Alexi Lalas shocked his fellow World Cup pundits with a vulgar jab at James Corden during their pre-opening ceremony coverage.
The New England Revolution star blasted the former “Late Late Show” host as a “wanker” after fellow presenter Rebecca Lowe brought up Corden’s recent FIFA World Cup bit for Fox Sports.
“Can we talk about James Corden for a second?” Lowe said, seemingly attempting to line up a plug for Corden’s appearance on “FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours.”
Before Lowe could even shout out the cross-promotion effort, Lalas chimed in with, “What do you guys call him? A full kit wanker, right?”
Lowe, along with fellow presenters Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović, were visibly stunned by the remark.
Lalas attempted to clarify his meaning, noting, “When he’s all dressed up and ready to go?” However, his peers were forced to explain that a “wanker” in British slang is not a nice descriptor.
“Lucky we’re on American television,” Lowe responded. “‘Cause the W-word on British TV …”
A representative for Corden did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
For those wondering, a “full kit wanker” is a British insult about a person dressed in a soccer get-up in public, despite not playing the sport. Lalas’ swipe at Corden wasn’t entirely wrong, however, as the “Cats” star did don a soccer uniform for his new Fox Sports project. Though, we assume Corden still didn’t appreciate the comment.
Nonetheless, World Cup fans had plenty to say about the moment, with one fan on X commenting alongside a photo of Henry’s shocked face, “The next meme of the World Cup.” Another chimed in with, “So much respect for Alexi Lalas after this.”
Watch the exchange, as well as Corden’s soccer segment, above.
