Alexi Lalas’s absence from the World Cup committee was quite noticeable on Friday.
The former USMNT star wasn’t part of the FOX studio broadcast for the USA vs. Australia match, which led Zlatan Ibrahimovic to make a quip about his missing colleague.
“Oh no, Alexi has left us,” host Rebecca Rowe remarked, drawing attention to Lalas’s absence.
“Who?” Ibrahimovic replied in a sarcastic tone.
Rowe attempted to steer the conversation back, mentioning that Lalas would return.
“Your plan worked,” co-panelist Thierry Henry joked, referencing Ibrahimovic’s comments.
“Please don’t bring me into this,” Rowe retorted. “Not a chance.”
Ibrahimovic then turned to the camera, delivering his punchline: “You’re welcome, America.”
This year marks Ibrahimovic’s first appearance on Fox’s World Cup coverage, and he hasn’t hesitated to throw a few playful jabs at Lalas, who is a former USMNT defender and a long-time analyst for the network.
Earlier this week, during a discussion about France’s “arrogance” in their match against Senegal, Ibrahimovic made a sharp comment directed at Lalas.
“It’s not arrogance, it’s confidence,” Ibrahimovic explained. “An ignorant person would label it arrogance, while an intelligent person recognizes it as confidence.”
A more light-hearted exchange took place during the lie detector segment on After Hours with James Corden, as Ibrahimovic was asked if he respected the opinions of all the Fox panelists.
He answered affirmatively, only to receive a playful false warning.
Subsequently, during the FOX broadcast, he used the moment to take another shot.
Ibrahimovic said, “Rebecca, you’re fantastic. Thierry, you’re sharp, Monsieur. Alexi… let’s talk.”
