“Did he just say that?” Thierry Henry asked.

Alexi Lalas stuns Fox by calling James Corden vulgar name on live TV during World Cup coverage

"Did he just say that?" Thierry Henry asked.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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June 12, 2026 9:13 p.m. ET

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Alexi Lalas in New York City on May 21, 2026; James Corden in London on April 21, 2026. Credit:

John Nacion/FOX Sports via Getty; Karwai Tang/WireImage

- Alexi Lalas called James Corden a "full kit wanker" on live TV.

- Lalas' cohosts were stunned, with Rebecca Lowe explaining that the word is a "no-no" on British TV.

- Corden is hosting a new soccer program titled *FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours.*

Alexi Lalas is using some colorful language to describe James Corden.

The former New England Revolution center-back insulted the former *Late Late Show* host — seemingly unintentionally — during a World Cup broadcast on Fox on Friday.

Lalas appeared on a pregame show alongside host Rebecca Lowe, French footballer Thierry Henry, and Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović when he uttered a word that is considered fairly vulgar in the United Kingdom.

"Can we talk about James Corden for a second?" Lowe said as she attempted to tee up some cross-promotion for the comedian's new program *FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours*.

Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovich, and Alexi Lalas during Fox Sports FIFA World Cup Now show on June 11, 2026.

Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports via Getty

Lalas happily obliged. "What do you guys call him?" he asked. "A full kit wanker, right?"

Lowe, Henry, and Ibrahimović were all stunned by Lalas' choice of words.

He attempted to clarify: "When he's all dressed up and ready to go?"

Henry asked, "Did he just say that?"

James Corden on 'The Tonight Show' on Oct. 27, 2025.

Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty

Lowe noted that the word's associations for American audiences (and censors) are less severe than on the other side of the Atlantic. "Lucky we're on American television," she said. "'Cause the W-word on British TV — mm-mm."

** has reached out to Corden for comment.

A "full kit wanker" is a derogatory phrase used to describe an adult who wears an entire soccer uniform (or kit, as it's typically called in the U.K.) in public when they're not actively playing the sport. And, in Lalas' defense, Corden *did* wear workout gear during a segment on *After Hours*, so the description was technically correct, if somewhat rude.

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Corden's *After Hours* is set to run for 24 episodes throughout the World Cup. English footballer Rio Ferdinand and American comedian Ian Karmel serve as cohosts on the show, which will broadcast new episodes several nights per week.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off across North America on Thursday with Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0 and South Korea besting Czechia 2-1. Canada's face-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in a 1-1 draw on Friday, and the U.S. team will play Paraguay on Friday evening.

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