Fox
Former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas is largely more known for being a divisive Fox Sports analyst than whatever he accomplished in his professional soccer career. During the second day of the World Cup, however, Lalas said something that both his supporters and detractors can agree with, and that was a shot at James Corden.
James Corden is simply one of those celebrities that most people don’t like. He became increasingly unpopular during his run as the host of the Late Late Show with his on-camera persona, lowest common denominator content, and reports of his rudeness in everyday life. He also starred in the infamously maligned film adaptation of the Broadway musical Cats, which consistently prompts general feelings of disgust whenever it’s mentioned.
The Brits have a word for this kind of person, and Alexi Lalas wielded it live on-air in the building to Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday: a wanker.
Alexi Lalas shocked his World Cup co-hosts by calling James Corden a “full kit w—–” while live on national television
After a segment involving Corden, Lalas threw him a thumbs-up before calling him a “full kit wanker” — which is a soccer term for someone (usually an adult as kids get a pass) who wears both their favorite team’s jersey AND shorts — eliciting a gasp from host Rebecca Lowe, a typically meme-worth face out of analyst and French soccer legend Thierry Henry, and an audible “Woahhhh…” from the one and only Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Whatever the trio’s expectation was of Lalas, he’s certainly living up to it on day two of the 39-day-long tournament.
Did Alexi Lalas just say “wanker” on national TV 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/grKNlK0n4d
— InAllKindsOfWeather.com (@AllKindsWeather) June 12, 2026
Why the Euro trio were so shocked, however, is unclear. One option is that they thought they heard Alexi use the actual F-word and not “full kit wanker.” Another is that wanker may be the inverse of the liberally-used C-word in the U.K. and is a term they find deeply offensive. The final option is that, while perhaps not a particularly inflammatory word, they were still shocked to hear Lalas say it on national TV anyway.
Lalas likely knows he cannot provide the level of analysis and experience that Henry and Zlatan can, so perhaps he’s resigned himself to going for laughs, instead.
Comedy Central