Zlatan Ibrahimovic Joins Fox As Studio Analyst For 2026 World Cup

Fox Sports has landed one of football’s most magnetic personalities for its 2026 FIFA World Cup coverage, confirming that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will make his full-time studio debut when the tournament kicks off across the United States, Mexico and Canada on June 11. The 44-year-old former striker will appear consistently throughout the month-long competition, anchoring Fox’s coverage alongside fellow marquee names Thierry Henry and Rebecca Lowe, who is on loan from NBC.

Fox Sports president Brad Zager told The Athletic that Ibrahimovic topped the network’s wish list from the moment planning began for the first 48-team World Cup. “He was at the top of the list of people we wanted to take swings at for this World Cup,” Zager said. “Zlatan was one that there was no reason to not take a swing and see if he would be willing to do this.”

Recruitment efforts began last autumn, and while Zager declined to detail whether Fox NFL analyst Tom Brady—an acquaintance of Ibrahimovic—assisted in the pitch, he praised the Swede’s early preparation. “He was so detail-oriented about if he is going to do this, he’s going to be good,” Zager noted.

Ibrahimovic’s arrival completes a high-wattage desk that also includes longtime American pundit Alexi Lalas. Fox had explored adding David Beckham and Jurgen Klopp to the roster; sources briefed on the conversations say Klopp at times appeared close to accepting, though Zager would not elaborate on those talks.

Known for a career that blended spectacular goals with headline-ready quotes, Ibrahimovic scored 52 times in 56 appearances for Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy and retired in 2023 after a final stint with AC Milan. He participated in two World Cups, in 2002 and 2006, and played for elite European clubs including Inter Milan, Barcelona and both Milan giants. Inside Fox, his candid style has already drawn comparisons to NBA studio great Charles Barkley.

With Ibrahimovic’s deal sealed, Fox’s on-air blueprint for 2026 is now set: a blend of global star power, tactical insight and the unfiltered opinions that have defined Ibrahimovic’s public persona for nearly a quarter-century.