World Cup viewers already have ‘James Corden fatigue’ as he squirts Powerade into players’ mouths

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially begun on Thursday, June 11, and will conclude on Sunday, July 19. This year’s international soccer championship tournament is happening in three host countries: Mexico, the United States and Canada.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature a record-breaking 48 countries. Shakira and Burna Boy kicked off the opening ceremony with their official song, Dai Dai. Dai Dai is Italian slang for “come on, come on” and also “let’s go.” This is the fourth time Shakira has done the official anthem for the soccer competition. The last one was Dare (La La La) for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Fox has announced FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden, a new late-night companion series that will air throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The show will include Fox’s coverage of the soccer tournament and give fans a peek into major moments, players, and more from the world’s largest sporting event.

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However, not all World Cup fans were thrilled to hear that Corden would host the show.

Fans took to social media to express their disdain for the former late show host. A user wrote on X, “Just when you thought we’d never have to see James Corden… Leave it to Fox to figure out a way to bring on the most insufferable human beings.”

FOX’s livestream of the World Cup’s opening ceremony also showed Corden playfully squirting Powerade into players’ mouths.

“Dehydrated?” Corden asks a player, who responds with a firm no. The former late show host, seemingly ignoring his response, instructs the player to put his “head back” and squirts some Powerade into his mouth, and then sprays it all over him.

Corden continues playfully spraying the Powerade on other players, quipping, “Hydrate, hydrate.”

To this moment, an avid viewer said on X, “Watching a segment where James Corden is spraying down USMNT players with water and my mind quickly went ‘Hey, that’s how he treats restaurant employees!’ #WorldCup26”

A third person chimed in, “Someone forgot to tell FOX that no one actually likes James Corden. Yikes.”

FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden premieres Thursday, June 11, the opening night of the tournament. Fans can look for the show to air live on FOX at approximately midnight ET following the network’s match coverage.