Fox’s new World Cup companion show with James Corden opened with a playful Powerade-spraying moment at the tournament’s opening ceremony—only for viewers on social media to hit back, calling it “James Corden fatigue.” The segment also comes as the 2026 World C
The 2026 World Cup began with a splash—and within minutes, some fans were already tired of seeing James Corden.
During Fox’s livestream coverage of the opening ceremony. the late-night host appeared in a playful bit where he sprayed Powerade into players’ mouths. “Dehydrated?” Corden asked a player, who responded with a firm no. Corden then instructed the player to put his “head back. ” before squirting Powerade into his mouth and spraying the drink all over him.
As he moved through other players, Corden kept the quips going, telling them, “Hydrate, hydrate.”
The moment landed right at the start of a new companion series Fox is rolling out for World Cup viewers. Fox announced “FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden. ” a late-night show that will air throughout the tournament with fans getting a behind-the-scenes look at major moments and players.
Fox’s opening-night lead-up also included a FIFA commercial narrated by Matthew McConaughey just ahead of the event’s kick-off, but it was the Corden segment that quickly turned into a flashpoint online.
One avid viewer posted on X, writing: “Watching a segment where James Corden is spraying down USMNT players with water, and my mind quickly went ‘Hey, that’s how he treats restaurant employees!’ #WorldCup26.”
Others were even blunter. A user wrote on X, “Just when you thought we’d never have to see James Corden… Leave it to Fox to figure out a way to bring on the most insufferable human beings.” A third person added, “Someone forgot to tell FOX that no one actually likes James Corden. Yikes.”
Not everyone was against the idea of a Corden-led show, but enough viewers voiced discomfort that the backlash spread quickly—turning what was meant as a light segment into an argument about taste.
The show is set to premiere Thursday, June 11, which is opening night of the tournament. Fox says fans can look for it to air live on FOX at approximately midnight ET following the network’s match coverage.
For the tournament itself, this year’s international soccer championship is taking place in three host countries: Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature a record-breaking 48 countries.
The opening ceremony’s official song was “Dai Dai,” performed by Shakira and Burna Boy. “Dai Dai” is Italian slang for “come on, come on” and also “let’s go.”
Shakira has now done the official anthem for the competition four times. The last time was “Dare (La La La)” for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Still, as the tournament got underway, the first thing some fans remembered wasn’t the anthem or the kickoff—it was a familiar late-night personality, Powerade in hand, and a growing sense that the joke had traveled farther than the audience wanted.
2026 FIFA World Cup James Corden Powerade Fox FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours USMNT Shakira Burna Boy Dai Dai Matthew McConaughey
If it’s just water and jokes, why is everyone crying lol
I swear it’s the “James Corden fatigue” thing. Like every time he’s on my feed I instantly mute. Also spraying drinks on athletes feels weird, even if it’s Powerade.
Wait so was he actually spraying them in the eyes or was it staged? Because my cousin said it was like he was disrespecting USMNT or something. And now Fox is acting like that’s normal. Kinda takes away from the whole World Cup vibe.
This is why I don’t watch the “after hours” stuff. It’s always cringe celebrity nonsense right when the real event starts. And the McConaughey FIFA ad was already a lot, so then Corden shows up squirting Powerade into players like it’s some kind of prank test. Doesn’t anyone at Fox realize fans are there for soccer, not late night hosts using athletes like props? Also the headline cut off weird but I’m pretty sure they said it was ‘World Cup on FOX’ like a new channel or something. Idk, just stop putting Corden on the screen.