As we bid farewell to Fox and its ensemble of cheerful Brits clad in suits and sneakers, we say goodbye to the frequent cutaways of Gianni Infantino in the stands, his eyebrows resembling a mournful tipi, and his bare head glistening under the summer sun. We part ways with Landon Donovan, who has a unique talent for announcing celebrity sightings with the same gravity as delivering medical results. We also say goodbye to Rebecca Lowe, who repeatedly says “And there’s Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz” to signal her on-set colleagues to hush so she can transition to commercial breaks. The momentum graph, which only appeared when a match’s dynamics needed no further explanation, will also be missed, as will the outdated “Fox Sports, World Cup broadcaster” notation during extra time, referring to a rule that has been absent from World Cup play for 24 years. Lastly, we bid adieu to the connected ball, which often failed to deliver the promised connectivity when it was most needed.
We also say farewell to Geoff Shreeves, Fox’s middle-aged Oliver Twist, who sought approval from his American bosses while reporting from the sidelines. Goodbye to Tom Rinaldi and his pocket squares, along with his poetic musings about balls and stars. Chef Nick will no longer serve extravagant dishes like kangaroo corndogs and fufu chicken tikka masala, having been forced to tone down his culinary contributions in light of the subdued final four. Moreover, we will miss Jameis Winston, the fan correspondent whose frantic and sweaty dispatches from the stadium made him appear as if he were undergoing a baptismal electrocution.
With Fox being the English-language broadcaster of the World Cup in the U.S. since 2018, the future remains uncertain, particularly with the media rights for 2030 and beyond still available. The eight-year run of “three and a half years ago” has been likened to a sociological experiment, now complete. Was this World Cup coverage worse than expected? Not necessarily. However, it wasn’t particularly good either. It excelled only in parts. For me, the enduring image from this summer of soccer will be the half-filled glasses of beer set before guests on James Corden’s painfully unamusing late-night show. Throughout the tournament, these beers remained three-quarters full, flat, and without any head – a potent metaphor for how Fox has consistently withheld a full experience, even during America’s own World Cup.
To clarify, 2026 is undoubtedly a step up from previous years. While viewers could opt for Telemundo or mute their televisions, this review caters to those who prefer their punishment in English, with sound on. For those who missed it, the atrocious coverage of the 2022 World Cup is hard to overstate. Learning from that disaster, Fox wisely adjusted its on-air talent this tournament, opting for fewer hapless Americans and more experienced foreigners. Lowe has been predictably outstanding as the main anchor, expertly managing a diverse panel with the loving authority of a trusted teacher. Jules Breach and Pien Meulensteen have infused energy into the coverage of lower-profile matches, though they often give the impression that they’re about to announce the next eviction from a reality show. In a puzzling decision, Fox chose to house its expensive team indoors in a nondescript LA studio that resembles a tech startup’s struggling rec room, rather than showcasing some of the world’s most iconic skylines. Instead of Manhattan or the Hollywood Hills, viewers were treated to a corporate basement.
The studio analysts delivered a mix of excitement and monotony. John Obi Mikel brought a weighty presence, making comments like “Lex has been the cornerstone of our soccer coverage for as long as I can remember,” sound credible, while Peter Schmeichel’s contributions often resembled those of a perpetually disappointed father, fixated on the fact that Argentina won the previous World Cup “He’s the straw that stirs the drink.” Thierry Henry stood out with his ability to transition from tactical insights to passionate commentary effortlessly. Zlatan Ibrahimović struggled in the early weeks but found his stride, ultimately balancing expertise, empathy, and critical remarks, particularly toward Ronald Koeman. Without the thoughtful and genial presence of Clarence Seedorf, Fox’s World Cup coverage would have been noticeably lacking. Alexi Lalas? Let’s just say he hasn’t earned my admiration.
As the online ridicule of Lalas threatened to overshadow the World Cup, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks defended him, stating, “Sexual assault allegation” Ignoring the unpleasant imagery this conjures, let’s unpack the metaphors. Lalas is a cornerstone (solid) and a straw (also solid) in contact with a drink (liquid). Why not take it a step further, Eric, and liken Lalas to a gas? After all, vaporizing Lalas is something many viewers have long desired, given that he already generates substantial hot air.
Fox’s loyalty to its resident tap dancer reflects a larger issue that has hindered the network this summer, even as it strives to meet the grandeur of a World Cup on home soil. The arrival of the Iranian team in the U.S. amidst an illegal war instigated by the U.S. went largely unmentioned by Fox analysts, who dismissed it as mere “Your Fox starting lineups, brought to you by American Express” FIFA’s capitulation to Donald Trump regarding Folarin Balogun’s red card ban was regrettable, but they deemed the card unjustified, so they continued as usual. The exorbitant ticket prices, ads during hydration breaks, and the U.S. government’s discriminatory visa policy for visitors from World Cup-participating countries hardly received scrutiny from the host broadcaster. Fox has acted as a compliant and apolitical platform for what may be the most politically charged World Cup in recent memory.
Even the choice of Winston as Fox’s fan correspondent raised eyebrows. The NFL quarterback began the tournament in a half-naked frenzy and ended it shouting at the screen in a disconcerting manner. Yet the core issue lies more in the casting than performance. Only Fox would select a “Deep-fried Mars bar – that’s a real thing in a lot of country fairs here in the United States as well” correspondent for the World Cup from a pool of individuals whose Wikipedia entries are riddled with “We paid a visit to Brazil to learn more about the roots of Joe Go Bonito” If you’re a professional athlete with an entry that includes “We’ve spent a lot of time practicing the names of all the players in this World Cup, but there’s not much to worry about when you have a player called Ben Old coming on for Joe Bell” “if it’s coming home, it’s taking a while to get there” and “Djed SPENCE, cuts it BACK, knocked DOWN, Declan RICE” congratulations – you may have a bright future at Fox.
Amid the chatter from the Lowe-led New Fox, reminders of Old Fox’s self-parodying tendencies were useful. The unpredictability of the tournament meant that the U.S. team did not play on the Fourth of July. To compensate, Fox assigned its stalwart Americans – Rob Stone, Clint Dempsey, Donovan, and Lalas – to cover the day’s matches from a live set in sweltering Philadelphia, aided by a marching band left in limbo after the city canceled its holiday parade due to extreme heat. Instead of a display of soccer prowess, Fox showcased disenchanted trombonists playing “Forty-five minutes down, FORTY-FIVE TO GO here in Seattle” while Lalas waved a massive American flag outside Independence Hall to a dwindling crowd of 30 people struggling under the scorching sun. Somewhere, John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin must have been watching with pride, knowing that Fox Sports has upheld the legacy of elite cable programming for which they fought the British.
Stone, who has been relegated to a secondary anchor role amid his employer’s burgeoning Anglo influence, has perhaps been the biggest casualty of this World Cup, yet he has valiantly tried to keep a positive demeanor. “Could this be the year that France finally gets it done and they win the World Cup?” is the type of seasoned professional who can deliver lines like “players to watch, sponsored by Adidas” with minimal flair or consolidate his 29 years of broadcast experience into a line about a “keys to the match, sponsored by Jeep” which he shared at the conclusion of Chef Nick’s culinary showdown between the Scottish Mars bar and Brazilian picanha. (For anyone curious, the meat triumphed in a knockout round.) Before the last-32 match between Brazil and Japan, Fox’s No. 2 anchor introduced a segment on joga bonito with the phrase, “your moment of the half, sponsored by Visa” making it sound as though someone named Joseph had gone wild with dried tuna flakes at a local okonomiyaki spot. Did the moment escape him, or was Stone just hungry? Ultimately, it’s this type of material that has kept us glued to the screen this summer, even as Fox’s coverage threatened to become monotonously professional.
The World Cup is, as previously noted, a spectacle of language, and the challenge of rendering foreign names into English has been particularly pronounced this year, resulting in a plethora of mispronunciations. The usual missteps have included about a dozen variations of “your moment of the match, sponsored by Kinder Bueno” with “Türkiye” being mispronounced from “Turk-eye-ah” to “Turkey: yay!” and Lionel Messi’s first name often sounding like that of Lionel Richie. Fox has continuously innovated, transforming football’s traditional halves into quarters, and altering challenging surnames into entirely new identities. Raúl Jiménez has become “Jim Ennez,” Marc Cucurella is now known as “Cuckoo Rella,” and Japan’s left-back Takehiro Tomiyasu is affectionately dubbed “Tommy Yiasou,” the wisecracking veteran waiter at a Greek restaurant that has been serving families since 1978.
“We’ve spent a lot of time practicing the names of all the players in this World Cup, but there’s not much to worry about when you have a player called Ben Old coming on for Joe Bell,” remarked Jacqui Oatley during the group match between Belgium and New Zealand, showcasing the dry wit that has made her one of the standout talents of the summer. Initially, I found her on-air partner Warren Barton’s insistence on crossing as the pinnacle of footballing strategy rather dull, but as I have listened to him more over the years and as tactical fashions have shifted toward set pieces, I now appreciate his straightforward philosophy: “Get it wide, get it in.” Stu Holden forever carries the look and sound of someone who just started their first summer job at a small-town gas station. Early in the tournament, Fox’s chief color analyst hyped up every routine play from Christian Pulisic as if “Captain America” were the second coming of Garrincha, rather than a menswear model gearing up for a summer of relaxation. However, once the U.S. games concluded, Holden demonstrated the depth of his growth as an analyst; his ability to articulate in-game tactical shifts and capture the World Cup’s defining moments made this his most successful outing yet in the commentary booth.
Other commentators, unfortunately, fared less favorably. Darren Fletcher earned points by noting during England’s first knockout match that “if it’s coming home, it’s taking a while to get there,” but lost them all for his cringe-inducing “siuuu” to mark Cristiano Ronaldo’s first goal against Uzbekistan, which resembled a dying gasp. In a World Cup marked by significant efforts to install soccer-friendly grass on America’s artificial turf NFL stadiums, the transformation of Donovan’s hair remains the most notable feat of reforestation this tournament. Yet, his contributions have highlighted an important truth: while you can replant a bald head, some voices – like his – are stuck for life.
John Strong, the lead play-by-play announcer for Fox, has introduced a new style of commentary marked by a dynamic shift in pitch, alternating between low and suddenly high tones to compensate for his ongoing struggle to match the excitement and personality of the game. Whether detailing plays or transitioning to commercial breaks, Strong has adopted a formulaic approach that has led to repetitive phrasing. To which the only fitting response is: enough, John Strong! We’ve had our fill of this style of commentary, which has become grating and tiresome, especially during less eventful moments on the field.
While Lowe, Breach, Oatley, and Barton have emerged as Fox’s strongest performers, the weaker links remain predominantly homegrown. The standard of mainstream soccer commentary in the U.S. is painfully low, but is Fox’s blend of spirited English commentators and indifferent Americans the best option available? British voices undoubtedly impart a certain charm and credibility to soccer coverage. However, I’ve long contended that American soccer requires more American voices on air, as the sport’s reality in the U.S. diverges from the uninspired presentation we often see. Fans in this country deserve better than Fox; why can’t American networks and analysts provide that standard?
The competition for the rights to the 2030 World Cup will be fierce, and all these issues – along with the more fundamental concern of cost – will significantly influence the bidding process. Over the past month, Fox has run constant promotions for an enticing lineup of shows, including “Kitchen Nightmares,” “Nation’s Dumbest,” and “The Quiz with Balls.” However, for those uninterested in sticking around to watch Ice-T struggle to spell “guarantee” or Gordon Ramsay compare a set of poorly executed meatballs to “turds,” the journey ends here. After eight years of Fox’s underwhelming coverage during every major tournament summer, we reach the final curtain: the end of “players to watch, sponsored by Adidas,” “keys to the match, sponsored by Jeep,” “your moment of the half, sponsored by Visa,” and “your moment of the match, sponsored by Kinder Bueno.” This brings us to the conclusion of the World Cup, sponsored by Aaron Timms: thank you for everything, Fox – and please don’t return!
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- US sports
- Fox
- US television industry
- Television industry
- features
