LeBron James is officially a free agent for the first time in years, and apparently he’s spending some of that downtime glued to the World Cup like the rest of us. When Folarin Balogun buried a goal right before halftime against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, James fired off a classic reaction on X: “LFG!!!!!! HAS at the World Cup! Helluva goal there, Young!”
The USMNT needed that one. After a 2-1 group stage finish in Group D, the Americans came out firing in Santa Clara, California, with a packed Bay Area crowd behind them. Balogun’s finish at the 45-minute mark gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead and sent the energy spiking through the stadium. And apparently all the way to wherever James is scrolling between workouts and meetings with potential new teams.
James left the Los Angeles Lakers when his contract expired and entered free agency for his 24th NBA season. So yeah, he’s got time to watch afternoon knockout matches. And he’s got a legit connection to soccer that goes way deeper than just tweeting from the couch.
LeBron’s Soccer Ties Go Back More Than a Decade
Back in 2011, James bought a stake in Liverpool F.C., the English Premier League giant. He later added ownership in AC Milan, one of Italy’s most storied clubs. That’s not just a casual fan move. That’s putting money where the fandom is. He’s also name-dropped Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar as his favorite players over the years. So when he shouts out a USMNT goal, it’s not just a celebrity throwing out a brand-friendly tweet. The man actually follows the sport.
Leading up to this World Cup, James appeared in a Nike campaign alongside Kim Kardashian, Jason Sudeikis, Channing Tatum and Ronaldo himself, along with other soccer legends. The ad was meant to hype the tournament. And now James is watching it play out in real time, apparently enjoying the show.
If the USMNT gets past Bosnia and Herzegovina, they’d face Belgium in the Round of 16. That would be a serious test. Belgium’s been knocking on the door of a title for years and has the talent to go deep. But the U.S. has looked more dangerous than people expected. A 2-1 group stage record doesn’t tell the whole story. They’ve shown some grit.
James probably won’t be signing with a new team in the next few days. That process could drag on. But if the U.S. keeps winning, he’ll have more reasons to post. And honestly, that’s better content than most free agency rumors anyway.
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