persona. Whereas the extra set sometimes feels unnecessary (looking at you, Football Night in America), both crews have so far added what they needed to the broadcast.

Fox’s deep bench

But where Fox has really shone so far in this tournament is in the array of match commentators. John Strong and Stuart Holden are firmly entrenched as the top pairing, taking USMNT games and other top matchups as Fox has purposely featured the American pairing for the tournament’s biggest games. Behind them, Fox has really lifted coverage.

All of the match commentary teams have had their moments from top to bottom. Landon Donovan has improved greatly alongside Ian Darke and is much clearer and more incisive in his analysis than when he first stepped into the broadcast booth.

Darren Fletcher and Owen Hargreaves haveemerged as cult favorites, particularly the veteran play-by-play announcer with his fan-like approach to the game. Sometimes Fletcher’s love of showcasing his NFL knowledge or ripping the officials or sharing his own opinions about a truly random variety of topics feels like you’re listening to a Twitch live stream instead of a top-level broadcast. But at least you can say it certainly isn’t dull.

Teams like Derek Rae and Rob Green, and Ian Crocker and Danny Higginbotham, are very underrated pairings that have brought years of top-flight experience to calling games. Jacqui Oatley and Warren Barton have developed great chemistry across multiple tournaments. And the American duo of Tyler Terens and Maurice Edu was a pleasant surprise when called upon with their insights and enthusiasm.

And that’s not to mention the scores of personalities that Fox has brought in on television and digital that are almost too many to count. The likes of Mikel John Obi, Juan Pablo Angel, and Pien Meulensteen have stood out in particular, to name a few. Even James Corden’s late-night show has brought a couple of fun, viral moments.

The good news is it should only get better from here. The 2026 World Cup has offered incredible showcase performances and incredible drama, especially through the first few games of the knockout round. NowFox has pledged to take more shows on the road, which should only add to the experience.

For as much angst as there was heading into this year’s World Cup, it has been one giant celebration across North America. Fox has been fortunate. The USMNT is performing above expectations. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are continuing generational performances. Cinderella stories are unfolding. Ratings and interest have never been higher. It’s a far cry from the 2023 Women’s World Cup when Lalas, Lloyd, and Fox wereseemingly at war with the US women’s national team that dragged everyone down. Or the 2022 World Cup when Fox unapologeticallyrolled out the red carpet for Qatar.

We have a long way to go before we reach the finish line of this year’s World Cup. There are tons of ways things could go sideways from here. But at least so far, it’s refreshing that we can embrace Fox’s coverage in what could be its last turn at the global showcase.

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