Bio

Alexi Lalas, a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and one of the sport’s most recognizable personalities, joined FOX Sports in January 2015 to serve its family of networks as lead studio analyst across all soccer properties. He provides in-depth analysis across the network’s marquee soccer presentations including this summer’s sunrise-to-sunset coverage of the UEFA EURO 2024™ and CONMEBOL Copa America 2024™, the FIFA World Cup™, Major League Soccer (MLS), Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, UEFA European Qualifiers, UEFA Nations League and more.

Lalas worked his eighth straight FIFA World Cup™ in 2023 during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand™. A June 2023 inductee into the California Sports Hall of Fame, he also hosts a weekly podcast ALEXI LALAS’ STATE OF THE UNION.

Best known as a standout defender on the USMNT during the 1994 World Cup, Lalas was a key member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team and the 1998 U.S. World Cup squad.

He was the first American to play in Italy’s top division, Serie A, with club Padova, before moving to MLS in 1996, the league’s inaugural season. One of the first signings for Major League Soccer, Lalas began his MLS career with the New England Revolution. He went on to play for the MetroStars, Kansas City Wizards and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

He enjoyed much of his on-field success with the LA Galaxy, winning the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Cup in 2002. Following his retirement in 2002, Lalas was appointed President and General Manager of the San Jose Earthquakes. He served the same role with the New York MetroStars in 2005 and LA Galaxy in 2008 before joining ESPN.

On the collegiate level, Lalas was a three-time captain at Rutgers and the only soccer player to receive three All-America honors. He helped Rutgers to its first No. 1 ranking in the history of the program during his senior year. He was also named to a trio of Atlantic 10 All-Conference teams and was a four-time Mid-Atlantic Region choice. During his time “On The Banks,” the Scarlet Knights went a combined 71-15-8 with Atlantic 10 Championships in 1990 and 1991.

Lalas came to FOX Sports from ESPN, where he was the lead studio analyst for the network’s coverage of the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup™. He also provided analysis on MLS, USMNT matches and international soccer events including the UEFA European Championships and FIFA Confederations Cups.

One of the best defenders in American soccer history, Lalas was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006.  Lalas is also a member of the Rutgers Sports Hall of Fame (1998) and Rutgers Soccer’s 75th All-Anniversary Team. As a broadcaster, Lalas made history in 2018 as the first-ever soccer analyst to be nominated for a Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Sports Personality category.