Alexi Lalas previews the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ‘The summer of ’94’
US soccer legend Alexi Lalas joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada. Lalas highlights the cultural significance of the culture and depicts the 1994 US World Cup team. Fox Sports announces a $250,000 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, in association with Fox Corporation, aimed at growing grassroots soccer.
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Alexi Lalas’ first FIFA World Cup was in 1994, and it was the last major soccer tournament to be played in the United States.
So, 32 years later, he’s the right person to talk to about what the United States men’s national team (USMNT) will face on June 12, when they open their World Cup campaign against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
However, Lalas did not hold back when discussing his expectations for the USMNT during Fox Sports’ FIFA World Cup 2026 Media Day in New York City.
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Alexis Lalas attends the official announcement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Washington, DC, on Dec. 6, 2025. (Hector Vivas/FIFA/Getty Images)
“I cry a lot when it comes to pressure. A lot of people cry. If they complain about the pressure to play in the World Cup, it means they have already lost,” he told the media present.
If you listen to Lalas’ analysis on any game day, such words should not surprise you. However, Lalas’ lack of respect is because he believes this team is equipped with the talent and resources to do something special at home this time.
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“Let me be a little grumpy old man,” he added. “This is a generation that has been given absolutely everything, on and off the field in terms of resources, in terms of opportunities, in terms of leads. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable, I don’t think I’m being unfair by saying that we should expect more from this team.”
Lalas’ broadcast partner, Stu Holden, shares similar thoughts about the talent the USMNT will have next month.
“Look, this is a group of talented players playing in the biggest teams that we have seen in history,” said Holden, who played for America during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. “On any given day in the Champions League on Tuesday or Wednesday, you’ll catch eight or nine US players playing in those games. We’ve never had that in our history.
Former professional soccer player and Fox Sports commentator Stuart Holden talks on the red carpet at the “One Year to Go” event for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Fox Studio Lot in Los Angeles, California, on June 11, 2025. (Jessica Alcheh/Imagn Photos)
“The hardest part is really measuring and analyzing how the team will depend on being the host. Do they crumble under the pressure, or do they thrive on it? Understand that this is a big opportunity and responsibility, of course, but enjoy the moment. I think if the team can find a way to come together as individuals and play as a team, they can do something special.
“Heritage is defined at the World Cup, and this team will always be watched and judged by what happens this summer.”
Holden even said it was “very important” for the US to win its first Group D game against Paraguay. And winning the World Cup is something Carli Lloyd, who will be among the Fox Sports commentators throughout the tournament, knows all too well.
Lloyd has two Women’s World Cup titles under her belt, and is one of the most respected footballers in the country. But he made no secret of how important the tournament is to the US men – a talented team with a chance to become stars instead of those international stars.
Carli Lloyd of the United States celebrates after scoring her team’s fourth goal during the women’s bronze medal match against Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Kashima, Japan, on August 5, 2021. (Francois Nel/Getty Images)
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“I think this team needs to do a good job of using that pressure, succeeding in that pressure, accepting that pressure. You talk to a lot of people here in America, ‘Name other football players.’ We got Messis, Ronaldos – let’s talk about other Americans,” he said. “This is an opportunity for other American players this summer to emerge as stars. This changes Alexi’s life in the World Cup, it changes life for me. This is the time when we can start talking about Weston McKennie. Christian Pulisic is a star, but let’s see other stars. Let’s be proud of this country this summer, and American players should speak well and speak well. American players instead of foreign players is the opportunity they have.
Lalas added: “We as a nation, we should expect more from these young men in terms of the talent they have. And I wouldn’t say that if I don’t believe they can live up to it. So, whatever pressure they get…it’s tough. There’s nothing better to play in the World Cup than playing in the World Cup at home.”
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