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By Tyler Erzberger
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FOX spends nearly $500 million for World Cup rights in the United States, and things have already gone awry following the first day of the 2026 edition of the most prestigious sports tournament on Earth.
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More news: FOX Faces Massive Backlash After World Cup Broadcast Leaves Fans Furious
They didn't show Shakira or any of the opening ceremony live in Mexico City, which angered fans.
Then, making things worse, they missed actual part of the game following a hydration break due to their commercials going past the allotted time.
The one aspect of the broadcast that fans were positive about on social media were its new pundit desk, with one of the most well regarded sports hosts in the world, Rebecca Lowe, accompanied by legends of the sport in France's Thierry Henry and Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimović. The trio, from experience, to personality, to knowledge, is one of the strongest lineups you can put together for a World Cup presentation.
But those three aren't the only one on the desk.
Former United States Men's National Team member Alexi Lalas, a longtime face and voice of the sport in the country, is also on the desk. And while Lalas certainly has his fans that have grown up watching him from the first American World Cup in 1994, to ESPN, to FOX, social media as a whole wasn't so kind to the former defender.
Love him or hate him, Lalas is a staple of the World Cup for USMNT fans across the country, and he will be front and center for tonight's first World Cup game in the country since Brazil defeated Italy in penalty kicks back in 1994. The United States takes on Paraguay in Los Angeles, as both nations try to get off to strong starts in Group D.
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