SoFi Stadium Roared. California's World Cup Is Just Getting Started.
Southern California just had one of the most electric sports nights in recent memory, and the excitement ahead is even bigger than what already happened. Team USA opened the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay right here at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the first World Cup match played on American soil in 32 years, and the crowd of more than 70,000 fans made sure the entire country felt every single moment of it. Folarin Balogun scored twice in the first half, becoming the first American to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match since 1930, while Christian Pulisic delivered the kind of first-half performance that had the stadium roaring from the very first whistle. Watch parties erupted across Southern California as chants of USA rang out from the San Fernando Valley all the way to the coast, with fans celebrating a performance that sent a clear and confident message to the rest of the world.
The best part for California fans is that the tournament is just getting started. SoFi Stadium, temporarily renamed Los Angeles Stadium for the duration of the event, is set to host seven more World Cup matches, including Team USA's second group stage showdown against Turkey on June 25. Fans who could not get tickets to the stadium can still be part of the celebration through ten official fan zones spread across Los Angeles County, a massive FIFA Fan Festival at the historic LA Memorial Coliseum, and free public watch parties in 19 city parks through the city's Kick It in the Park program. For 39 more days, Los Angeles is the center of the soccer universe, and for California fans, the greatest sporting event on earth has never felt closer to home.
