The world’s game has arrived in North America.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial showcase of the most popular sport on Earth, got underway on Thursday, June 11, with co-host Mexico taking on South Africa in the iconic Estadio Azteca.
And on Friday, it’s our turn: The United States men’s national team will begin its World Cup journey against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium – ahem, Los Angeles Stadium, for branding purposes.
But the spectacle isn’t only for hardcore soccer fans, but also for the casuals. People tune in for any number of reasons: The international intrigue. The rarity of the every-four-years tournament. To root for their home nations and the countries of their ancestors. Or maybe to see the downfall of other nations: If there were ever a time for Americans to root against England’s efforts to end a 60-year major-title drought, for example, it would be during the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Yet, for many people, the allure of the tournament may just be to see what all the hubbub is about – why does a sport where you hardly use your hands cause so many other nations to go into a frenzy.
Those in the latter group probably have questions. Well, we have answers. So let’s get into it.
Will the U.S. win the World Cup?
Wow. That’s your first question?
This is America. We like to win.
Right. Well, um, why don’t we save that for a bit? Any broader questions?
Fine. Southern California has hosted plenty of big sporting events before: Super Bowls, World Series, NBA and Stanley Cup finals, the Olympics. Will this really be any different?
You forgot about the 1994 World Cup – widely considered the most-successful in history. The Rose Bowl was the site of the final. Brazil beat Italy 3-2.
But here’s the thing: Besides the Olympics, those other events are largely national (save for the odd Canadian MLB, NFL or NHL team making a run to the final playoff round).
And even the Olympics, while a massive spectacle, is a diffuse experience: The Summer Olympics has track and field, gymnastics, basketball, equestrian events, water polo, and on and on.
When the World Cup arrives, soccer becomes the globe’s singular obsession.
In 2022, when the World Cup took place over the winter in Qatar, 5 billion people “engaged” with the tournament across all platforms, according to FIFA, the sport’s governing body. The average global live audience was 175 million. The final – widely considered one of the best finals, if not the best, in World Cup history – drew 1.42 billion viewers.
The Nielsen ratings for the 2026 Super Bowl, by comparison, was 125.6 million viewers, according to the NFL.
So, yeah, you could say the World Cup is a tad bigger than the Super Bowl.
And it’s only getting bigger.
This year’s edition, which is being shared among the U.S., Mexico and Canada, has increased to 48 teams competing across 16 cities, from Vancouver, Canada, to Mexico City, from Los Angeles to New York – where the finals will take place on July 19.
Los Angeles will host eight matches, beginning Friday with the U.S.-Paraguay match and ending with a quarterfinal on July 10.
So expect fans from across the world – except for those on the banned list, but that’s another matter – to converge on Los Angeles. Add in the multiple fan zones taking place across the region, and Southern California is in for a more than monthlong party.
Since you brought up the USMNT again, can we talk about–
Not yet.
Sigh. Will you at least tell me if we can still buy tickets?
Yes!
And yes, you can – if you have deep pockets.
Among the controversies for this year’s World Cup is the cost to attend games. Some adjectives that have been used to describe the cost of tickets: Pricey. Sky-high. Steep. Extreme. Exorbitant.
Extortionist.
As of Thursday morning, for example, the cheapest tickets for the U.S. opener against Paraguay were listed for $1,120 — and only two remained. There were more tickets available, of course, but they cost anywhere from around $1,600 to $4,100.
Tickets are about the same for the USMNT’s final group stage match against Türkiye on June 25. (The U.S. also plays Australia on June 19 in Seattle.)
So, yeah. Not exactly cheap.
Of course, for the optimists among us, keep an eye on resale sites to see if prices drop closer to match time.
Can I ask a question about the U.S. team now?
Sure.
For their first match, they’re playing in whose house?
Sigh. The Rams’ house. (Sorry, Chargers fans.)
Haha. Nice. But seriously, I hear FIFA is messing with SoFi Stadium. What’s up with that?
Los Angeles Stadium.
What?
During the World Cup, SoFi will technically be called Los Angeles Stadium – because FIFA only wants to publicize its brand partners.
But the stadium is in Inglewood.
Yes, I know.
OK, I guess. But anyway, I meant the field.
Right. The grass.
So, here’s the thing: The NFL loves artificial turf. After all, it’s cheaper, requires less maintenance and is less susceptible to being damaged by pesky little things like heatwaves, snowstorms, heavy rains, etc. And it doesn’t really impact the play on the field, since the only time the ball is on the ground is during field goals and fumbles.
But soccer is – spoiler alert – primarily played with your feet, with the ball rolling around on the ground.
Ask anyone who has played the sport, and they’ll tell you: the ball bounces differently on grass compared to turf. And since most of those playing in the World Cup ply their trade for club teams in Europe, which exclusively use real grass for their pitches (that’s soccer for “field”), it makes sense to have World Cup stadiums follow suit.
Another factor is that soccer players run – a lot.
In American football, for example, wide receivers and cornerbacks run about 1.25 miles per game, according to the Runner’s World website. Soccer players run about 7 miles a match. They also have to quickly plant their off foot with every shot attempt or long pass.
And simply put, grass is softer and has more give than turf – making it safer. That’s why FIFA prohibits artificial turf in its major events.
Now, the SoFi pitch isn’t going to be pure grass.
Instead, according to ESPN, it will be a “hybrid carpet” composed of both artificial turf and natural grass. The hybrid carpet is a grass-growing system called “the permavoid,” a thin piece of permeable cloth, sand and finally hybrid grass, built on top of the artificial turf SoFi uses for NFL games.
Oh, and before I forget: NFL fields are narrower than World Cup pitches – so SoFi had to remove about 400 seats to widen the playing area.
They had to remove seats? No one planned for this when SoFi was being designed?
No comment.
Hmm.
Hey, wanna talk about the actual soccer matches now?
Yes, please. Will the U.S. win the–
Nope. Not yet.
You’re mean. … OK, so, this is basically like March Madness, right?
Sort of. But not at the start.
First, comes the group stage.
The 48 countries have been separated into 12 groups of four teams each; the groups are lettered A to L. Each team will play every other team in the group one time.
During the group stages, there will be no extra time or penalty kicks, meaning we can see one of America’s favorite things in sports – the tie!
Teams will be awarded three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. Once the group stage concludes, the top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage, as well as the top eight third-place teams.
The best third-place teams will be determined this way, according to FIFA:
- Most points from the group stage.
- Goal difference.
- Most goals scored.
- Team conduct (basically, who had the fewest yellow and red cards).
- FIFA rankings.
So that means 32 teams will advance to the knockout stage.
And that’s when it becomes like March Madness?
Correct! Win or go home. Survive and advance. Whatever other cliche you prefer.
And this is when matches can go into extra time, which is two 15-minute halves. If a match is still tied after 120 minutes total, it will go to penalty kicks.
How will that bracket be determined?
Well, it’s kind of been determined already. On June 28, for example, SoFi Stadium – ahem, I mean, Los Angeles Stadium – will host a round of 32 match between the Groups A and B runners-up.
But things will still be wonky until the group stage is finished. The Group D winners, for instance, will take on the third place team from Group B, E, F, I or J at “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium” – where the 49ers play.
There are plenty of simulators online, however – so feel free to take one of those for a spin to see how things could shake out.
OK, so we don’t know anything beyond the group stage. But are there any key matchups or players to know about?
Tons!
Every U.S. and Mexico match, to start with – and sure, those with fellow hosts Canada.
Beyond those, Brazil vs. Morocco – the five-time World Cup winners against a surprise semifinalist from 2022 – on XX should be feisty. Egypt vs. Iran on XX will pit two Middle East rivals (even though they actually play in different confederations). And given the political intrigue, any match with Iran should be appointment viewing – including a potential round of 32 match against the U.S.
France, a two-time winner that is trying to make a third-consecutive World Cup final, will play former colony Senegal on XX. France will also play Norway on XX, which should be fun.
England vs. Croatia on June 17 will be a heavyweight matchup. And let’s see if the “mighty” Three Lions of England can stand an American summer when they take on Ghana in New England on June 23 – or if they’ll melt.
Speaking of melting, poor Scotland has to play their last group stage match in Miami. But their fans – the Tartan Army – always bring it, so expect a fun atmosphere during all of Scotland’s matches. But their fans – the Tartan Army – always bring it, so expect a fun atmosphere during all of Scotland’s matches.
As for star power, I don’t think Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter can match what the World Cup has to offer. (Swifties, Livvies and Carpenters – please don’t come after me!)
Senegal has one of the best African footballers ever in Sadio Mané, while Egypt has another great African star – Mohamed Salah. They’re former teammates for Liverpool, by the way.
Norway has one of the sport’s best goal scorers in Erling Haaland. England has striker Harry Kane. Spain is both talented and precocious – led by 18-year-old Lamine Yamal and 23-year-old Nico Williams.
Portugal may have the best midfield in the tournament – and, of course, aging superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. And speaking of Ronaldo, he and Argentina’s Lionel Messi could be in for a “Last Dance” for the ages, with their respective teams potentially meeting in the round of 16 or the quarterfinals. This match, to possibly settle the GOAT debate (greatest of all time) would almost certainly break the internet.
And then there’s France. A team so ridiculously loaded that their C-squad would dominate pretty much every other team in the tournament besides their fellow title contenders: Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé, Ballon D’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise in attack. World-class midfielders and defenders galore. “Magic” Mike Maignan in goal.
Good luck, everyone else. The only thing that has a decent shot of keeping France from reaching another final is, perhaps, an ego-fueled implosion.
That’s helpful. But the U.S. has world-class players too, right?
Um.
Right?!
No, sorry. The U.S. is talented – perhaps the most-talented ever – and we have some players, such as talisman Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) and Jack-of-all-trades
(Juventus), who you could argue are just a tier below world class. And most of the players on the U.S. squad play for major clubs in Europe’s top leagues.
That’s all wonderful.
But we generally lack two things all World Cup contenders have: Depth and at least some world-class talent.
But we can–. Never mind.
It’s OK. Go ahead.
You sure?
It’s time.
Finally! Will the U.S. win the World Cup?
No.
No?
No. Nope. Nein, nyet, non. Not. A. Chance.
Sorry.
You … don’t seem sorry?
Just being realistic.
All right.
But don’t fret. I mean, only eight nations have ever won the World Cup. And only about that many have a chance to win it this time around.
And that doesn’t mean the U.S. can’t have a successful tournament.
How so?
In the modern history of the sport, the U.S. men have only made one quarterfinal, in 2002, and we got lucky – we played familiar foes Mexico in the round of 16.
(I’m not counting the inaugural World Cup in 1930 because even though the U.S. made the semifinals, only 13 teams participated and the semis were the first knockouts of the tournament. Oh, and Argentina spanked us 6-1 in the semis.)
That round of 16 win against Mexico? The only knockout match the USMNT has ever won in the World Cup.
But maybe things will be different this time: For one, there is now an extra round and, as long as the U.S. finish in first or second in Group D, the Americans would be favored in the Round of 32.
Now, while upsets will certainly happen – the heat that Europeans are unaccustomed to, the altitude of some of the Mexican stadiums and the extensive travel are all-but-guaranteed to cause havoc – the round of 16 is probably where it ends.
But, if the U.S. tops its group, then the round of 16 match could be against Belgium. Now, yes, Belgium beat the U.S. 5-2 in a friendly back in March. But it was 1-1 at halftime. Then, in the second half came the subs – and our squad wasn’t as strong as it is now.
So all the second half really proved is that Belgium has more depth – which isn’t a surprise.
If our starters put in strong performances against Belgium’s aging golden generation, then we can dream of the quarterfinals. Reaching the final eight and winning two knockout matches would be an unqualified success.
But what about the semifinals?
I mean, it could happen. I hope it happens. Let’s dream big.
That being said, if everything is chalk, the U.S. probably ends up facing Spain. The U.S. defense is leaky at the best of times – I shudder to think what Spain would do to the backline.
So, yeah, it probably ends there.
Boo! You suck.
Don’t shoot the messenger.
If the quarterfinals is the best we can do, why should I care?
National pride?
Eh.
OK, let me rephrase that: This team, with a bit of fortune, has a chance to do things no U.S. men’s squad ever has: Win multiple knockout matches – and be exciting while doing so. Our attack is legitimately good. Gone are the days of bunkering on defense, absorbing pressure and trying to hit out on the counter.
During our final friendly before the World Cup, while we lost 2-1, our boys genuinely out-played the Germans – you know, the four-time World Cup winners – for long stretches of the match. The U.S. made Germany suffer.
No U.S. squad has ever had the talent to do that.
And then, if I may editorialize a bit here, this team is a melting pot – it represents everything America should stand for.
McKennie was a military brat, so he grew up in Texas and Germany. Our starting left back, Antonee Robinson, grew up in London and speaks with a British accent. Our starting right back, Sergino Dest, has a Black father who fought in the Vietnam War – but Dest grew up in the Netherlands.
Chris Richards, our best centerback, is a Black man from Alabama who rocks an afro: He shunned American football to play soccer.
Ricardo Pepi, who will likely back up Folarin Balogun at striker, grew up in El Paso but spent his weekends visiting family in Mexico. Our third striker, Haji Wright, was born in Los Angeles.
Malik Tillman, one of our best midfielders, grew up in Germany – and yes, he has a German accent. Tim Weah, who scored a goal in the 2022 World Cup, has a Jamaican mother and a Liberian father; he was born in Brooklyn. Oh, and his father, George Weah, is widely considered the best African footballer of all time – and is the former president of Liberia.
Center back Tim Ream is from St. Louis, while fellow defender Alex Freeman was born in Baltimore – and is the son of former Green Bay Packer Antonio Freeman.
Pulisic – the U.S.’s best player, and who will don the iconic No. 10 jersey – was born and raised in Hershey, Pennsylvania, until he left to play soccer in Germany at 16. He is also devoutly and publicly Christian. (Another member of the U.S. player pool, Yunus Musah, who played in the 2022 World Cup, but missed out this time, has Ghanaian parents and is Muslim; he has played multiple matches while fasting during Ramadan.)
I could go on.
But my point is this: These players have disparate heritages and backgrounds – yet they have chosen to represent the stars and stripes. The United States is a country that’s at its strongest when we embrace diversity while striving for American exceptionalism.
And when the USMNT steps on the pitch on Friday evening to take on Paraguay, that American mission statement is what these players will represent.
Dest’s father, Kenneth Dest, said it well during the final episode of HBO’s documentary “U.S. Against the World”:
“Sometimes you’re more American if you’re not born over there, because you had the choice,” he said, “and you chose America.”
Any more questions?
USA! USA! USA!
USA! USA! USA!