Former United States international Alexi Lalas left fellow pundits Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović stunned after aiming a profane jibe at James Corden during live World Cup coverage.
The awkward moment came during Fox Sports' coverage of the 2026 World Cup when presenter Rebecca Lowe introduced a segment promoting FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours, the broadcaster's new nightly show hosted by Corden.
After the advert aired, Lowe asked the panel for their thoughts on the former Late Late Show host.
"Can we talk about James Corden for a second?" she said.
Lalas wasted little time before responding with a remark that immediately left the studio in shock.
"What do you guys call them? A... full-kit w***er, right?" he said.
The comment was met with stunned silence from Lowe, Henry and Ibrahimović, who appeared taken aback by the use of the British slang term on American television.
Lalas then attempted to explain his joke, adding: "He's all dressed up and ready to go."
After a brief pause, Lowe recovered the situation by joking: "Okay, lucky we're on American TV."
She then pointed out that the term carries a far stronger meaning in Britain than many American viewers may realise.
The phrase "full kit w***er" is commonly used in football culture to describe an adult who wears a complete football kit – shirt, shorts and socks – despite not actually playing.
The joke referenced promotional clips for Gavin & Stacey star Corden's new World Cup programme in which he appears wearing a full USA training kit.
The exchange quickly spread across social media, with many viewers expressing surprise that the phrase had been used during a live broadcast.
One viewer wrote on X: "I don't know if Alexi knows how crazy that is. W***er means j-off. For real, James Corden IS a full kit w***er, but wow."
Others initially thought Lalas had used even stronger language, with one social media user posting: "Alexi Lalas just called James Corden a 'f***ing w***er' on live TV and the reactions were incredible."
The clip has since gone viral as the World Cup continues across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Corden's new World Cup programme debuted this week and will run throughout the tournament until July 15.
The hour-long nightly show sees the British presenter joined by former England defender Rio Ferdinand and comedian Ian Karmel as they discuss the day's action and biggest talking points.
Speaking about the project at a Fox presentation earlier this year, Corden said: "Every night after the games, we're going to be trying to have a lighthearted look at the World Cup, talking about the games, talking about anything that may have happened that day."
"What we're going to do is make it feel like if you couldn't be out with your friends in a bar that night, we'll be there to have some fun."
However, it was Lalas rather than Corden who ended up providing one of the tournament's most talked-about moments so far.
