US routs Paraguay 4-1 in World Cup opener as Hollywood elite packs SoFi Stadium
In front of a celebrity-filled crowd at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, the United States began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay, powered by a Folarin Balogun brace and an early own goal.
Star-studded stands
For one night, Hollywood relocated to Inglewood. The stands at SoFi Stadium were thick with entertainment royalty for the US men's national team's World Cup debut. Tom Cruise arrived in a plum-coloured suit alongside David Beckham, who hours earlier had received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Paris Hilton drew cameras with a red-and-white striped top, Jamie Foxx stood beside Vince Vaughn, and George Lucas attended with his wife Mellody Hobson. Other faces spotted in the crowd included Brad Pitt, Sofia Vergara, Halle Berry, Rob Lowe, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The tech world was represented by Bill Gates, while Katy Perry took a seat after her pre-match performance, accompanied by former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. Singer Teyana Taylor, rapper Shaboozey, and Jaafar Jackson—fresh off the box-office success of the Michael Jackson biopic—were also in attendance. The turnout, though short of a 70,000-seat sellout, signalled the growing fever around soccer in a region where it has long played second fiddle.
Opening ceremony spectacle
A brief but polished opening show preceded the anthems and kick-off. Organisers drew from Super Bowl halftime playbooks: on-field pyrotechnics, a marching band, and dancers tracked by tight camera shots. Around a giant inflatable World Cup trophy, US rapper Future, South African singer Tyla, Brazilian star Anitta, and Lisa of the K-pop group Blackpink each performed. After the teams’ warm-ups, Katy Perry closed the ceremony. Jason Sudeikis, beloved for his role as Ted Lasso, stepped onto a midfield stage for a short address, lending a touch of scripted charm to the real-life sporting drama that followed.
Balogun’s show within the show
The match itself was a one-sided American showcase. Christian Pulisic ignited the crowd in the seventh minute, his clever one-two with Weston McKennie forcing Paraguayan Damián Bobadilla into an own goal. Folarin Balogun then took over. A disallowed offside goal preceded his first legitimate strike in the 31st minute. Deep into first-half stoppage time, the striker struck again to make it 3-0 at the break. Paraguay pulled one back in the second half through a goal attributed to Di Mauricio, but the US answered in the 98th minute when Giovanni Reyna fired home the fourth. The 4-1 scoreline marks the most goals the United States have ever scored in a single World Cup match.
Pulisic injury concern
The one blemish on an otherwise sparkling night was an injury to Christian Pulisic. The AC Milan forward, constantly linked with Roma for the upcoming season, was substituted at halftime after taking a knock. Afterwards, he sought to calm fears.
Pulisic described the issue as discomfort in his left calf and noted he had dealt with similar problems before, adding,I took a little knock in the first half, so I really hope it's nothing serious. We took some precautions. But I hope to be okay in the coming days.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed the change was precautionary, saying the team did not want to take any risks. With the US now provisionally atop Group D ahead of Turkey and Australia’s Saturday match in Vancouver, Pulisic’s fitness becomes the storyline to monitor before the next fixture.I remain positive. I don't think it's anything serious.
