FOX Sports will have a number of United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) legends for its coverage of the 2026 World Cup.
The quadrennial tournament is set to kick off on June 11, with Mexico taking on South Africa in the first match of the World Cup and the Korea Republic facing Czechia in the second. Overall, 48 countries will play 104 matches across 16 cities in three countries.
Considering the enormity of the task ahead for FOX Sports, the network assembled an impressive group of analysts for World Cup coverage, including several former USMNT stars. The announcement comes after NASCAR star Denny Hamlin shared a specific message to fans about FOX Sports’ motorsports coverage, specifically NASCAR.
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Alexi Lalas, Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey will be the three USMNT legends who will be part of the network’s coverage of the storied tournament.
Carli Lloyd, a United States Women’s National Team legend in her own right, will be joining the three USMNT legends.
Lalas, Donovan, Dempsey appeared in a combined eight World Cups, while Lloyd, by herself, had four appearances in the women’s World Cup.
Thierry Henry will be among the many legends of the game providing World Cup analysis for FOX Sports -Credit:Photo by Michael Simon/Getty Images for American Airlines
The four are considered to be among the biggest American stars in history, with Donovan and Dempsey both having impressive careers outside the United States.
Along with the four American soccer legends, World Cup winner Thierry Henry headlines an impressive cast of European stars who have had success at multiple levels. Among those joining Henry are Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Peter Schmeichel, and Mexico’s Javier Hernandez.
As for the group, the enormity of the proceedings required the network to seek out the biggest names who have played the sport and are now analysts. Brad Zager, FOX Sports President and Executive Producer, said as much in a statement as the days count down to the start of the World Cup.
“Our FIFA World Cup 2026™ studio team competed in a combined 26 FIFA World Cups and features some of the most dynamic personalities and soccer legends FOX Sports has ever assembled,” Zager’s statement on FOX Sports’ website began.
“We feel they’re going to instantly connect with fans and become America’s definitive voices for the anticipated tournament, providing entertainment and insight at an incredible level and making for must-watch television across the 104 matches on the schedule.”
FOX Sports’ World Cup crew
Analysts
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Clarence Seedorf (Netherlands)
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Javier “Chicarito” Hernandez (Mexico)
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Peter Schemeichel (Denmark)
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
Studio Hosts
The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11 and the final match will be played on July 19.
