Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast

Latest Episodes:

FOX Sports FIFA World Cup Rank: Top 100 Players (25-11) May 25, 2026

Show notes

The FOX Sports FIFA World Cup Rank hits the home stretch! Alexi Lalas, Stu Holden, and Mo Edu break down the elite, from Messi and Bellingham to Rodri and Valverde. Who will edge closer to the top? Find out the top 10 on June 1st!

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FOX Sports FIFA World Cup Roundtable: 1994 USA Reunion May 23, 2026

Show notes

Before the stars of 2026 take the pitch, the icons of '94 take the stage. Alexi Lalas, Cobi Jones, John Harkes, and Marcelo Balboa go frame-by-frame through the most pivotal summer in American soccer history—settling old locker room scores, reliving the '94 Brazil heartbreak, and debating if the U.S. is finally ready to finish what they started thirty-two years ago. Make sure to watch the full Summer of ‘94 Documentary, out now only on FOX!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:06 - Players 25-21: Luis Díaz DISRESPECTED
3:50 - Can Antoine Semenyo find his club form with Ghana?
5:01 - Players 20-16 - Declan Rice & Jude Bellingham due for big summers for England?
9:40 - Lionel Messi WAY TOO LOW?!
12:03 - Should Messi be closer to Cristiano Ronaldo?
17:20 - Players 15-11: Will Raphinha lead Brazil on a deep run?
18:05 - Rodri vs Federico ValverdeSean Sullivan [5:18 PM]
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:55 - The USMNT at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy
6:20 - The “wasteland” era of soccer in America
8:30 - U.S. Soccer Federation: “We CAN NOT fail in 1994”
9:57 - “We hated you guys”
11:51 - Inside Mission Video: Camp Stories
16:10 - The Mad Scientist: Bora Milutinović
19:10 - World Cup Practice: One Player, One Ball
22:34 - Injury Problems: Marcelo Balboa on his emotional fight to make the roster
30:47 - Cobi Jones on World Cup Roster Cuts
32:50 - The Group Stage is HERE
38:04 - The OJ Simpson Bronco Chase
40:14 - USA vs Switzerland: Deep Dive
44:14 - Eric Wynalda: Best goal in U.S. World Cup history?
48:48 - USA vs Colombia: Deep Dive
50:11 - USA vs Colombia pregame hype
53:59 - John Harkes on US opening goal
55:19 - An ode to Andrés Escobar
55:39 - Alexi Lalas was NOT OFFSIDES
59:58 - Breakdown of Earnie Stewart goal vs Colombia
61:56 - The Greatest Miss in World Cup History
64:26 - Miracle on Grass: The US tops Colombia
67:09 - USA vs Romania: Deep Dive
69:39 - Dan Petrescu beats Tony Meola for the opener
71:58 - John Harkes SHOCK SUSPENSION
73:45 - USA vs Brazil: Knockout Rounds Deep Dive
78:54 - The Turning Point: Tab Ramos & the Brazil Red Card
82:00 - Bebeto breaks American hearts
85:31 - The Lasting Legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup
88:55 - What will be the impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
90:17 - Outlook on 2026 USMNT: Time to make history

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Richards & Aaronson injured, Messi drama & would Pep Guardiola take the USA job? May 19, 2026

Show notes

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse are back with a new episode of State of the Union! The injury bug for the USA continued this past weekend as both Chris Richards and Brenden Aaronson came down with knocks but thankfully neither look particularly serious. In better news for the Yanks, Christian Pulisic contributed an assist in Milan’s win, Antonee "Jedi" Robinson scored his first ever Premier League goal from the spot for Fulham, and Ricardo Pepi kept his record season going with another goal for PSV. Around the world of soccer, Neymar made the Brazil World Cup squad, Arsenal are one step closer to the Premier League title, Pep Guardiola will officially leave Manchester City after the season, José Mourinho is returning to Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso is heading to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea. In #AskAlexi, after much fanfare and commentary from our followers, Alexi and Mosse take another look at Alexi’s all-time USA World Cup starting XI and in One for the Road, there may be some trouble in paradise for Messi and Miami.
Presented by Zillow #Zillow

0:00 - Intro
2:33 - Is Richard the valuable player for the USA?
7:33 - Brenden Aaronson goes down with injury
8:50 - Arsenal vs Manchester City title race down to final week
10:56 Pep Guardiola leaves City, Xabi to Chelsea, José Mourinho to Madrid
16:40 - Christian Pulisic bags assist, Weston McKennie's UCL bid takes hit
25:37 - Zavier Gozo stays hot
29:29 - Neymar makes Brazil roster
36:15 - USMNT All-Time Best XI: Which historical player are you adding '26?
43:56 - Messi vs the Inter Miami Fans

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FOX Sports FIFA World Cup Rank: Players 50-26 May 18, 2026

Show notes

The FOX Sports FIFA World Cup Rank heats up! Join Alexi Lalas, Stu Holden, and Mo Edu as icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, and Bukayo Saka enter the fray. From Luka Modrić to Virgil van Dijk, the world’s best face the countdown. See who makes the cut for players Top 25 on May 25th!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:08 - Players 50-46: Marc Cucurella OVERRATED
2:52 - Players 45-41: Rayan Cherki due for a breakout summer
6:18 - Players 40-36: Ronaldo DISRESPECTED?!
8:03 - Son Heung-min or Cristiano Ronaldo?
14:25 - Players 35-31: Luka Modrić's final ride
16:55 - Jamal Musiala is the German engine
19:20 - Players 30-26: Is Alphonso Davies the best player in CONCACAF?

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Tab Ramos on Pulisic's woes, Chris Klein on Galaxy exit & more May 14, 2026

Show notes

On this very special edition of State of the Union Presented by Zillow, Alexi Lalas had the chance to dive into the beautiful game through the lens of red, white and blue colored glasses with four guests with an eye to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Up first, Tab Ramos dives into the USA ahead of this summer. Is he worried about Pulisic's slump and how far should we expect the U.S. to advance?

Soccer writer Leander Schaerlaeckens then joins the show to pull back the curtain on the history of U.S. Soccer, including a glaring issue with this current batch of players. His book, "The Long Game: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts", is out now.

Up next, former Galaxy President and current co-chair for the LA Host Committee for the World Cup, Chris Klein, dives into what fans can expect this summer.

Last, but certainly not least, Host City Executive and CEO of Philadelphia Soccer 2026 Meg Kane dispels any rumors on the tailgate ban and what we can expect with her city as we are under a month from the world's biggest sporting event kicking off.

0:00 Intro
1:41: Feeling on U.S. team ahead of World Cup
7:12: Ramos on American soccer development
13:02: Matt Crocker leaving NOT a “Shock”, who is next?
14:33: Pulisic’s slump… concerned?
17:30: How far with the USMNT advance this summer?
18:17 - Leander Schaerlaeckens joins the show
20:45 - How far have we come since The Miracle of 1950?
24:10 - Profiling the current stars: Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Jedi Robinson & Co.
27:23 - Team America: A forgotten past
29:57 - The biggest issue with the current USA stars…
33:01 - What does U.S. Soccer need to do to take the next step?
35:15 - Chris Klein joins the show
36:50 - Biggest issues planning a World Cup
39:19 - What can fans expect in LA?
39:35 - Expectations for USMNT
41:59 - On his time with the Los Angeles Galaxy
47:39 - What would MLS Commissioner Klein do to grow the game first?
50:34 - Meg Kane joins the show
51:19 - What is keeping Meg Kane up at night hosting a World Cup?
52:32 - Context on working with FIFA
58:45 - Tailgating in Philadelphia
61:37 - France vs Germany on the 4th of July?!

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USA All-Time World Cup Best XI, Pepi > Balogun & who steps up for Johnny? May 12, 2026

Show notes

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse are back with a new episode of State of the Union! The show starts with some unfortunate news: Johnny Cardoso is set to undergo surgery and will miss the World Cup. Alexi and Mosse discuss the ramifications of this and who might step up in Johnny’s absence for the USA. Tanner Tessmann also picked up a knock for Lyon but Gio Reyna got back on the scoresheet for Monchengladbach for the first time in over a year. Pulisic wasn’t present for Milan’s latest loss but Sergiño Dest assisted a Ricardo Pepi goal for PSV. Alexi and Mosse touch on Barcelona topping Real Madrid for the La Liga title before heading over to MLS where Lionel Messi made some more history. In #AskAlexi, the question is asked whether the USA should be building their roster around Folarin Balogun instead of Christian Pulisic and in One for the Road, Alexi unveils his USA all-time World Cup starting XI.
Presented by Zillow #Zillow

0:00 - Intro
2:59 - Johnny Cardoso OUT
10:50 - Gio Reyna SCORES
12:57 Ricardo Pepi over Flo Balogun?
14:40 - Do we Trust, Trusty?
19:04 - Arsenal hold on, Barca wins La Liga
26:14 Jack McGlynn & Alex Zendejas make the roster?
30:27 - Messi with another record
33:58 - Matt Turner vs Matt Freese
38:47 - #AskAlexi: Folarin Balogun vs Christian Pulisic
48:34 - One For The Road: Alexi’s All-time USA World Cup XI

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FOX Sports FIFA World Cup Rank: Top 100 Players (75-51) May 11, 2026

Show notes

We are one month out from the greatest show on earth, and we are on a mission to name the top 100 players who are expected to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We polled fifty of our FOX Sports experts, men and women who have played in these games, and produced the moments you'll never forget, to rank the world’s elite. On this episode, Stu Holden, Mo Edu and Alexi Lalas count down players 75 through 51.

0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Players 75-71: Is Weston McKennie THE most important US player?
4:05 - McKennie vs Pulisic
6:27 - Alexis Mac Allister too high?!
8:28 - Players 70-66: João Pedro & William Saliba set for massive summers
11:38 - Players 65-61: Cody Gakpo is OVERRATED
13:14 - Players 60-56: Is Mohamed Salah still elite?
18:17 - Players 55-51: Sadio Mané too high?!

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Arsenal vs PSG Final Set, Mexico DRAMA, El Clásico for the title, $50K to watch the World Cup? May 07, 2026

Show notes

Stu Holden and David Mosse are back with a new episode of State of the Union! In today’s show, Stu and Mosse recap the 2nd leg of the Champions League semis that saw Arsenal and PSG advance to the final at the expense of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. Despite falling to Arsenal, Stu says Johnny Cardoso made enough of an impression in the semis to be a LOCK for the USA squad this summer. After, the pair discuss the upcoming Europa League and Conference Leagues semis, La Liga potentially being decided by a Clásico, a plethora of USA players seeking Champions League spots for next season and more. In #AskAlexi, we show off the brand-new FOX Sports World Cup ad that sees the USA topping Brazil in the final, and in One for the Road, Stu shares how you can make $50K just for watching the World Cup this summer.

Presented by Zillow #Zillow

Arsenal beats Atlético in UCL Semi (2:29)
PSG advances to UCL final over Bayern (11:33)
Europa and Conference League Semis Preview (15:41)
El Clásico for La Liga title (21:47)
Americans on the hunt for UCL spots (28:18)
Can Messi, Miami get back on track? (35:35)
Mexican national team drama (41:29)
#AskAlexi: FOX Sports' new FIFA World Cup™ ad (46:36)
Getting paid $50K to watch soccer?? (52:34)

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Balo-GOAL & Pepi stay hot, Freeman vs Dest, City bottles it, prime Dempsey or Howard for current squad? May 05, 2026

Show notes

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse have a hot off the presses State of the Union episode presented by Zillow. To kick off the show, the duo dives into the red-hot form of Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi before debating Alex Freeman vs Sergiño Dest vs Tim Weah for the right side of the defense this summer. Will Christian Pulisic wake up from his slump in time for the opening match vs Paraguay? Elsewhere, Manchester City was held to a draw against Everton as Arsenal blew past Fulham. Is the EPL title race over?
In #AskAlexi, the guys answer your questions on prime Clint Dempsey vs prime Tim Howard for the 2026 roster and who would have a bigger impact. As we wrap the show, we tip the cap to our own Heather O’Reilly and the rest of the 2026 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductees. Presented by Zillow #Zillow

0:00 - Intro
1:55 - U.S. Abroad: Balogun & Pepi score yet again
3:09 - Dest returns, Freemans shines
9:56 - Pulisic goalless streak continues
17:56 - Manchester City tumbles against the Toffees
20:43 - MLS Recap: Luna, Gozo continue to star, Messi and Co falter
32:05 - #AskAlexi: Howard vs Dempsey for 2026
40:10 - One For The Road: Congrats HAO, Bob Ley

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FOX SPORTS FIFA WORLD CUP RANK: Top 100 Players (100-76) May 04, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to the FOX Sports FIFA World Cup Rank! We polled 50 of our elite on-air experts and production staff to build the definitive countdown of the world’s biggest stars set to take the stage in 2026.

Over the next five weeks, we’re working our way down to number one. Today, we are breaking down players #100 through #76, featuring massive names like Alexander Isak, Son Heung-min, Raúl Jiménez and the ultimate lightning rod: Christian Pulisic.

Do you agree with the desk? Is Pulisic a Top 20 player in the world, or is #79 exactly where he belongs?

1:40 - Players 100-95 - Is Alexander Isak Isak too low?
3:34 - Kim Min-jae set to be a lock-down CB this summer
5:42 - Players 95-91 - Mikel Oyarzabal set for monster World Cup
9:41 - Raúl Jiménez is OVERRATED
11:16 - Players 89-86 - U.S. in danger against Kenan Yıldız
14:00 - Players 85-81 - Son underrated?
18:14 - Players 80-76 - Arda Güler is a BEAST
20:22 - Is Christian Pulisic TOO LOW?

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