The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday, powered by a first-half double from striker Folarin Balogun, but the victory was tempered by ​concern over the fitness of Christian Pulisic, Reuters reported.

The emphatic Group D win marked a dream start for the co-hosts, whose four goals were their most ‌ever in a World Cup match. Balogun became the first U.S. player to score twice in a World Cup game since the 1930 tournament.

“Amazing result,” U.S. captain Tim Ream said. “It’s exactly the way we wanted to start the tournament.”

The U.S. broke through Paraguay’s vaunted defence in the seventh minute when Pulisic deftly split two players and found Weston McKennie, whose cross was kicked into the net by Damian Bobadilla ​for an own goal.

Shortly after the first-half hydration break, Pulisic raced with the ball up the left side and sent a perfect cross to Balogun, who angled ​his shot past the diving goalkeeper Orlando Gill for a 2-0 lead.

Balogun struck again on the stroke of halftime, taking a long ⁠pass and shaking off a sliding defender and hammering a left-footed shot into the top corner of the net to wrap up a flawless half for the home side.

The only blemish on the night for the U.S. came when Pulisic was substituted at halftime by coach Mauricio Pochettino because of tightness in his calf.

“It was difficult for ​him to walk, but I hope that it is not a big issue and he can be ready for the next one,” Pochettino said.

Paraguay came out of the break with more intensity, and finally got on the board in the 73rd minute with a goal from substitute Mauricio, who took advantage of a defensive lapse by the U.S.

But the Americans continued to control the game and Gio Reyna ​scored from the edge of the box with the outside of his right foot in the closing action of the match.

“The opposition were better than us,” Paraguay defender Junior ​Alonso said.

“We were able to play further forward (in the second half). These are things we need to improve on for the next match. We have two games left, and we must improve. Regretting ‌things won’t ⁠help us at all; we need to use these mistakes to improve and put in a better performance that brings us closer to victory.”

Ream said his team would seize on the momentum.

“There’s not a whole lot of words to describe the feeling,” he said.

“You want to start the tournament off on a good foot, scoring four goals, getting three points. It sets you up for the rest of the group stage, for sure.”

Played under Los Angeles Stadium’s massive, semi-translucent roof, the game drew a crowd of high-profile spectators, including Tom ​Cruise and David Beckham, who was honoured ​with a star on the Hollywood Walk ⁠of Fame earlier in the day.

Despite pre-tournament concerns over high ticket prices, Los Angeles Stadium was sold out for the match, with the NFL home of the Rams and Chargers — and site of next year’s Super Bowl — configured for a World Cup capacity of ​70,492, read the report.

“Massive thank you to the fans because the energy they gave to the team was amazing,” Pochettino said.

“We can do amazing things ​if the fans are ⁠in this as well.”

The U.S. entered the tournament looking to improve on their last-16 finish in Qatar.

Paraguay, meanwhile, came through the demanding CONMEBOL qualifying campaign to make their first appearance in the tournament since 2010.

The first men’s World Cup match on U.S. soil in 32 years included a pregame performance by singer Katy Perry and a parade of nations, where some booing could ⁠be heard ​when the flag of Iran was carried into the stadium. Iran play their first match of the tournament ​in Los Angeles on Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio watched the match alongside Paraguay President Santiago Pena and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

The U.S. will again be favoured when they face Australia on June 19 in Seattle, ​while Paraguay will look to bounce back when they travel to Santa Clara to face Turkey.

Mexico got the World Cup party started as the co-hosts swept away South Africa 2-0 on Thursday in a tempestuous clash with three red cards as the ​pyrotechnic smoke of the opening ceremony gave way to a cloud of red mist at a rocking Azteca stadium, Reuters reported.

The match fired the starting gun for the ‌quadrennial extravaganza, yet the scrappy encounter will likely be remembered not for its thrilling football but for its flurry of dismissals.

Julian Quinones’s early strike set the tone for a dominant Mexican display in the Group A match with Raul Jimenez’s header midway through the second half removing any lingering tension for the home crowd.

Yet South Africa were reduced to 10 men when Sphephelo Sithole was sent off early in the second half, with ​his teammate Themba Zwane following him off the pitch before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was dismissed in the dying moments.

The ill-tempered match spoiled an otherwise party atmosphere, yet the home ​crowd got to celebrate an opening victory that will set them up nicely to make it out of a group that also ⁠includes South Korea and the Czech Republic.

The hosts’ performance, however, failed to impress Mexico’s demanding coach Javier Aguirre.

“This was a 4-0 match, we didn’t play good enough, but people are ​happy,” he told reporters. “It’s the start of the World Cup – we’ve put the nerves behind us and now we have three points. We’re thinking about what’s next.”

Aguirre’s side next face South ​Korea in Guadalajara on June 18, when South Africa play the Czechs in Atlanta.

It was a day of firsts for the World Cup, as the first 48-team edition, and the first to be held in three countries, got underway in the first stadium to host three World Cup openers.

It was fitting therefore that the first of a record 104 matches had Mexico clinch a first win in ​the tournament’s opening match after seven previous failures and of course, it was the first World Cup opener to feature three red cards.

The fixture was a repeat of the 2010 ​tournament opener, when South Africa held Mexico to a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg, yet this encounter was played out in a stadium with World Cup history stamped all over it.

The Azteca has witnessed ‌some of ⁠the tournament’s most iconic moments, from Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ and 1986 heroics to Pele’s all-conquering Brazil side of 1970.

While there was none of that era-defining quality on show on Thursday, it mattered little to the hordes of green-clad supporters, who had already been revved into frenzied excitement before a ball was kicked.

With the match played against a backdrop of protests that had threatened to bring Mexico City to a standstill, supporters were taking no chances, with many already hovering around the stadium nearly seven hours before kickoff, read the report.

An opening ceremony ​that featured Shakira and Burna Boy performing ​the World Cup anthem had pumped up ⁠the crowd still further before Mexico swiftly got down to business.

The game was barely minutes old when Jimenez stung the fingertips of South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams with a volley from 12 yards, but the tournament’s opening goal was not long in coming.

Sithole was robbed ​on the edge of his own box by Lira, preferred in the heart of midfield to captain Edson Alvarez, and he quickly ​fed Quinones who danced ⁠inside before drilling a low finish beneath Williams.

South Africa were clinging on for dear life as the first half came to a close and the second began in a similar vein.

Brian Gutierrez drew the first red card when his marauding run towards the box was stopped in its tracks by Sithole, whose clumsy tackle from behind earned him his marching orders to complete a ⁠miserable afternoon’s work ​for the midfielder.

The crowd had begun to get a little restless at Mexico’s failure to turn their numerical ​advantage into another goal but that frustration was relieved when Jimenez bagged his first World Cup goal, with a powerful downward header past Williams from a devilish cross by Roberto Alvarado, Reuters reported.

The game’s finale was dominated by the ​dismissals with Zwane sent off after a VAR check for a supposed arm to the face while Montes was red-carded for Mexico for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 gets underway on Thursday as co-hosts Mexico take on South Africa in the opening match of the tournament at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

The Group A clash marks the start of the largest World Cup in history, with 48 teams competing across the United States, Canada and Mexico over the next 39 days.

The opening fixture also rekindles memories of the 2010 World Cup curtain-raiser in Johannesburg, when South Africa and Mexico played to a 1-1 draw in the first World Cup ever held on African soil.

More than 80,000 spectators are expected at Estadio Azteca, which will become the first stadium to host the opening match of three World Cups, having previously staged the tournament openers in 1970 and 1986.

Mexico enters the competition as one of the favourites to advance from Group A, which also includes South Korea and the Czech Republic. Ranked 14th in the world, El Tri will be looking to capitalize on home support and continue an eight-match unbeaten run.

Head coach Javier Aguirre’s side arrives in strong form after recent victories over Ghana, Australia and Serbia in warm-up matches.

South Africa, meanwhile, returns to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and will be making just its fourth appearance at the global showpiece. Despite being ranked 60th in the world, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos believes his side can challenge the hosts.

“For us, it will be a fantastic experience,” Broos said ahead of the match. “It is very important that we stick to our game plan and focus on what happens on the field.”

South Africa’s preparations were disrupted by visa delays that affected several members of the traveling party, but the team will hope to frustrate Mexico as they did 16 years ago.

Historically, Mexico has enjoyed the upper hand between the two nations, winning two of their previous four meetings. South Africa has won once, while the teams shared the points in their memorable World Cup encounter in 2010.

The match will be preceded by an opening ceremony featuring international music stars, including Colombian singer Shakira, as football’s biggest tournament begins its latest chapter.

Probable lineups

Mexico: Raul Rangel; Jesus Gallardo, Johan Vasquez, Cesar Montes, Israel Reyes; Brian Gutierrez, Erik Lira, Alvaro Fidalgo; Julian Quinones, Roberto Alvarado, Raul Jimenez.

South Africa: Ronwen Williams; Khuliso Mudau, Ime Okon, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Aubrey Modiba; Teboho Mokoena, Sphephelo Sithole, Thalente Mbatha; Tshepang Moremi, Lyle Foster, Oswin Appollis.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 pm Kabul time and the match will be broadcast live across Afghanistan exclusively on Ariana Television and Ariana FM radio.

Fans however, can tune in from 10:30 pm for a pre-match show.