The dynamic of Fox Sports’ studio team between Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahmiovic and Alexi Lalas has been a trending topic so far this World Cup.
Let’s call the relationship between the two former world class strikers and the former U.S. men’s national team defender icy at best.
Ahead of Friday’s Group D game between the U.S. and Australia, the opening in-studio breakdown didn’t include Lalas.
Rebecca Lowe: “Chaps, Alexi left us.”
Ibrahimovic: “Who?
Lowe: “Alexi will be back. Alexi will be back.”
Henry: “Your plan worked.”
Lowe: “Don’t you bring me into this. No chance.”
Ibrahimovic: “America, you’re welcome.”
Lalas, who has been a lightning rod for criticism for years as Fox’s lead soccer analyst, was instead on-site outside the stadium in Seattle with former U.S. women’s national team star Carli Lloyd and USMNT star Clint Dempsey.
Following France’s win over Senegal in which the French were sluggish in the first half, Lalas piggybacked off Landon Donovan’s comment about France’s performance being arrogant. To which Ibrahimovic responded: “It’s not arrogance, it’s confidence. Ignorant people will say it’s arrogance. Intelligent people will say it’s confidence.”
You can watch the clip here, solely for the look on Henry’s face.
Earlier on Friday, Ibrahimovic posted on X a video of Henry and himself dribbling in the studio and the two keeping the ball away from Lalas: “The studio will never forget.”
Ibrahimovic appeared on James Corden’s late night World Cup wrap show, was hooked up to a lie-detector test and was asked, “Do you respect the opinions of all your fellow Fox Sports analysts?”
Ibrahimovic answered, “Yes.” The lie detector operated gave the thumbs down.

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Happy Juneteenth to everyone out there. I’m sure those words will irk a few readers, but to be honest, I’ll take any federal holiday, as it means we get some time to enjoy anything we want. I know not every company is observing, but who doesn’t want a day off in the middle of June? Today is even a bit more special because we get a USA World Cup game as well.
My first-ever soccer article was about the USA World Cup team, and not only did the team win, but we won. I was wrong about the final score, but I was correct about Team USA winning. They were able to take down Paraguay. What I think was most enjoyable about the game — aside from the victory — was that the crowd was genuinely into the game. I know it is easy when goals are being scored and the team is winning, but America is not a soccer country. So, seeing the crowd going crazy and giving the team more energy was fun to watch.
Now they have a test against Team Australia. This should be a win for Team USA if we are going to base it on a recent game they’ve had in an international friendly competition. They played back in October, so the teams are largely the same. Those games aren’t always predictive, though. In order to keep the momentum coming, Team USA will need to remain aggressive in its attack. If they can strategically push the ball downfield, they should get a few good looks at a goalie that can be beaten.
Team Australia had a nice outcome in their first game as well, having won the first contest against Turkey. I don’t hate the Turkish team. They have some decent talent as well. Some games of the World Cup can just be dismissed because there is a huge mismatch. That isn’t the case here. Australia was methodical in its attack and won the game 2-0.
PATRIOTISM IS GREAT, BUT MAKING MONEY IS BETTER: ‘FADE THE PUBLIC’ IN TEAM USA VS AUSTRALIA IN WORLD CUP 2026
If you look at the stats from their first game, there is a big argument that Australia got lucky to win the game. They had half the shots on goal of Turkey, and they had possession of the ball for just 28% of the time. So, they were able to make the most of their opportunity. They had 12 fouls compared to just four on Turkey. I suppose there should be a fair amount of credit given to the Australian defense, considering they were able to stop all eight shots on goal, and if their opponent had the ball that often, it means they had to consistently stop the pressure.
If Australia can slow the game down against America, they might have another chance. I don’t think this is the most impressive team in the tournament, but they look like they don’t make a lot of mistakes. Will the kangaroo clan be able to capitalize on the USA’s mistakes today?
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
It is possible. The USA was the beneficiary of an own goal to start the scoring, then they got two more in the first half. They did create some great opportunities, but missed some of those chances. Their defense only faced one real attack, and their goalie stopped the ball. Australia needs to be more aggressive than they were in the first game, but I don’t think that’s their nature. I expect Team USA to win, but I think this is going to be a lower-scoring game. Give me the under 2.5.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The 126th U.S. Open is happening at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, this year, with action beginning on Thursday, June 18, and running through Sunday, June 21. Last year’s winner, J.J. Spaun, will be competing again this year, and you can expect some of the usual familiar faces like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm on the course, too. Here’s a look at this year’s power rankings for the entire field of competitors.
To watch all the action at this week’s U.S. Open, you can catch daily live streaming coverage on Peacock. The Golf Channel will broadcast daily highlights, and coverage will also air on NBC, USA, and NBCSN. Here’s what you need to know about the complete golf tournament schedule, streaming info, and Round 1 and 2 tee times.
Advertisement
How to watch the 2026 U.S. Open:
Dates: June 18-21
TV channel: NBC Sports Network, USA, NBC, Golf Channel
Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and more
When is the 2026 U.S. Open?
The 2026 U.S. Open runs from June 18-21, 2026.
What channel is the 2026 U.S. Open on?
The 2026 U.S. Open will. be broadcast across NBCSN, USA, and NBC. Daily coverage will also be broadcast on the Golf Channel.
How to stream the 2026 U.S. Open without cable:
To watch the Golf Channel, USA, NBCSN, and NBC, those channels are available with subscriptions to YouTube TV and DirecTV. Daily coverage will also stream on Peacock.
2026 U.S. Open broadcast schedule:
All times Eastern
Advertisement
Thursday, June 18
6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Round 1 (USA)
5 – 8 p.m.: Round 1 (Peacock)
8 – 10 p.m.: Live from the U.S. Open (Golf Channel)
Friday, June 19
6:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Round 2 (NBCSN/Peacock)
1:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Round 2 (NBC/Peacock)
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.: Round 2 (Peacock)
7:30 -9:30 p.m.: Live from the U.S. Open (Golf Channel)
Saturday, June 20
8 – 10a.m.: Live from the U.S. Open (Golf Channel)
10 a.m. – Noon: Round 3 (USA)
Noon – 8 p.m.: Round 3 (NBC/Peacock)
8 – 10 p.m.: Live from the U.S. Open (Golf Channel)
Sunday, June 21
9 a.m. – Noon: Round 4 (USA)
Noon – 7 p.m.: Round 4 (NBC/Peacock)
7 – 9 p.m.: Live from the U.S. Open (Golf Channel)
2026 U.S. Open Round 2 Tee Times:
All times ET
No. 1 tee
5:35 a.m. — William Mouw; (a) Ryder Cowan; Hennie du Plessis
5:46 a.m. — Adrien Saddier; Jackson Van Paris; Ugo Coussaud
5:57 a.m. — Neal Shipley; Matti Schmid; Bud Cauley
6:08 a.m. — Pierceson Coody; Zac Blair; Kevin Roy
6:19 a.m. — Aaron Rai; Collin Morikawa; Jason Day
6:30 a.m. — Bryson DeChambeau; Viktor Hovland; Matt Fitzpatrick
6:41 a.m. — Dustin Johnson; Wyndham Clark; Gary Woodland
6:52 a.m. — Joaquin Niemann; Alex Smalley; Shane Lowry
7:03 a.m. — Akshay Bhatia; Carlos Ortiz; Min Woo Lee
7:14 a.m. — Justin Rose; Jordan Spieth; Jon Rahm
7:25 a.m. — Ben Kohles; Johnny Keefer; Matt McCarty
7:36 a.m. — Angel Hidalgo; (a) Mateo Pulcini; Spencer Tibbits
7:47 a.m. — (a) Matthew Robles; Jake Sollon; Manav Shah
11:30 a.m. — Chandler Phillips; Harry Higgs; (a) Hamilton Coleman
11:41 a.m. — Nathan Kimsey; (a) Jackson Herrington; Cooper Dossey
11:52 a.m. — Peter Uihlein; (a) Eric Lee; Sam Stevens
12:03 p.m. — Adrien Dumont de Chassart; Ben Silverman; Emiliano Grillo
12:14 p.m. — Patrick Rodgers; Keith Mitchell; Graeme McDowell
12:25 p.m. — Sungjae Im; Lucas Herbert; Kristoffer Reitan
12:36 p.m. — Sam Burns; Tyrrell Hatton; Si Woo Kim
12:47 p.m. — Rory McIlroy; Ludvig Åberg; Tommy Fleetwood
12:58 p.m. — Alex Noren; Maverick McNealy; Sepp Straka
1:09 p.m. — Max Greyserman; Brian Harman; Jacob Bridgeman
1:20 p.m. — Alex Fitzpatrick; Tom Kim; Ben James
1:31 p.m. — (a) Brandon Holtz; Ryuichi Oiwa; Dylan Wu
1:42 p.m. — Greyson Leach; (a) Logan Reilly; Robbie Higgins
No. 10 tee
5:35 a.m. — Niklas Nørgaard; Rocco Repetto Taylor; Sudarshan Yellamaraju
5:46 a.m. — Laurie Canter; John Parry; (a) Bryan Lee
5:57 a.m. — Chris Kirk; Max McGreevy; Jake Knapp
6:08 a.m. — Harry Hall; Michael Brennan; Andrew Putnam
6:19 a.m. — Davis Thompson; (a) Preston Stout; David Puig
6:30 a.m. — Ryo Hisatsune; Corey Conners; Ryan Fox
6:41 a.m. — Ryan Gerard; Russell Henley; Ben Griffin
6:52 a.m. — Justin Thomas; Hideki Matsuyama; Xander Schauffele
7:03 a.m. — Nicolai Højgaard; Nico Echavarria; Robert MacIntyre
7:14 a.m. — J.T. Poston; Patrick Cantlay; Billy Horschel
7:25 a.m. — (a) Arni Sveinsson; Taihei Sato; Marcelo Rozo
7:36 a.m. — Nick Hardy; Cole Hammer; Jack Schoenberger
7:47 a.m. — (a) Marek Fleming; T.K. Kim; (a) Giuseppe Puebla
11:30 a.m. — James Nicholas; Taylor Montgomery; Caleb Surratt
11:41 a.m. — (a) Ethan Fang; Jayden Schaper; Jackson Suber
11:52 a.m. — (a) Chase Kyes; Matthew Jordan; Alejandro Tosti
12:03 p.m. — Carl Yuan; Brandon Wu; Jimmy Stanger
12:14 p.m. — Padraig Harrington; (a) Miles Russell; Cameron Smith
12:25 p.m. — Brooks Koepka; Cameron Young; Chris Gotterup
12:36 p.m. — Daniel Berger; Keegan Bradley; Rickie Fowler
12:47 p.m. — Patrick Reed; Andrew Novak; Kurt Kitayama
12:58 p.m. — Harris English; Adam Scott; Nick Taylor
1:09 p.m. — (a) Mason Howell; Scottie Scheffler; J.J. Spaun
1:20 p.m. — Sahith Theegala; (a) Jackson Koivun; Michael Kim
1:31 p.m. — J.B. Holmes; Filippo Celli; (a) Jackson Ormond
1:42 p.m. — Jake Peacock; (a) Vaughn Harber; Kaito Onishi

Secretary of State Marco Rubio predicted a billion people would be watching the UFC Freedom 250 event held at the White House on June 14.
Rubio missed the mark by approximately 980 million people.
Viewership on Paramount+ reached 17 million across the U.S. and Latin America during UFC Freedom 250, according to Paramount+, citing Nielsen and Adobe Analytics in a press release issued Thursday June 18.
That shattered the Paramount+ record for highest viewership for an exclusive live event, according to the subscription-based streaming service, which said it has streamed thousands of exclusive live events since it launched in 2021.
The previous record was five million viewers for UFC 324 in January, when Paramount+ made its debut as the UFC’s streaming home. Paramount+ paid $7.7 billion over seven years for that exclusive right.
UFC seeks Super Bowl numbers
Expectations were high for the unprecedented seven-fight card on the South Lawn of the White House.
“We’re expecting Super Bowl-type numbers for this fight,’’ UFC CEO Dana White told UFC on TNT Sports.
The 2026 Super Bowl was watched by an estimated 125 million viewers, according to Nielsen. That total included viewership figures from NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, NBC Sports Digital and NFL+.
Two days before the event, Rubio chimed in during an appearance with White.
“A billion people all over the world will be watching America celebrate its 250th birthday with the White House in the background and some of the best athletes in the world in that Octagon,” he said.
The prediction was beyond optimistic. Paramount+ has about 80 million subscribers.
UFC Freedom 250 was available exclusively on Paramount+ only in the U.S. and Latin America. UFC will announce viewership numbers outside the U.S. and Latin America next week and Paramount+ provided no estimate.
Of the 17 million viewers reached June 14, 15.26 million came from the United States and 1.67 million came from Latin America.

The grand opening of former President Barack Obama’s presidential center in Chicago was a who’s who of American influence.
The guest list at the Obama Presidential Center included former presidents, world leaders, and some of the biggest names in entertainment.
The 20-acre campus on Chicago’s South Side, which cost $850 million in total and includes a public library, playground, and sports facilities, commemorates Obama’s presidency from 2009 to 2017.
Among those in attendance on Thursday were former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, and Tom Hanks.
Here’s a look at some of the notable guests who attended.