STU HOLDEN BIO

Former U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) midfielder Stu Holden is FOX Sports’ lead match analyst for its marquee soccer coverage across several properties, including the FIFA World Cup™, FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers, Major League Soccer (MLS), Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, CONMEBOL Copa America™, UEFA EURO™, UEFA Women’s EURO™ and much more.

Holden and John Strong will serve as the network’s lead match analyst and play-by-play announcer, respectively, for FOX Sports’ coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The pair return after garnering critical acclaim for their lead calls with FOX at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™. The Holden-Strong broadcast booth pairing has called over 400 soccer matches together since 2014 — more than any other English-language television duo. 

As lead match analyst with FOX Sports, Holden has called some of the biggest soccer matches on the planet, including the last two FIFA World Cup™ Finals in 2018 and 2022. Holden has also contributed to the network’s coverage of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, England’s FA Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. 

In 2016, Holden became an investor in the ownership group of Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, a Spanish club with a rich history of competing in La Liga. Holden is a minority owner and advisor on the sporting and business side for Mallorca, which has seen two promotions to La Liga in his time with the club.

Holden made a name for himself in the U.S. youth ranks before earning his first call-up to the senior national team in 2008. He represented the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, scoring the game-winning goal vs. Japan. In the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup, he was selected to the Gold Cup All-Tournament Team.

Holden was a part of the 23-man roster for the U.S. National Team during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and played in the opening 1–1 draw with England. Despite being hampered by several serious injuries, he made his return to the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2013 Concacaf Gold Cup. He played in the final, with the U.S. taking the title, but it was later revealed that Holden had suffered a torn ACL in his knee.

On the club level, Holden played with top clubs in the English Premier League, beginning with Sunderland in 2005 and later with Bolton Wanderers. He made several appearances with the club leading them to a seventh-place finish in 2011 and the FA Cup semifinals. Holden was voted the club’s player of the year in 2011 and was rated as the top player in the premier league by the Guardian at the half-way point of that season. In the states, he played for Houston Dynamo from 2006-10, where he won two MLS Cups, and was named an MLS All-Star Best XI in 2009. Holden was named Houston Dynamo Humanitarian of the Year in both 2008 and 2009. Following the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey, Holden organized and hosted the charity event Kick In for Houston in December 2017, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for victims.

Born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised in Texas, Holden played two seasons of college soccer at Clemson University before moving across the pond. He is married to Karalyn Holden and has a daughter, Kennady Rose Holden, and son, Remington Holden. They currently reside in Los Angeles.