As Argentina battled Spain in the latter’s eventual 1-0 victory, the camera focused on actor Matt Damon watching the match with his Argentine wife, Luciana Barroso Damon.
“Brad Pitt also among the fans here,” Strong said with authority.
Right movie-star milieu. Wrong dude.
Strong, perhaps cued off-camera or realizing his mistake, corrected himself.
“Oh, it’s Matt Damon. That’s Matt Damon. ... Apologize to both,” he said.
Strong later joked about his shortcomings in identifying certain high-profile types.
“I’m letting you take the rest of these guys,” Strong said to colleague Stu Holden, per EW. “I got cocky after the first three, and I missed an absolute sitter, so I’m done.”
Outlets noted the coincidence of Strong’s gaffe, given that Damon is currently starring as Odysseus in the box office smash “The Odyssey” and Pitt once played Achilles in “Troy” (2004).
Strong’s mistake might be considered tame compared to an earlier blunder from a World Cup sportscaster who was removed from the tournament after mixing up New Zealand and Iran in the opening minutes of their match.