FOX Sports Broadcast Team for FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Features Carli Lloyd and Dynamic Lineup of Soccer Legends and Commentators
Network Invites Fans to ‘Kick it with Us’ in Blockbuster Unveiling of On-Air Roster
Competition Kicks Off July 20 on FOX and FS1 with Reigning Champion United States Women’s National Team in the Land Down Under Seeking Historic Third-Straight Title
LOS ANGELES – FOX Sports, America’s official English-language home for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, today presents its preeminent roster of world-class broadcasters for this summer’s thrilling tournament with a blockbuster unveiling of its lineup. David Neal, Executive Producer of FIFA World Cup™ on FOX and Vice President of Production for FOX Sports, made today’s announcement highlighting the network’s top-flight group of distinguished broadcasters.
“This broadcast team builds on the tremendous success of our last two FIFA Women’s World Cup™ presentations and with 42 days to go until the opening match, we’re looking forward to having this group of acclaimed analysts, commentators, hosts and reporters shine on FOX Sports,” said Neal. “Since 2015, FOX Sports has been America’s home for the most memorable moments in women’s soccer and this edition of the world’s greatest sporting event promises to deliver amazing storylines with the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) challenging for a third-straight World Cup victory against the biggest field in tournament history.”
Carli Lloyd, a two-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year and co-captain of the champion USWNT at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™, joins the network’s coverage for her first FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as a broadcaster. Lead studio analyst Alexi Lalas, along with fellow U.S. soccer legends Heather O’Reilly and Stu Holden, headline the list of former U.S. soccer stars providing insights and analysis. Karina LeBlanc, a five-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ goalie with Canada, and current General Manager of the Portland Thorns, Kate Gill, a striker on Australia’s national team at FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007™, and Ariane Hingst, a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ champion with Germany, close out the roster of international analysts.
Five experienced teams comprise FOX Sports’ roster of play-by-play announcers and match analysts calling FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ matches. Veteran play-by-play voice JP Dellacamera and match analyst Aly Wagner anchor FOX Sports’ lead broadcast booth in their second consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as the network’s top announcer pairing. Esteemed commentator Jacqui Oatley pairs with former USWNT FIFA Women’s World Cup™ veteran and match analyst Lori Lindsey. Play-by-play announcer John Strong joins match analyst Kyndra de St. Aubin, while play-by-play announcer Kate Scott pairs with former USWNT defender and FIFA Women’s World Cup™ veteran Danielle Slaton. Former England defender Warren Barton joins acclaimed play-by-play announcer Jenn Hildreth to round out the game crew. Match assignments will be announced before the tournament begins.
Rob Stone returns as lead host for FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ anchoring studio coverage throughout the tournament. Seasoned host and reporter Jenny Taft will be embedded with the USWNT throughout the tournament as FOX Sports’ trusted insider, while Tom Rinaldi, 17-time Emmy Award winning storyteller, joins as a reporter and feature correspondent for his second FIFA World Cup™ with the network. Chris “The Bear” Fallica joins the network’s coverage as FOX Sports’ wagering expert. Finally, former referees Dr. Joe Machnik and Mark Clattenburg serve as FOX Sports’ dedicated rules analysts.
FOX Sports Announcers for FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™:
Studio Analysts
Carli Lloyd
Alexi Lalas
Karina LeBlanc
Kate Gill
Heather O’Reilly
Ariane Hingst
Stu Holden
Play-by-Play / Match Analysts
JP Dellacamera and Aly Wagner
Jacqui Oatley and Lori Lindsey
John Strong and Kyndra de St. Aubin
Kate Scott and Danielle Slaton
Jenn Hildreth and Warren Barton
Studio Host
Rob Stone
USWNT Insider
Jenny Taft
Feature Correspondent
Tom Rinaldi
FOX Sports Wagering Expert
Chris Fallica
Rules Analyst
Dr. Joe Machnik
Mark Clattenburg
Snapshot Biographies (click name for full bio and photography):
Studio Analysts
Carli Lloyd makes her FIFA Women’s World Cup™ analyst debut less than two years after retiring from the game of soccer as one the greatest players in history. Lloyd made her FOX Sports debut in April 2022 before joining the network as a studio analyst for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ is Lloyd’s first FIFA Women’s World Cup™ since scoring three goals across seven appearances as co-captain of the champion USWNT at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™.
Alexi Lalas is FOX Sports’ lead studio analyst for soccer, a role he has flourished in since joining the network in 2015. His signature red hair and fierce style of play helped the dynamic defender become one of the most recognizable faces in soccer. Lalas made his mark with the USMNT as a player during FIFA World Cup USA 1994™ and FIFA World Cup France 1998™. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006 and currently hosts ALEXI LALAS’ STATE OF THE UNION podcast.
Karina LeBlanc, a five-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ veteran with Canada and current General Manger of the Portland Thorns, reunites with FOX Sports for her second consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as a broadcaster. Prior to joining the Thorns ahead of the 2022 season, LeBlanc served as the Head of Women’s Football for Concacaf since 2018. She is a member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame following a storied 18-year career playing goalie at the international level.
Heather O’Reilly is back with FOX Sports for her second consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as a studio analyst. In 15 years with the USWNT, O’Reilly suited up 231 times, scoring 47 goals with 55 assists. She won three Olympic gold medals and a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2015. She most recently served as an assistant coach on the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team and currently co-hosts a weekly show on SiriusXM FC.
Kate Gill, a former captain on Australia women’s national team and FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007™ veteran, returns to the broadcast team after making her studio analyst debut with FOX Sports at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™. Her 41 international goals across a storied 12-year career with the Matildas rank third all-time. She is the current Co-Chief Executive Officer for Professional Footballers Australia (PFA).
Ariane Hingst, a two-time Women’s World Cup™ champion with Germany, returns to FOX Sports for her third consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as a studio analyst. She played in four FIFA Women’s World Cups™ and made 173 international appearances throughout her career. Hingst was the youngest player on Germany’s FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 1999™ squad.
Stu Holden is FOX Sports’ lead match analyst on the men’s side and returns to the broadcast team this summer as a studio analyst. Holden was FOX Sports’ lead match analyst at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™. A USMNT veteran who rose through the ranks to represent America at the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2009 and 2013 Concacaf Gold Cups and FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010™, Holden officially retired from the sport in 2016 with 25 caps for the U.S.
Play-by-Play
JP Dellacamera is widely regarded as a pioneering voice for U.S. Soccer with a broadcasting career spanning 40 years. This summer’s tournament will be his 17th FIFA World Cup™ (10 men’s, seven women’s) between television and radio as a broadcaster. The 2019 Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame recipient currently serves as a play-by-play announcer for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and was honored earlier this year with the Clay Berling Media Career of Excellence Award.
Jacqui Oatley returns to FOX Sports as a play-by-play announcer for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ after making her debut with the network last year. At FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Oatley made history with FOX Sports when she became the first woman to ever call a men’s FIFA World Cup™ match for a U.S. network. She brings a wealth of FIFA World Cup™ experience to the broadcast team after spending summer of 2019 in France calling FIFA World Cup™ matches for the host broadcaster’s world feed. In 2018, she served as a host for ITV’s FIFA World Cup™ coverage in Russia. She currently serves as a commentator on Sky Sports’ Women’s Super League, men’s Premier League worldwide coverage and NWSL.
John Strong is FOX Sports’ lead soccer play-by-play announcer on the men’s side and the signature voice on many of the biggest soccer matches since joining the network full time in 2015. FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ marks his fourth career FIFA World Cup™ as a FOX Sports commentator after serving as lead announcer at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™. He made his tournament debut with FOX Sports on the call for FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™.
Jenn Hildreth joins FOX Sports this summer for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ after contributing to the network’s coverage at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. An Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster with more than twenty years of experience, Hildreth is a seasoned voice for soccer fans across the nation and currently works as a commentator with MLS and NWSL.
Kate Scott joins FOX Sports as a play-by-play announcer for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ after working on the network’s past coverage of CONMEBOL Copa America and Concacaf Gold Cup. The first woman to call an NFL game on the radio, the first to call a Golden State Warriors game, the first to call football for the Pac-12 Network, and the play-by-play announcer for the first all-female NHL broadcast in the United States, Scott continues to break barriers as a leader in sports broadcasting. She’s served as the television voice of the Philadelphia 76ers since 2021.
Match Analysts
Aly Wagner anchors the lead match analyst role for FOX Sports on the women’s side with this summer’s competition marking her fourth FIFA World Cup™ as a broadcaster. Wagner made history with the network at FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™ as the first woman to ever provide color on a men’s FIFA World Cup™ match on U.S. television, and she most recently served as a match analyst at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. A mainstay on the USWNT from 1999 – 2008 and feature member of the squad at the 2003 and 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup™, Wagner netted 21 goals and notched 42 assists across 131 caps as a player on the international stage. She is also a co-founder of the newly announced Bay FC NWSL club.
Lori Lindsey makes her FIFA Women’s World Cup™ match analyst debut this summer. She first appeared as a match analyst with FOX Sports in June of last year and has since contributed to the network’s coverage across CONMEBOL Women’s Copa America 2022™ and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™. She is one of only four players to have played in all three of the U.S. professional women’s soccer leagues as part of her 13-year playing career. Lindsey currently serves as a match analyst for MLS and NWSL and co-hosts a weekly show on SiriusXM FC.
Kyndra de St. Aubin returns to FOX Sports for her third FIFA Women’s World Cup™ with the network after serving as a versatile member of the broadcast team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. The former University of Minnesota soccer star currently serves as a match analyst for MLS and was the long-time analyst for Minnesota United Football Club.
Danielle Slaton, a USWNT defender from 2000 – 2005 and member of the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003™ squad, reunites with FOX Sports to call matches in her third consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup™ with the network. Slaton currently calls MLS games as a match analyst and is a co-founder of the newly announced Bay FC NWSL club.
Warren Barton, a former defender for England’s national team who rose to prominence while playing for Newcastle United in the Premier League, is a decorated FOX Sports analyst and commentator who called matches at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™. In May 2012, he called the first-ever all-German UEFA Champions League Final, live from Wembley Stadium.
Studio Host
Rob Stone returns as lead studio host for FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, a role he has thrived in across every FIFA World Cup™ presentation on FOX Sports since 2015. Stone joined FOX Sports in 2012 as the lead studio host for FOX Sports’ soccer, college football and college basketball programming and has anchored coverage across multiple properties in the network’s premier soccer portfolio, including FIFA, UEFA, CONMEBOL, Concacaf, MLS and more.
USWNT Insider
Jenny Taft is back for her fourth FIFA World Cup™ with FOX Sports after earning critical acclaim for her hosting and reporting across the last three editions of the tournament. In her role as a USWNT Insider, Taft will be embedded with the team throughout the competition. She anchors a variety of roles for FOX Sports, including the lead reporter for the network’s college football coverage, host for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and reporter for several other major events.
Feature Correspondent
Tom Rinaldi returns for FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ after covering his first FIFA World Cup™ with FOX Sports in Qatar. The hailed veteran journalist joined FOX Sports in 2021 and currently contributes across the network’s world-class portfolio of live events. A 17-time Emmy Award winning storyteller and New York Times best-selling author, Rinaldi currently serves as lead reporter for FOX NFL’s top game of the week and executive producer, writer and host of the celebrated WESLEY podcast docuseries.
FOX Sports Wagering Expert
Chris “The Bear” Fallica makes his FIFA Women’s World Cup™ debut with FOX Sports after joining the network earlier this year. Fallica is widely regarded for his nearly three-decade career at ESPN, where he served as a research producer and on-air personality for “College GameDay.” Fallica also contributed to ESPN’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010™ and has received multiple Sports Emmy awards for his contribution to coverage across multiple properties.
Rules Analyst
Dr. Joe Machnik is a former FIFA and CONCACAF Match Commissioner who was inducted into National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2018. An All-America goalkeeper at Long Island University, he coached his alma mater to the 1966 National Championship Game and is believed to be the only person to play in the NCAA Soccer Tournament, coach in three NCAA finals and referee a NCAA Championship.
Mark Clattenburg enjoyed a successful career as a referee on the international stage since working his first match 23 years ago. He refereed more than 450 Premier League matches over the course of 13 seasons and in 2016, the UEFA Champions League Final and UEFA European Championship Final. This summer’s competition marks his third FIFA World Cup™ as a rules analyst after joining FOX Sports at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and contributing to ITV’s coverage in 2018.
