USA legend Alexi Lalas has left World Cup viewers stunned after calling Fox colleague James Corden a ‘w****r’ live on TV.
Lalas, who played 96 times for his country, is one of the network’s main analysts for the tournament, but he could find himself in hot water on just the second day following a remarkable faux-pas.
During the build-up to the day’s first game, between Canada and Bosnia, main host Rebecca Lowe steered the crew towards a promo for Corden’s new late-night World Cup show ‘After Hours’.
‘Can we talk about James Corden for a second?’ she asked the panel, which comprised of Lalas and two soccer legends in Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Lalas was the first to chime in, but it’s fair to say nobody expected the comment he then produced in front of millions of TV viewers.
‘Oh! What do you guys call them?’ Lalas began, before adding: ‘Full kit w****r right?’
Alexi Lalas stopped the Fox broadcast in its track with a shocking slur at James Corden
Lead host Rebecca Lowe and analyst Thierry Henry couldn’t believe what Lalas had said
All three of his colleagues were immediately stunned by the comment, with Henry staring down the camera with a look of shock.
Lowe, sensing the need to steer the conversation back to normality, then replied: ‘Okay… lucky we’re on American television, because the W word on British TV…’
The host, who also fronts NBC’s Premier League coverage in the US, is correct in that foul language is more accepted on American shores, but the clip quickly went viral on social media across the globe.
Lalas’ comment referenced a derogatory British slang phrase, which refers to someone who dons a full kit, despite not playing in a match.
Corden, pictured with his wife Julia Carey, is hosting a late-night World Cup talk show on Fox
Lalas (top, third left) is an icon of the US men’s national team and played 96 times for his nation
It is not the first time Lalas has courted controversy, with the analyst regularly dividing fans with his strong opinions.
Perhaps the most controversial moment came during the last World Cup in Qatar, when he donned a ‘thobe’ – the traditional loose-fitting robe worn by men in the Arab world – during a live TV segment.
He has also been a regular critic of the US men’s national team, both in and out of major tournaments.Â
