Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry Get Emotional Over Alexi Lalas - Here's Why

Team USA delivered one of the greatest moments in USMNT history on Friday night.

In what was the first FIFAWorld Cup match played in the United States in over three decades, the Stars and Stripes demolished Paraguay 4-1. It was the largest margin of victory for the U.S. in a men’s World Cup game since 1930, and they’ve already surpassed their entire goal count from 2022 in Qatar, having scored just three goals across four games in that tournament.

Monaco striker Folarin Balogun stole the show, finishing with two goals, both netted in before halftime. Christian Pulisic set up Balogun’s first goal in the 31st minute, while Gio Reyna capped off the victory with another score late eight minutes into injury time.

It was everything American soccer fans have been dreaming about, and it all took place in front of more than 70,000 home fans at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

On the FOX Sports desk on Saturday, Thierry Henry spoke about the USMNT’s historic win and was quick to note one moment that genuinely made him emotional.

“I want to actually talk about something that moved me. The national anthem was outstanding. The fans were outstanding. Although I’m not American, I could relate to how the team played. When you see your team fight like that on every single ball, it was just outstanding. The one thing was, as good as the performance was, the way it moved me was because of this man,” Henry said, pointing to Alexi Lalas.

“When I looked at him during the national anthem, and how he cried, and was passionate about singing the national anthem … I realized how important it is for you guys. So, that was actually outstanding. I will always remember that.”

Then, in classic Zlatan Ibrahimovic fashion, he admitted, “You made me also emotional, and that doesn’t happen every day.”

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Lalas is one of the most recognizable figures in American soccer history. He made 96 appearances for the USMNT and became a household name during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the last time the United States hosted the tournament.

After a professional career in Europe, playing centreback for Italian club Padova, and in the MLS, playing for the New England Revolution, Kansas City Wizards, and Los Angeles Galaxy, Lalas transitioned into broadcasting and is now one of the leading soccer analysts in the United States.

So, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup being the first World Cup on American soil since 1994, when Lalas last competed for the Stars and Stripes himself, you can bet those opening moments were emotional for him.

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The United States are in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. The USMNT next faces Australia on June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle, before wrapping up group play against Turkey on June 25 back in L.A.

With six points likely enough to advance, the Paraguay victory gave the U.S. a valuable early cushion and boosted confidence heading into the final two crucial matches.

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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 2:59 PM.