Growing up in South Florida, Jozy Altidore often heard Spanish, whether playing soccer with local kids or from his Dominican grandmother. During his teenage years, he played for Villarreal in the Castellón region of Spain, a non-touristy area where his coach and teammates primarily spoke Spanish. Through this experience, Altidore learned the language. “A lot of people look at me like, ‘What? You speak Spanish?'” he told NBC News.
This summer, Altidore will utilize his language skills as a World Cup commentator for Telemundo, the official Spanish-language network for the games. Despite lacking broadcasting experience and having average Spanish proficiency, Altidore was motivated by the opportunity posed by the World Cup coming to North America. “It’s the biggest, most historical World Cup we’ve had,” he said. “For me, it was a good opportunity to stay involved, be a part of the World Cup.”
On his Spanish fluency, Altidore admitted, “I can get by.” He viewed the role as a “cool challenge” and urged the importance of challenging oneself. Additionally, Altidore looks forward to witnessing Telemundo’s broadcast dynamics, including the enthusiastic “goal” calls of announcer Andrés Cantor. “I always wondered, how does he do that in one breath?” Altidore remarked.
Altidore will provide analysis and insights on Team USA’s games, drawing from his own rich history with the team. Widely regarded as one of the best American players, he scored 42 goals in 115 appearances, contributing to the U.S. reaching the World Cups in 2010 and 2014, despite an injury in the latter. He played with several current 2026 roster members, including Christian Pulisic.
Altidore expressed optimism about Team USA’s prospects, saying, “I’m bullish. I think this team can win the World Cup. I really do. I think they have the talent. And I’m so excited for them to get their flowers.” He acknowledged the skepticism about Team USA winning but pointed to past hosts, like South Korea in 2002 and Germany in 2006, reaching advanced stages. With the World Cup on home soil, Altidore hopes for an elevated team performance.
He emphasized the role of fans, asking, “Can we show up in numbers in a way that, from the players’ arrival, they feel the emotion, the enthusiasm, the camaraderie?” His excitement is palpable, though as a commentator, he must balance supporting the team with offering objective analysis. “It’s not all rainbows. You’ve got to be critical of guys, and you have to obviously critique their performances,” he noted.
Altidore’s introduction to soccer dates back to 1994, the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup, when his father recorded games on VHS tapes. He envisions families doing the same this time, with modern technology. “They’re going to get exposed to soccer in a wonderful way for the first time,” Altidore said, anticipating the birth of new soccer players and enthusiasts.
Through his role at Telemundo, Altidore aims to share his passion and insights. “It’s more than just X’s and O’s in my opinion,” he said. “This is a very good opportunity to continue growing the game for another 30, 40 years to come.”
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