FOX World Cup broadcast lineup includes former NFL star Chad Johnson, USWNT icon Carli Lloyd
FOX Sports unveiled its full broadcast team for the 2022 World Cup, which includes six-time NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson and two-time World Cup winner Carli Lloyd.
As FOX previously announced, the former NFL star will join the network’s World Cup coverage as an analyst on “FIFA World Cup Tonight.”
Lead studio analysis Alexi Lalas and host Rob Stone are looking forward to having Johnson on the team in spite of – and perhaps even because of – his lack of a soccer background.
“It goes back to a responsibility of finding interesting and entertaining and even provocative voices out there that are part of the game,” Lalas said. “We welcomed him with open arms because he thinks about the game in an interesting way. He has a history in the game, whether people know it or not, and he’s incredibly entertaining.”
Stone added: “Sometimes, it’s really beneficial to have that outside perspective as well. Yes, the guy cares about the game and loves the game but he’s going to be looking at it much more like a fan, like, ‘What did I just see and why did that happen?'”
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U.S. women's national team icon Lloyd and U.S. men's national team great Clint Dempsey will make their World Cup debuts for FOX, serving as studio analysts.
“It’s not just because they are big names, but because they’re good, and because they’re opinionated," Lalas told Pro Soccer Wire. "And that’s what we want. We want it to be discussions and we want it to be debates and we want people that are knowledgeable and have a history, and come to it with their own ideas.”
As they did during the 2018 World Cup, John Strong and Stuart Holden will anchor the lead broadcast booth, putting the pair in line to call the final as well as several other marquee matches.
Commentator Ian Darke makes his FOX Sports debut, though it will be the eighth career World Cup for the venerable British commentator. His pairing, USMNT legend Landon Donovan, will be make his broadcast booth debut after previously working for FOX as a studio analyst.
Donovan and Darke will be forever linked together after the former’s iconic goal against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup was soundtracked by the latter’s iconic call.
“It’s a pretty neat pairing with all the history those two have together,” Stone said. “It’s always great to have two legends working with you. Ian has been doing this for a long, long time and is just one of the classiest voices in the game. And I think Landon right now still goes down at least in my book as the greatest U.S. men’s player ever, and to have somebody of that caliber and the things he’s witnessed and done on this stage as part of our team only makes us stronger.”
Aside from Donovan-Darke and Strong-Holden, the other three announcer duos will be JP Dellacamera and Cobi Jones, Derek Rae and Aly Wagner, and Jacqui Oatley and Warren Barton.
Stone will once again be the lead host, while Kate Abdo will also handle hosting duties, including “FIFA World Cup Tonight” recap show.
FOX World Cup 2022 announcers
Play-by-Play/Match Analyst
- John Strong and Stu Holden
- JP Dellacamera and Cobi Jones
- Derek Rae and Aly Wagner
- Ian Darke and Landon Donovan
- Jacqui Oatley and Warren Barton
Studio Analysts
- Alexi Lalas
- Carli Lloyd
- Chad Johnson
- Clint Dempsey
- Eniola Aluko
- Kelly Smith
- Maurice Edu
Studio Hosts
- Rob Stone
- Kate Abdo
Reporters
- Jenny Taft
- Rodolfo Landeros
- Geoff Shreeves
Feature Correspondent
- Tom Rinaldi
Rules Analyst
- Dr. Joe Machnik
- Mark Clattenburg