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U.S. Wins 4-1, Kicks Off 2026 World Cup

6/14/2026

23 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened Thursday with matches in Mexico and the United States.
The United States beat Paraguay 4-1 in its Group D opener at SoFi Stadium, earning three points.
Fox holds English broadcast rights for all U.S. matches, while Telemundo provides the Spanish feed.
An Emerson College poll on June 11 found 23% of Americans very interested, 33% somewhat interested, and 45% not interested in World Cup.

History

Historical Context

After FIFA awarded the U.S. the 1994 World Cup on July 4 1988, the tournament set a record 3.58 million spectators and Brazil’s penalty win over Italy on July 17 1994 sparked U.S. TV deals for Fox and Telemundo. Those revenues helped pave the way for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada and opened at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium with the U.S. beating Paraguay 4-1.

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Story summary

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened Thursday with matches in Mexico and the United States.
The United States beat Paraguay 4-1 in its Group D opener at SoFi Stadium, earning three points.
Fox holds English broadcast rights for all U.S. matches, while Telemundo provides the Spanish feed.
An Emerson College poll on June 11 found 23% of Americans very interested, 33% somewhat interested, and 45% not interested in World Cup.

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