As the US men’s national team geared up to face Panama earlier this month, Soccer Twitter buzzed with anticipation for the first game under Mauricio Pochettino’s leadership. Amid the usual match analysis, America’s top soccer commentator retweeted old footage of Barack Obama discussing immigration policy, aiming to portray the former president as hypocritical and tarnish Kamala Harris by association. This blend of sports and politics is typical for Alexi Lalas, who stands out among soccer broadcasters for his overt engagement with the impending American presidential election and his political affiliations.

Lalas gave an interview on Fox Business in July from the Republican National Convention, transitioning from praising the event as ‘a cool place to be’ to discussing Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. Speaking on Fox News radio from the convention, Lalas expressed his desire to challenge ‘the stereotype that exists when it comes to Republicans and certainly the right side of the political spectrum… I live in California, I work in soccer, I’m like a unicorn when it comes to politics out there and yet there are a lot of things that can unite us.’ However, his political commentary often attracts online abuse, which he frequently counters with wit and generosity.

Lalas, a fan of Ron DeSantis and host of the soccer podcast State of the Union, has over 400,000 followers on X. He recently responded to a reader baffled by his divisive posts, stating, ‘It’s my channel. I program it with what I like and what I find interesting. If it offends your sensibilities, there are millions of other channels for you to choose from. Go in peace.’ Despite his centrality to Fox’s coverage and the exclusivity of their rights, viewers may find it challenging to avoid Lalas if they want to watch major soccer matches.

The risk of alienating half of his audience is partially offset by the appeal of being seen as a fearless and unfiltered Republican ambassador from deep blue Los Angeles in a progressive-leaning sport. Lalas has suggested that the US team was too woke after their exit from the Women’s World Cup, and he did not deviate from Republican orthodoxy in 2020 when criticizing NWSL players for kneeling during the national anthem.

Politics and soccer have long been intertwined. In the UK, broadcasters Gary Lineker and Gary Neville faced backlash from the British right for criticizing the last Conservative government. In the US, Jemele Hill was suspended by ESPN in 2017 for calling Trump a ‘white supremacist’ on X, leading the network to introduce a social media policy discouraging employees from openly taking sides and offering commentary beyond sports.

As social media entangles news and opinion, the public and the personal, sports personalities like Lalas are contributing to the erasure of a naive illusion. In a climate where politicians speak out on sports and celebrities issue political opinions, why shouldn’t sports personalities enjoy the same freedom of expression?

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