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Albert Pujols open to becoming a manger, says his ‘name is in the hat’ after recent MLB firings
Albert Pujols got a taste of managing during the World Baseball Classic, and it sure seems like he’s caught the fever.
The St. Louis Cardinals legend could have sat pretty after blasting 703 home runs in his illustrious career, but he loves the game and continues to be around it.
But he wants to be in it deeper, and given the recent managerial firings in Major League Baseball, Pujols said he is waiting for the right opportunity.
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“My name is in the hat,” Pujols told Fox News Digital. “I mean, listen, I’m not gonna force it. I think when the opportunity is right — I never was the player that I forced things. I let things come to me and prepared myself.
“My dad used to tell me, control what you can control. Don’t try to control the things that are out of your control. So I’m waiting for an opportunity. If it happens, great, I’ll be ready. If it doesn’t happen, then I’m really excited and happy with the career that I have.”
Pujols knows, though, that being an MLB manager is a thankless job.
“When you win, the team wins. When you lose, the manager loses,” he joked.
But other parts of managing, Pujols said, “have changed a lot,” notably with front offices increasing their say in daily lineups.
“I played in three periods: ’01 to ’10, ’10 to ’20, and then ’20 to ’22. So, I saw everything. I have seen this game strange so much, but I think at the end of the day, I think the communication, whether it’s with the front office, as a manager, your communication with your GM is so important, because that’s gonna transfer into the ballplayers,” he said.
If Pujols’ first managerial job is anything like his stint in the World Baseball Classic, he’d be pretty happy.
“Having all that talent that we had, representing our country in the World Baseball Classic, it wasn’t about teaching this guy how to play the game. These guys were professional. They know how to play the game,” Pujols said. “It was more about their responsibility, and little things that I can help them out, and, you know, writing that lineup, and try to be there, make decisions, and make the best lineup to win games.”
The Boston Red Sox fired Alex Cora, and days later, the Philadelphia Phillies relieved Rob Thomson of his duties. New York Mets fans have been clamoring for Carlos Mendoza to get the axe, but he remains in his post.
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The world’s largest sporting event, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, is just a few weeks away, returning to North America and the United States for the first time since 1994.
FIFA announced their first ever halftime show for the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. In a post on X, featuring Elmo, Coldplay announced that the halftime show would be curated by lead singer Chris Martin and feature BTS, Madonna and Shakira. Shakira is set to release the official song of the World Cup, “Dai Dai,” later Thursday.
The show will also “raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund,” dedicated to “improving access to quality education and football for children around the world.”
FOX broadcasts the entire tournament, with opening matches kicking off on June 11 in Mexico. El Tri hosts South Africa in Mexico City, while South Korea takes on Croatia in Guadalajara.
Then the next day, the other two hosts play their first group stage matches. Canada plays Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto in Group B. Then the US Men’s National Team, coming off a rocky past few months of friendlies, plays its first match against Paraguay in Los Angeles. They then head to Seattle to play Australia on June 19, before closing out the group stage against Turkey back in LA on June 25.
Unsurprisingly, given the scale and scope of the tournament, and the stage hosting in the US offers, FIFA is pulling out all the entertainment stops.
Already, soccer’s governing body has set up an extensive list of entertainment to kick off the tournament in the host countries. An opening ceremony in Los Angeles on June 12 will feature music acts like Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla.
“This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. “The lineup of artists reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and the vibrancy of its many diasporas, highlighting the nation’s rich influence on music, entertainment and pop culture, while showcasing the power of music to bring people together across the country.”
That ceremony will kick off 90 minutes before the start of the US match, and will complement two additional opening ceremonies in Canada and Mexico. The opening match in Toronto will feature performances by Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Michael Bublé, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream and William Prince.
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In Mexico, opening ceremony headliners include Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla.
Prior performers at World Cup finals include stars like Carlos Santana and Wycleaf Jean at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Will Smith was among those who sang at the 2018 finale in Russia, and Davido, Aisha, Ozuna were part of the 2022 closing ceremony in Qatar.
Over 100 matches. 16 cities hosting in three countries. Over a month’s worth of action, culminating in a momentous finale in New Jersey. The World Cup never fails to deliver.
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