The United States beat Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles on Friday, but the first World Cup match played in the United States in this tournament was as much about the stadium experience as the score. Fans at SoFi Stadium moved through a tight security setup, used the FWC2026 app to validate tickets and then watched a match that went largely without incident.
The game matters now because it was the opening U.S.-based test for a World Cup that is being shared with Canada and Mexico, and the United States is set to host 78 of the 104 matches this year. That makes Friday’s crowd control, ticketing rules and movement around the building a preview of what many fans will face again as the tournament continues.
At the gate, any bag bigger than a wallet was barred unless it was see-through. Stadium security asked fans to empty their pockets and send those clear bags through scanners. Screenshots and printouts were not accepted for ticket validation, which meant the FIFA app FWC2026 was the only way in. The price of staying hydrated or snacking also added up fast, with a bottle of water listed at $5.25, a small bag of crisps at $5.75 and a beer at as much as $21.50.
There were hundreds, if not thousands, of workers and volunteers helping the crowd, along with heavily armed officers from numerous agencies around the stadium. Even so, there were visible clusters of empty seats, a reminder that a clean result on the field did not erase the rough edges off it. Friday’s match at SoFi Stadium was followed by suffocating traffic for several hours after the final whistle, the kind of delay that can turn a routine exit into the longest part of the night.
The United States now turns to its next World Cup game with a win in hand and a clearer picture of how much of the burden of hosting will fall on fans. The soccer may be the main attraction, but in Los Angeles the logistics were part of the story, and they are likely to stay that way.
