Alexi Lalas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alexi Lalas

Lalas in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Panayotis Alexander Lalas
Date of birth	(1970-06-01) June 1, 1970 (age 55)
Place of birth	Birmingham, Michigan, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position(s)	Defender
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1991	Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1995	Padova	33	(2)
1995–1996	→ Padova (loan)	11	(0)
1996–1997	New England Revolution	55	(3)
1997	→ Emelec (loan)	10	(0)
1998	MetroStars	25	(2)
1999	Kansas City Wizards	30	(4)
2001–2003	Los Angeles Galaxy	69	(7)
Total		235	(19)
International career
1992	United States U23	1	(0)
1996	United States Olympic (O.P.)	3	(0)
1991–1998	United States	96	(10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexi Lalas (born June 1, 1970) is a famous American former soccer player. He mostly played as a defender. Lalas is well-known for playing with the United States men's national soccer team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. His unique long beard and hair made him stand out.

After the World Cup, Lalas made history. He became the first American to play in Italy's top soccer league, Serie A, for the team Calcio Padova.

Lalas returned to the United States in 1996. He joined the new Major League Soccer (MLS) with the New England Revolution. He also played for teams like Club Sport Emelec in Ecuador, and MLS teams MetroStars and Kansas City Wizards. His most successful time was with the Los Angeles Galaxy. There, he won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and MLS Cup. He retired from playing in 2003. Lalas was known for being a strong and tough player.

After his playing career, Lalas became a general manager for several MLS teams. These included the San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls, and Los Angeles Galaxy. He was honored by being chosen for the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006. Today, he works as a soccer expert for Fox Sports. He also reported on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Early Life and Family

Alexi Lalas was born in Birmingham, Michigan, United States. His father, Demetrios Lalas, was Greek and a professor. His mother, Anne Harding Woodworth, was an American poet. Alexi's younger brother, Greg Lalas, also played professional soccer. Greg is now a Chief Marketing Officer for the United Soccer League.

Playing Soccer in High School and College

High School Soccer Journey

Lalas went to Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He started playing soccer when he was eleven years old. By his senior year, in 1987, he was named the Michigan High School Player of the Year. Besides soccer, he was also the captain of his high school hockey team. They even won the state championship!

College Soccer Achievements

Lalas attended Rutgers University from 1988 to 1991. He played for the men's soccer team, the Scarlet Knights. His team reached the NCAA Final Four in 1989 and the National Championship Game in 1990.

He was recognized as an All-American player in 1989, 1990, and 1991. In 1991, he won the Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year award. Just like in high school, Lalas also played hockey in college. He was the top scorer for the team in 1989.

Lalas left Rutgers in 1991 to focus on the U.S. national team. He went back to college in 2013 to finish his degree. He took many online classes and earned a bachelor's degree in English in May 2014. He joked that it was a "26-year plan"!

After college, Lalas had a tryout with the famous English club Arsenal in 1992. However, he did not get a spot on their main team. He then returned home, but soon after, he was invited to try out for the United States national team.

Professional Club Career

Playing in Italy: Padova

After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Lalas signed with Calcio Padova, a team in Italy's top league, Serie A. He was a strong defender for the team. He also scored three goals, including against famous clubs like A.C. Milan and Internazionale. Padova managed to stay in Serie A for the next season.

In June 1995, Major League Soccer (MLS) signed Lalas to play in their new league. The MLS season was delayed until 1996. So, Lalas was loaned back to Padova to keep playing. He played his last game for Padova in February 1996.

Major League Soccer Journey

Before the first MLS draft in 1996, Lalas was assigned to the New England Revolution. He was a key player for the Revolution in 1996 and 1997. He played in many games as a defender. He made his debut in the club's very first match in April 1996. He also made the first assist in Revolution history.

Lalas was chosen as an MLS All-Star in both 1996 and 1997. However, he had some disagreements with the Revolution's coach, Frank Stapleton. Lalas felt his time there was a "nightmare." He asked to be traded, but it didn't happen right away.

In November 1997, the Revolution loaned Lalas to Club Sport Emelec in Ecuador for a month. When he returned, he was traded to the MetroStars in February 1998. This was the first three-team trade in MLS history.

He played for the MetroStars in 1998. Then, in January 1999, he was traded to the Kansas City Wizards. Lalas played one season with the Wizards before announcing his retirement in October 1999. He was an MLS All-Star in 1998 and 1999.

Just over a year later, Lalas decided to play again! He signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy in January 2001. His time with the Galaxy was very successful. In 2001, he helped the Galaxy win the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup and the 2001 U.S. Open Cup. The next year, in 2002, Lalas helped the Galaxy win the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup 2002. He was also named to the 2002 MLS Best XI, which means he was one of the best players in the league. He retired for good in January 2004.

Playing for the United States National Team

Lalas played 96 games for the United States men's national soccer team between 1991 and 1998. He scored nine goals. His first game was against Mexico in March 1991.

He became a regular player for the U.S. team in 1993. By 1994, he was a key starter in the central defense. He played every minute of all four U.S. games in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He was even named an honorable mention All-Star for his performance.

In 1995, Lalas was named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year. He also scored a goal in a famous game against Saudi Arabia. The U.S. team came back from being down 3–0 to win 4–3! Lalas was on the team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, but he did not play in any games. His last game for the U.S. team was in May 1998.

Lalas also played for the United States Olympic soccer team. He was part of the team for the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics.

After Playing Soccer

Lalas at a United States vs. England women's soccer game in Nashville in 2019

After retiring from playing, Lalas became a president and general manager for MLS teams. He worked for the San Jose Earthquakes from 2004 to 2005. Then he was general manager for the New York Red Bulls from 2005 to 2006. From 2006 to 2008, Lalas was President of the LA Galaxy. During his time there, the club signed the famous player David Beckham.

After leaving the Galaxy, Lalas worked as a commentator for ESPN for six years. Then he joined Fox Sports as a commentator. He also appeared as a "legend card" in the video games FIFA 16 and FIFA 17. Currently, Lalas hosts a podcast called State of the Union with David Mosse. They talk about American soccer.

Personal Life

Lalas can speak Spanish and Italian, in addition to English and Greek. He is married to Anne Rewey, and they have two children, Henry and Sophie.

Lalas is a fan of the rock band Ratt.

Musical Career

Alexi Lalas is also a musician! He has released eight solo albums over the past thirty years. Some of his albums include Far from Close (1996), Ginger (1998), and Melt Away (2022). He has always loved rock music. In 1998, Lalas played in a band called The Gypsies. They even opened for the band Hootie & The Blowfish during a tour in Europe. The Gypsies also had their own album called Woodland, which Lalas released during the 1994 World Cup.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Goals

Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lalas goal.

List of international goals scored by Alexi Lalas

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	May 8, 1993	Miami, United States	Colombia	1–0	1–2	Friendly
2	June 9, 1993	Foxboro, United States	England	2–0	2–0	1993 U.S. Cup
3	June 22, 1993	Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Ecuador	Venezuela	2–0	3–3	1993 Copa América
4	July 17, 1993	Dallas, United States	Honduras	1–0	1–0	1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup
5	November 7, 1993	Fullerton, United States	Jamaica	1–0	1–0	Friendly
6	January 29, 1994	Seattle, United States	Russia	1–1	1–1	Friendly
7	July 14, 1995	Paysandú, Uruguay	Argentina	2–0	3–0	1995 Copa América
8	October 8, 1995	Washington, D.C., United States	Saudi Arabia	1–3	4–3	Friendly
9	February 1, 1997	Guangzhou, China	China	1–0	1–1	Friendly
10	June 17, 1997	Jacksonville, United States	Israel	1–0	2–1	Friendly

Honors and Awards

Los Angeles Galaxy

• MLS Cup: 2002
• Supporters' Shield: 2002
• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2001
• CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2000

United States

• U.S. Cup: 1995

Individual Awards

• Hermann Trophy: 1991
• Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year: 1991
• Honda Player of the Year: 1995
• U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 1995
• MLS Best XI: 2002
• MLS All-Star: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999

See also

In Spanish: Alexi Lalas para niños