By Blessing Nweke
Former U.S. defender and longtime broadcaster Alexi Lalas sharply criticized concerns about pressure surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying American players should embrace expectations instead of discussing the burden of playing at home.
Speaking Thursday during a Fox Sports event promoting coverage of the tournament, Lalas said he had little sympathy for players referencing the weight of expectations ahead of the competition, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“Cry me a river,” Lalas said. “Bunch of whiners, that they’re whining about the pressure.”
The 55-year-old former defender played for the United States during the 1994 World Cup on home soil and argued the current generation has benefited from unprecedented support, development pathways and resources. He said that success should now be expected from the national team.
Lalas also offered a pointed assessment of U.S. star Christian Pulisic, praising his talent while questioning his ability to become the emotional leader many fans expect.
“He’s never going to be the leader that people want him to be,” Lalas said. “That’s OK because I think there’s others that can do that, but he needs to be the star that this team needs.”
Pulisic, 27, has struggled for form recently, going 18 Serie A matches without a goal for AC Milan and enduring an eight-game scoring drought with the U.S. national team.
Despite that, Lalas predicted the Americans should at least reach the round of 16 and possibly the quarterfinals with home-field advantage.
Retired stars Carli Lloyd, Stu Holden and Zlatan Ibrahimović also participated in the Fox panel discussion ahead of the expanded 2026 tournament.
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