John Strong and Stu Holden, Fox Sports’ lead broadcast team for the FIFA men’s World Cup, have completed a demanding schedule during the month-long tournament, calling 21 matches and traveling nearly 30,000 miles over five weeks. Their coverage concludes Sunday with the final match between Argentina and Spain, marking the third time the pair have provided English-language commentary for a men’s World Cup final.
Despite the rigorous travel and workload—each saying they have taken about 20 flights during the event—both Strong, the play-by-play announcer, and Holden, the color analyst and former U.S. national team player, expressed primarily a sense of gratitude rather than fatigue in an interview with reporters ahead of the final.
“I feel fortunate to be sharing this once again with one of my best friends in life,” Holden said, reflecting on their professional partnership. Strong echoed those sentiments, describing the tournament as “wonderful” and “wonderfully chaotic,” emphasizing how each game brought unexpected moments and excitement even after calling three previous World Cups together.
Their roles included narrating all of the U.S. Men’s National Team’s matches up until the team’s elimination in the round of 16 against Belgium. Holden noted his effort to stay immersed in the moment, sometimes removing his headset during games to experience the atmosphere directly. He recalled a particularly emotional episode after the U.S. victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, highlighted by a late red card against Folarin Balogun and a Malik Tillman goal, when the crowd erupted to the tune of "Country Roads." Holden captured the scene on video and noticed Strong visibly moved to tears.
Strong acknowledged emotional moments were not limited to that game. “Oh, I cried multiple times during US games in this tournament,” he said. Holden pointed out that after intense matches, they often remove their headsets to decompress and savor the significance of the moment. As a former player and broadcast partner, Holden understands the deep personal investment Strong holds for the sport and the broadcast career he has long aspired to.
Looking ahead to the final, Holden expressed anticipation for a match that will serve as a “fitting end performance” to a tournament marked by compelling storylines and stylistic contrasts. He highlighted the tactical clash between Spain’s possession-based approach and Argentina’s emotionally driven, spirited play. The final also features Argentina’s Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, facing off against Spain’s Lamine Yamal, a teenager who idolizes Messi and could become the third teenager to win a World Cup final.
Holden described this dynamic as a vivid example of the unpredictability and drama that have defined the tournament. The final is scheduled for a 3 p.m. kickoff on Sunday, culminating an event that both commentators regard as one of the most memorable World Cups they have covered.