The World Cup just rolled into the United States with an opening ceremony that screamed, "Hollywood!" Think less soccer pitch, more blockbuster movie premiere. All of this, naturally, happened right before the US team squared off against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
SoFi Stadium — which, for the purposes of this event, was briefly rebranded as the 'Los Angeles Stadium' — played host. Giant screens flashed close-ups of the iconic Hollywood sign, a booming voice welcomed everyone, and you could practically smell the popcorn.
The A-List Kickoff
Things kicked off with a marching band, quickly followed by a parade of musical heavyweights: Future, Tyla, Anitta, and K-pop sensation Lisa. The whole vibe was a visual ode to LA's street art scene and its creative industries, which, if you think about it, is a pretty on-brand way to say, "Welcome to America."
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Start Your News DetoxRight before the whistle blew, actor Jason Sudeikis and pop icon Katy Perry were slated to perform, ensuring maximum celebrity wattage.
The stands, meanwhile, were a who's who of famous faces. Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Halle Berry, Rob Lowe, Owen Wilson, and even Paris Hilton were all spotted taking in the spectacle. Dancers swirled around a massive World Cup trophy, positioned right in the center of the field, because subtlety is for regular season games.
Gold "FIFA" letters, each probably the size of a small car, dangled from the roof of the 70,000-seat stadium. And while President Donald Trump wasn't there in person, he did phone in his well wishes to the team, declaring they had a "really good chance of going all the way." Which, for a pre-game pep talk, is certainly optimistic.
Fan Frenzy and Early Results
US fans, fully committed to the theme, showed up dressed as Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty, or, for the truly dedicated, bald eagles. They even managed to boo the Paraguay players during warm-ups, because nothing says patriotism like a good old-fashioned pre-game jeer. Isaac Pizarro, a US fan, dropped a cool $1,900 per ticket to bring his 14-year-old son, Jacob, declaring, "I believe we can go all the way." Let that satisfying number sink in.
Interestingly, plenty of South American fans made the journey too, with dozens of Paraguay flags dotting the sea of red, white, and blue worn by both nations' supporters. US center-back Chris Richards played despite injury concerns, while Paraguay's winger Julio Enciso also got the nod.
Meanwhile, the other co-hosts, Mexico and Canada, had already had their own opening shindigs. Mexico sailed to a 2-0 victory over South Africa, while Canada, after a spirited comeback, drew 1-1 with Bosnia-Herzegovina, securing their first World Cup finals point. Because apparently that's where we are now: global soccer, celebrity cameos, and a whole lot of national pride.
