The 2026 FIFA World Cup has kicked off in spectacular fashion, with dominant victories for two of the three co-hosts and a hard-earned historic point for the third.

The tournament's opening day and a half of action produced drama, goals and no shortage of controversy — and delivered a statement of intent from the United States men's national team (USMNT), who announced themselves as serious contenders with one of their finest performances in World Cup history.

United States 4–1 Paraguay

The USMNT saved the best for last on Friday night, blowing Paraguay apart at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in a display that left no doubt about American ambitions on home soil.

The 4–1 scoreline represents the U.S.'s first three-goal win in a World Cup match since 1930, and the manner of it was just as impressive as the scoreline. An own goal put the U.S. ahead in the seventh minute, before striker Folarin Balogun scored twice — including a goal that was the final kick of the first half — to give the Americans a commanding cushion.

The statistics told the story of American dominance: 63 percent possession, 17 shots to Paraguay's eight, and five shots on goal to Paraguay's one.

Balogun was the undisputed star of the show. The 24-year-old striker's brace — including a brilliant poke into the corner in the 31st minute and a finish with a flourish in the dying seconds of the first half — propelled him instantly to the top of the tournament's scoring charts.

Mexico 2–0 South Africa

A day earlier, Mexico opened the tournament proper at a raucous Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, coming away with a comfortable 2–0 win over South Africa — though the scoreline perhaps flattered the visitors in terms of how one-sided proceedings truly were.

Julian Quiñones struck home after just nine minutes — the first goal of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico should have been out of sight in the first half: Raúl Jiménez was denied twice by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, while Quiñones struck the post.

Jiménez finally put his team to bed, heading home Roberto Alvarado's cross at the back post for his first-ever World Cup goal. It was a deeply emotional moment for the veteran striker: six years ago, a fractured skull sustained during a English Premier League match threatened not just his career but his life. Now 35, and playing in his fourth World Cup, he had finally written his name on the game's biggest stage.

The match was not without its fireworks. Three red cards were issued in total. Remarkably, there were three straight red cards in total at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups combined — the 2026 opener managed the same total in a single game.

Canada 1–1 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Canada made their own piece of history in Toronto on Friday afternoon. Appearing in their third-ever World Cup, the co-hosts earned their first-ever World Cup point in dramatic fashion, coming from behind to draw 1–1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Canada had suffered defeat in all six of its previous World Cup games.

Bosnia's Lukić put the visitors ahead in the 21st minute, and for long spells it looked like Canada's dominance of the ball would go unrewarded.

With the clock ticking, coach Jesse Marsch turned to his bench. He brought Cyle Larin on with 14 minutes to play in search of a spark — and the move paid off. Larin completed a well-worked move just 121 seconds after coming off the bench, sending the crowd at Toronto Stadium into raptures and securing a point that felt entirely deserved.

Guadalajara joins the party

Guadalajara played its part on the opening day of the tournament. South Korea defeated Czechia 2–1 in an exciting match at Estadio Akron on Thursday evening — the first of four group stage games the city will host.

The ground was not without a few empty patches, particularly in the premium seating areas — a reflection, seemingly, of steep ticket prices and limited traveling support from both nations, Czechia in particular. But what the stadium lacked in numbers in some sections it more than made up for in atmosphere, with Korean and Mexican fans combining to create a vivid and noisy backdrop for the tournament's first game in the city.

Downtown, the FIFA Fan Fest drew large crowds throughout the day. The giant screen and live musical entertainment were a major hit, with the zone packed to capacity for Mexico's afternoon game and many fans staying on through the evening to watch the Guadalajara match. The only grumbles were directed at food and drink vendors — with prices leaving something to be desired — but even that couldn't dampen the mood in a city that is clearly ready to embrace this tournament.