Alexi Lalas told how to end Zlatan trolling but awkward duo pause TV rivalry to make fun of Norway

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was definitely better than Alexi Lalas in soccer history.

But Lalas was given a big tip on how he can one-up Ibrahimovic during World Cup TV coverage.

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“I’m not the biggest Alexi Lalas fan,” Barstool Sports’ Dan Katz said on Men In Blazers.

“But the way they were treating him got me so riled up. Zlatan has not scored a World Cup goal. Can someone point that out?”

The on-set rivalry between Ibrahimovic and Lalas on FOX Sports’ coverage of the World Cup has become an international talking point ready made for social media.

“I do feel sometimes like I’m herding cattle,” Rebecca Lowe exclusively told talkSPORT’s The S Word with Will Gavin and Master Tesfatsion.

“They are absolutely brilliant in every way. Honestly, we have so much fun.“

But fans see another side of Ibrahimovic vs Lalas, with the TV duo regularly going at each other on camera and Ibrahimovic appearing to go out of his way to jokingly mock Lalas.

The often one-sided battle could be flipped if Lalas turned World Cup history into a personal advantage.

“Alexi Lalas should drop that in his (Ibrahimovic) face,” Katz said.

“Be like, ‘Hey, man. You were awesome. How many goals did you score in the World Cup? Oh, was that zero? Because it was zero.’ “

Ibrahimovic played in the 2002 and ’06 World Cups for Sweden, reaching the Round of 16 both times.

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x@totalfootball

But the former PSG and Manchester United forward went scoreless in 254 minutes over five World Cup matches, despite scoring 468 goals in a 22-year pro career.

Lalas represented USMNT in the 1994 and ’98 World Cups, racking up 360 minutes.

The 6ft 3in defender didn’t score but helped USMNT reach the Round of 16 in his first World Cup.

Ibrahimovic and Lalas dropped their attacks on TV when Norway played France on Friday.

After Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat trick, Ibrahimovic and Lalas joined former French star Thierry Henry in performing a Viking row to celebrate France’s 4-1 thumping of Norway.

The unity showed that the daily Ibrahimovic vs Lalas battle could mostly be made for World Cup TV.

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“Let me sum Alexi up,” USMNT icon Brad Friedel exclusively told talkSPORT. “So, first, he’s a friend. He was a teammate, OK?

“He has always been on TV for the clickbait, so to speak. He’s the one that will just go against what other people on the panel are saying just to create a debate whether he believes it or not.

“What’s happening right now is he’s got two of the most accomplished players in world football alongside him on the desk that really know what they’re talking about, in Zlatan and Thierry Henry.

“And things haven’t gone as swimmingly for for him, I should say when it when it comes to actual analysis in the in the games, because that’s not what Alexi is all about, you know, And I think there’s some of where he stands politically has come into it now, and it’s not been great for Big Red.”

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