Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexi Lalas’ interactions have been a highlight of the 2026 World Cup, but not necessarily for the reasons many would’ve expected.

The pair’s time on FOX Sports’ coverage of the major sporting event has led to several viral clips already, with Thierry Henry often looking shocked at what his co-hosts say to each other. But it’s not simply a tension-filled relationship for the cameras, according to an inside source.

It has been claimed there is a real ‘hatred’ between the two, who are known to be outspoken and egotistical. They both got the better of one another at different moments, leading to huge entertainment for fans watching on.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexi Lalas’ Rivalry

Zlatan Ibrahimovic via REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Lalas landed the first viral clip of the World Cup as he labelled British comedian and TV personality James Corden a ‘full kit w*****’, leaving Ibrahimovic and Henry shocked.

Then the big Swede strongly disagreed with his colleague’s claim that he’d take Erling Haaland over him. Tensions appear to have been building over the first weeks of the tournament, and Ibrahimovic gave a rather snappy response to Lalas agreeing with a claim that France showed ‘arrogance’ in a game.

“It’s not arrogance, it’s confidence. Ignorant people will say it’s arrogance, intelligent people will say it’s confidence,” he said. The former AC Milan and Barcelona star was then delighted when Lalas missed a show, excitedly putting across the message: “America, you’re welcome.”

Zlatan’s ‘Vendetta’ Amid Off-Screen Tensions With Lalas

A source has now told the Daily Mail that things aren’t much different when the cameras stop rolling. It has been claimed Ibrahimovic and Lalas ‘definitely don’t click’. Conversation off-camera is kept to a minimum and the pair don’t seem to get along. The source said:

That dynamic has now been continued on screen, as the insider continued: “They’ll all get through it, but the tension isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. At the same time, everyone has started to lean into the friction because, whether they like it or not, it makes for pretty entertaining TV.”

It’s said to be an ‘awkward and uncomfortable’ environment. Ibrahimovic appears to be the driving force behind that, with his desire to always be right being mentioned.

The source continued: “Imagine being stuck in a room with your ex and the person they left you for. That’s pretty much the vibe whenever they’re all together. There’s an underlying tension that everyone can feel, making things awkward and uncomfortable no matter how hard they try to keep it professional.

Both Senegal and Iraq head into their final World Cup group-stage fixture this week with qualification for the knockout stages still a strong possibility, despite both nations having lost their opening two games. It has been a massively disappointing summer so far, especially for the Lions of Teranga, who arrived in the USA, Canada and Mexico with a dark-horse reputation.

Having proved their credentials by going all the way to win the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year (before a ruling later handed Morocco the title after Sadio Mane’s teammates broke a major rule by protesting the referee’s decisions during the final), many onlookers would have expected more than 3-1 and 3-2 defeats to France and Norway.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s 3-0 and 4-1 losses against the same opposition have cast even more doubt over their ability to mount a comeback.

Despite that, an explanation has emerged as to how both nations can still rescue their campaigns and reach the knockout stages from zero points.

How Senegal and Iraq Can Still Qualify for Knockouts from Zero Points

Given the scale of their defeats, many would assume Senegal and Iraq’s hopes of reaching the round of 32 are already over. In most other World Cup groups, that would be true, with Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia and Jordan all eliminated after losing their opening two matches. However, Group I presents a different scenario.

Despite their difficult starts, both Senegal and Iraq still have a pathway to the knockout stages heading into Friday night’s final round of fixtures. The reason is simple: the two sides face each other in their final group-stage match, creating what could effectively become a knockout game depending on results elsewhere in the tournament.

Under the expanded 2026 World Cup format, eight of the 12 teams that finish third in their groups will advance to the round of 32. According to FIFA, those teams are ranked first by points earned during the group stage. If teams are level on points, goal difference is used as the first tiebreaker, followed by goals scored if necessary.

As a result, both Senegal and Iraq remain firmly in contention. Victory in their final group match – particularly by a convincing margin – would improve their goal difference and strengthen their chances of claiming one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed spots.

Who They Could Face in Last 32

REUTERS/Mike Segar

As things stand, Senegal are the clear favourites to beat Iraq in their final Group I fixture, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages. Should they secure progression to the round of 32, their potential opponents are not yet confirmed.

However, based on the tournament bracket, a third-placed Senegal side would face one of the teams that finishes top of Groups A, B, D, G, K or L. At present, the leaders of those groups are Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B), the United States (Group D), Egypt (Group G), Colombia (Group K) and England (Group L).