As the largest World Cup in history comes to a close, the 48-team tournament provided unforgettable moments, from comeback wins to international fans experiencing American culture for the first time. Ahead of Sunday's final, FOX Sports soccer analysts Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thierry Henry and Alexi Lalas recapped their favorite moments from the tournament: Zlatan Ibrahimović: The Fans Ibrahimović: I will think about the fans. For me, the fans are very special.
Different cultures, you have seen them sing, you have seen them cry, you have seen them celebrating, different cultures coming together. That is what football does. I can speak about goals and winning, whatever.
Fans make it really special. We wouldn’t be able to have this beautiful World Cup, or a game. It’s all about the fans.
You give back to the fans, and they make it very special. I don’t want to enter a special country, because everybody has a special way of celebrating or bringing their cultures [together]. Football connects people.
And that is what’s beautiful about it. Thierry Henry: Tearful Tributes Henry: First, the tears of [Alexi] during USA vs. Paraguay in the national anthem.
Second, [Rebecca] getting emotional when England got knocked out. Third, fairytales, Cape Verde and Vozinha. Viking Row.
Special moment for me, when Ronaldo put the shirt off of Diogo Jota, remembering him. And lastly, maybe this is not a favorite moment, but we lost someone, Jayden Adams. Let’s not forget about that.
Condolences to the family. That will stay with me forever. Alexi Lalas: American Culture Lalas: That national anthem at that first [USA] game.
For what it represented in that moment, in terms of nostalgia, and looking back 32 years and how far we had come. But also, I didn’t necessarily know it at the moment, but now a month later, it was also kind of the starting point for the discovery of people who came from outside the United States. Or the rediscovery of Americans through the lens of the World Cup.
Maybe a newfound respect. It’s something our country needed, and this tournament provided it. Sometimes, you need to look at it through somebody else's lens to really appreciate it.
I think that really happened this summer for Americans and for people that visited.
