Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks says Alexi Lalas is the “cornerstone” of the network’s soccer coverage after early criticism of the former USMNT defender’s FIFA World Cup role, even as the World Cup rights contract ends after this year’s tournament.
Alexi Lalas isn’t going anywhere.
Weeks after his outspoken approach drew intense criticism during Fox Sports’ FIFA men’s World Cup coverage this summer, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks is signaling the network won’t be moving on from the polarizing analyst.
In an interview with Puck’s John Ourand released Wednesday, Shanks came out firmly ahead of the USMNT’s knockout-round tilt against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He called Lalas the “cornerstone” of Fox’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, Lalas doesn’t just sit in the studio. He joins on-site segments with an all-American panel alongside Rob Stone. Carli Lloyd and Clint Dempsey in a crowd of American fans. That format. for many viewers. has appeared to fit Lalas more naturally than Fox’s star-studded primary studio team of Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović. with whom he has clashed.
Shanks’ comments don’t come out of nowhere. Fox has long shown a commitment to Lalas. and his unrelenting takes have gained more attention this year as he serves as a key studio analyst for the host nation’s broadcaster. For American soccer fans who already found his style difficult to swallow, the network’s stance offered little comfort.
But Shanks’ confidence lands in a bigger pressure point for Fox Sports: the World Cup itself. The network’s contract with FIFA ends after this year’s tournament, with talks expected to begin sometime next year for U.S. rights to the 2030 Cup and beyond.
Fox still holds rights to several other international tournaments that could keep Lalas in the conversation around the USMNT going forward. Even so, the spotlight would likely dim significantly for the network if it were to lose the World Cup.
In the middle of that uncertainty, Shanks’ message is unmistakable: whatever the pushback this summer, Lalas remains central—at least for now.
Alexi Lalas Eric Shanks Fox Sports USMNT Bosnia and Herzegovina FIFA World Cup Rob Stone Carli Lloyd Clint Dempsey Thierry Henry Zlatan Ibrahimović