United States Beats Paraguay 4-1 as Soccer Highlights Today Opens in Los Angeles
Soccer highlights today began with the United States beating Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles on Friday at SoFi Stadium. The result was the clearest sign yet that the World Cup was getting into full swing, even as the match also exposed the practical hurdles fans face at one of the tournament’s biggest venues.
SoFi Stadium and the 4-1 score
The United States handled Paraguay four to one in a match that went largely without incident. That mattered in a stadium built for a crowd that had to navigate tighter security, a rigid ticketing system and prices that climbed quickly once inside.
There were visible clusters of empty seats in Los Angeles, a reminder that a marquee event can still leave gaps even when the game itself moves smoothly. Hundreds, if not thousands, of workers and volunteers were on hand for the opening game in Los Angeles, helping the crowd move through the venue.
Ticketing at SoFi Stadium
Entry rules were strict. Any bag bigger than a wallet was not allowed into the stadium unless it was see-through, and security required fans to empty their pockets and place those bags in the scanner. Gatekeepers accepted only the FIFA app FWC2026 for ticket validation, while screenshots and printouts did not work.
Those details turned arrival into a test of preparation rather than luck. Fans who showed up with the wrong ticket format or the wrong bag faced delays before they ever reached their seats, while heavily armed officers from numerous agencies and many agents walking with sniffer dogs added to the checkpoint feel around the stadium.
Traffic, prices and the road ahead
Transportation added another layer. Los Angeles commissioned shuttle buses to bring fans to SoFi Stadium from transport hubs downtown, but there was suffocating traffic around the match on Friday, and the gridlock remained for several hours after the game.
Once inside, prices were steep enough to shape what people bought and what they skipped. A bottle of water cost $5.25, a small bag of crisps cost $5.75 and beer rose as high as $21.50. With the United States set to host 78 of the 104 matches in this year’s World Cup, fans in the country will keep dealing with the same mix of security, ticketing and transport rules that framed this opening game.
