Overview
- The tournament began with a Thursday opening at Estadio Azteca where Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 and the match produced three red cards that left both sides a man down at points.
- The United States made a statement with a 4-1 win over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium as Folarin Balogun scored twice and Giovanni Reyna added a late goal to secure a big opening result.
- Brazil were held by Morocco after Morocco struck first and Vinícius Jr. levelled for Brazil, a result that affects early Group C positioning and spotlighted Vinícius’s declared peak form.
- Qatar rescued a stoppage-time 1-1 draw with Switzerland when Boualem Khoukhi scored in the fourth minute of added time to give Qatar its first World Cup point.
- Operational problems are shadowing play: broadcasters, especially FOX, drew heavy backlash for running full-screen ads during FIFA-mandated hydration breaks and missing live action, and organizers face ongoing visa denials, ticketing probes and on-site protests that are complicating fan access and reputation management.