Washington, Sept. 12 -- Former US footballer Alexi Lalas said that he has been consulted for the White House FIFA World Cup 2026 task force, offering advice to executive director Andrew Giulani ahead of the tournament scheduled for next year.

The former US player, having played 96 matches for the US, said that it is important for the task force to counter any "perception out there that people have that it's not going to be a welcoming environment."

"You have to, to the extent that you can, nip that in the bud, and you have to make sure that you do it in an open, clear, and efficient way," Lalas told POLITICO as quoted by Goal.com.

The ex-US defender also said that the task force is focusing on matters off the field, such as "security, ...