Fox Sports analysts Thierry Henry and Alexi Lalas got into a heated and awkward exchange on the air Tuesday while discussing FIFA’s decision to overturn United States star Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension during the World Cup.
The analysts, who have been in previous awkward moments together during the network’s World Cup coverage, got into a very tense conversation Tuesday in the wake of the USMNT’s tournament-ending loss to Belgium.
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Balogun was allowed to play in Monday’s 4-1 loss in Seattle only after FIFA overturned the suspension due to the red card he received against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the earlier round. President Donald Trump pushed for that decision, too, after he personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Though Henry didn’t agree with Balogun’s red card in the first place, it was how FIFA went about rescinding the punishment that he had an issue with.
“I’m going to say it again, I do agree with the fact that it wasn’t a red,” Henry said. “Because if I was a player and someone had given me a red like that, I wouldn’t have accepted that. But I don’t agree with how they rescinded the red … What FIFA did wasn’t right. But it was the right thing in terms of not giving the red. That should have been a decision that was done on the field, not after three days, four days, I didn’t agree with that at all.”
Lalas jumped in and tried to push back, insisting FIFA didn’t break any rules. FIFA opted to postpone Balogun’s ban by one year under Article 27 of its disciplinary code.
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“But they didn’t break any — ” Lalas started.
“Don’t,” Henry said, cutting him off. “The Article 27 doesn’t say that, in my opinion. What FIFA did wasn’t right.”
Lalas, though, didn’t let it go. Lalas, a vocal Trump supporter, kept trying to goad Henry and brought up Cristiano Ronaldo — who was also granted a deferred suspension before the World Cup under a similar, but different, ruling from FIFA — multiple times.
“So the right decision was come to the wrong way also when it comes to Cristiano Ronaldo?” Lalas asked Henry.
“That’s on you to talk [about] if you want to talk,” Henry fired back. “I’m talking about Balogun and this is the World Cup.”
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Eventually, host Rebecca Lowe tried to jump in and wrap up the segment. Fellow analyst Zlatan Ibrahimović, who was silent during the entire exchange, looked at Lowe as she did so.
“I’m not coming to you,” Lowe said, pointing at Ibrahimović, laughing.
The exchange was just the latest example of what has been some very clear tension on the Fox Sports desk throughout the World Cup. Neither Henry nor Ibrahimović appear to enjoy Lalas, and both have feuded with him already. Ibrahimović even implied that Lalas is “ignorant” after France‘s 3-1 win over Senegal in the first round, and he took another shot at Lalas after being busted on a friendly lie detector test on James Cordon’s “After Hours” show.
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Clearly, things on the Fox Sports desk aren’t getting any better as the World Cup moves along. But, as the USMNT is now out of the tournament, the Balogun discussion is moot. Belgium is moving on to the quarterfinals.
