FIFA World Cup Day 5 recap: Spain plays to a draw with Cape Verde

The Iranian national team finally got to just play soccer.

Their journey to the World Cup has been uniquely fraught, with a war erupting between the host of their matches and their home country.

They had to relocate their base camp from Arizona to Tijuana, struggled to get all of their traveling party into the United States amid visa scrutiny and absorbed President Trump’s suggestion they may not be safe if they chose to play in the World Cup.

With the focus shifted solely to soccer, Iran rallied for a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in front of an announced crowd of 70,108 Monday night at SoFi Stadium. While overcoming so many obstacles could have felt like a win to Team Melli, they left frustrated by their fate on and off the field.

Iran 2, New Zealand 2 — 64th minute

Mohammad Mohebi scored on a perfect redirected header on an equally perfect deep kick by Ramin Rezaeian from well outside the box to tie the score.

After giving up a second goal to New Zealand, Iran turned on the pressure and started generating more scoring chances.

Outside the stadium, a group of Iranian and New Zealand fans took a photo together and wished each other luck in the match. Among the group was Jenny Bindon — mother of Tyler Bindon, a player on the New Zealand team.

Bindon said she was nervous to watch her son play.

“It’s pretty nerve-wracking,” she said. “I’ve never seen my son play in the World Cup or for New Zealand.”

This is the first time that New Zealand has qualified for the World Cup since 2010.

Jenny Bindon is a former player with the Football Ferns, the New Zealand national women’s team. She competed at the 2007 and 2011 Women’s World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

“We’re very excited to be here and support the boys,” Bindon said.

Other fans supporting New Zealand included Andrew Rori Moore and a friend, who had traveled traveled to the U.S. from their country’s North Island for the World Cup.

They were longtime fans of the sport, Moore said.

“We’ve played it, loved it, lived it, well since we were born,” Moore said.

They also watch their team, the Wellington Phoenix, every weekend, about a two-hour drive from their hometown of Palmerston North.

Moore told The Times that they “never” pass up an opportunity to watch their team play in the World Cup. The game against Iran isn’t their last — they are traveling to Vancouver, Canada, and Dallas to watch matches.

“Fully embracing it,” Moore said.

New Zealand 2, Iran 1 — 54th minute

A well-played give-and-go from Chris Wood allowed Elijah Just to get open deep in the box and score past Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to put New Zealand back into the lead.

It was Just’s second goal of the game.

New Zealand showcased its technical might on the play, capitalizing on quick, precise passes to quickly move the ball and catch the Iranian defense off guard.

Iran nearly scored three minutes later when a header by Mohammad Mohebbi was stopped by New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe.

Christopher Sohaey stunned his 90-year-old father with tickets to watch his native Iran play in the World Cup on Monday at SoFi Stadium.

“This is amazing,” said Dr. Manu Sohaey, who left Iran 40 years ago to work as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Chicago. “This is monumental.”

Christopher hopes Iran’s run in the tournament brings joy during a difficult time for Iranians all over the world.

“With everything that’s going on right now between Iran and the United States, I’m just going, like, second by second and minute by minute,” Christopher said. “I’m hoping for an Iran win here, just to keep the momentum going and just to have something positive for everyone who has been through so much.”

The group drove from San Diego and arrived at SoFi Stadium five hours before kickoff, hoping to connect with other fans to extend their party.

Christopher Sohaey said he understands the protesters’ sentiments.

“I have friends who also believe that and that’s fine,” he said. “Whatever they believe is fine with me. I respect it. I’m not gonna try to tell them they should think another way.

“But for me, I really loved researching all the players and learning their stories. Today, I am supporting the players.”

Hundreds of fans waited in line for a shuttle at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles before the start of Monday’s match. Among them was Ojan Azizi, 50, of Mission Viejo.

Azizi sat quietly on the shuttle to the stadium. He wore red and green sleeves and a white shirt, the colors of the Iranian flag. He also had the non-monarchist flag painted on both sides of his face.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that the World Cup comes to the country that you live in, and your birth country comes into your city,” Azizi said.

Beyond just the excitement of Iran coming to Azizi’s “backyard,” the meaning has more significance now.

“I feel like this is a very important World Cup, the whole world’s attention is on Iran,” Azizi said. “A whole bunch of other countries and their citizens are actually rooting for us.”

This is because, Azizi said that the world is standing with the nation because of the aggression by the United States in the “one-sided illegal stupid war.”

“I have been hearing from my American friends, Canadian friends, Mexican friends, pretty much all over the world in solidarity with the Iranian people,” Azizi said.

Azizi also criticized those who supported keeping the Iranian team’s training base outside the U.S.

“To my monarchist friends, what happened to ‘let’s keep politics away from sports’?”

Iran 1, New Zealand 1 — 32nd minute

Iran’s Shahriyar Moghanloo took the ball from a feed inside the box, spun around a defender and kicked the ball to Ramin Rezaeian, who one-timed it past New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe to tie the score.

New Zealand 1, Iran 0 — 28th minute

In the 23rd minute, Iran’s Mehdi Taremi took the ball off a turnover and sprinted to the box before sending a fast shot off the left goal post.

Security at the stadium appeared to be comparable to the screening provided for the U.S. win over Paraguay on Friday, but security workers were seen enforcing FIFA’s ban on pre-revolutionary Iran flags at stadium gates. The flag featuring a lion and sun in the center is considered a symbol of resistance to Iran’s current regime.

The Institute for Voice of Liberty, a nonprofit public policy institute “dedicated to reflecting the aspirations of the people of Iran in their quest for freedom,” and ticketholder Sam Kermanian sought court intervention, arguing that banning the lion and sun flag was a violation of free speech. Judge Curtis A. Kin dismissed the argument, stating that entering a stadium with posted rules after paying for tickets is not the same as standing in a public park or street.

Despite the security efforts, more than a dozen of the lion and son flags were waved around the stadium during the national anthems.

Some fans booed during the Iranian anthem, choosing that moment to voice disdain for the regime, but the protest was brief.

Nilesh Bhuthadia, 45, said he was over the moon to be able to support his home country of New Zealand at the World Cup just eight months after moving to Los Angeles.

“Being at any sporting event where you have got a small country down at the bottom of the world being represented is phenomenal,” he said, “especially when you’re playing teams across the world stage, that they come from so much experience, skill sets and amazing cultures.”

He said he didn’t know what to expect going into it and was nervous about the political response of people gathering from different countries.

“Being quite new to the country, you just don’t know how things happen over here,” he said, adding that he was nervous about the possibility of ICE agents being at the game.

“You only know what you watch on the news,” he said, “so your perception of the country ends up being based on that.”

He described the atmosphere inside the stadium as phenomenal and “full on,” saying it’s a beautiful thing to watch so many cultures coming together.

New Zealand 1, Iran 0 — Eighth minute

New Zealand worked its way inside box before Elijah Just found the ball and scored from close range in the eighth minute.

The second World Cup game to be played at the temporarily named Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) is underway, with Iran taking on New Zealand in Group G play.

Iran, ranked No. 21 in the world, is playing in its four consecutive World Cup even after war with the U.S. halted its domestic leagues and initially threw its participation in doubt.

A pre-revolutionary Iranian flag is displayed by fans before a World Cup match between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) on Monday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

New Zealand, ranked No. 85 in the world, is playing in its first World Cup since 2010. It has never won a World Cup match.

With several hours to go before Iran’s soccer team kicks off at the World Cup, tensions were already running high outside of SoFi Stadium where a group of Iranian demonstrators gathered in protest of the national team’s inclusion in the games.

Some members of the Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles oppose the current regime, but are still excited to watch the games and support individual athletes. However, the protesters that rallied on the corner of Prairie Avenue and Century Blvd., believe the soccer team is a direct representation of a brutally repressive government and do not think it should not be allowed by FIFA to participate in the tournament.

“The Iranian regime is still executing and suppressing Iranian people, political prisoners and athletes,” said Nasser Sharif, president of the California Society for Democracy in Iran, “and that’s why today we’re focusing on Iranian people rejecting this regime in entirety.”

Ghodrat Jamshidi, 74, said he took the day off of work so he could join the rally. He grew up in Tehran where he played soccer as a forward for one of the country’s major teams, before fleeing to Los Angeles during the Islamic Revolution.

Despite his enduring love of the sport, he cannot bring himself to support the Iran national team.

“The people who are now representing the Iranian national team, they are not really Iran’s best players,” he said, “They are people who comply with the Iranian government.”

Demonstrations carried photographs of athletes who have been executed because of their opposition to the Iranian regime. This includes Habib Khabiri, the captain of the Iranian national team, who was killed in 1984 for his affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran opposition movement.

The protesters carried flags for the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which advocates for the establishment of a democratic government, and signs bearing messages such as “no to shah, no to mullahs,” representing their opposition to the current Islamic Republic.

Jamshidi and Sharif said they believe FIFA has a responsibility to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its human rights violations by expelling it from the World Cup as it did with the South Africa team during the apartheid era.

Sharif said allowing the team to play helps normalize and cover up atrocities committed by the Iranian government.

“We’re sending the wrong message to the world and to the Iranian people that everything is normal, everything is OK,” he said. “But in reality, what’s going on on the ground in Iran is people are getting killed for their own beliefs for standing up to the Iranian regime.”

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Abdulelah Al-Amri scored on a rebound in the 41st minute for Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay’s Maxi Araújo responded with an equalizer in the 80th as the teams played to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup opener on Monday.

Uruguay controlled most of the second half but didn’t break through until Araújo fired a rebound past goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais from close range. La Celeste dominated possession and had 28 attempts on goal to Saudi Arabia’s seven but trailed until late in the second half.

It was the fourth international goal for Araújo and second at Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Al-Amri, who had a shot denied by Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera earlier in the first half, put his squad ahead with a quick tap-in after Muslera palmed away a header.

Al-Amri fell to his knees after the goal and placed his head down on the pitch as he was showered with cheers from Saudi Arabia fans, who were greatly outnumbered in South Florida but loud enough to make up the difference.

Four years ago, they watched their team deliver one of the most memorable moments of the 2022 World Cup, coming back to stun Lionel Messi and eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in Saudi Arabia’s opening match.

Monday’s result was much less dramatic, but Saudi Arabia — behind a mostly solid performance by Al-Owais — was able to shut out Uruguay, a two-time World Cup champion, until late.

La Celeste had plenty of chances. Al-Owais denied a point-blank header from Federico Vinas in the first half, then got his fingertips on an attempt by Manuel Ugarte in the 61st. He also denied Federico Valverde’s attempt a couple of minutes into stoppage time.

The result capped a surprising day for Group H — made up of Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Spain and Cape Verde.

Cape Verde, making its World Cup debut, held heavily favored Spain to a scoreless draw in Atlanta.

It was also a matchup of the past, present and future in World Cup history. Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930 and will host a match commemorating the tournament’s centennial in 2030, and Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in 2034.

Among those at the match: FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, former NFL star Chad Ochocinco and longtime Uruguay standout Luis Suárez -- Messi’s teammate with Inter Miami who was not picked to represent his country at this tournament.

Thames writes for the Associated Press.

Here’s where things stand heading after three of four matches scheduled for Monday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

Mohammed Al-Owais made two spectacular saves for Saudi Arabia in the final minutes as Saudi Arabia weathered constant pressure from Uruguay to pull off a 1-1 draft in World Cup Group H play.

Al-Owais made eight saves against an Uruguay team that controlled possession 66% of the time.

Uruguay maintained constant presence in and around the Saudi Arabia box for the final 25 minutes, managing an equalizer, but missing out on a chance to move to the top of the table.

Paraguay’s Maxi Araújo scored at point-blank range off a deflected save by Saudi Arabia in the 80th minute to tie the score 1-1.

Are we about to see another World Cup upset by Saudi Arabia?

Four years after they stunned Argentina in group play, Saudi Arabia took a 1-0 lead on Abdulelah Al-Amri’s goal in the 41st minute.

Uruguay is winless in its last 18 World Cup games when giving up the first goal. But it has plenty of time to put together a comeback.

The second game of Group H play is underway with Saudi Arabia taking on Uruguay at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Uruguay is the heavy favorite and already has two shots on goal against a Saudi Arabian team ranked 61st in the world.

Uruguay, ranked No. 17 in the world, has been in control so far, but both teams have been tenuous so far when it comes to taking risks on offense.

SEATTLE — Christian Pulisic, who sent up two goals before leaving the U.S. World Cup opener at halftime with a sore calf, trained apart from his teammates Monday in Irvine but is expected to be ready for the next game Friday with Australia.

“Come on, Christian will be ready,” midfielder Tyler Adams told reporters before the team’s first practice since last week’s win over 4-1 Paraguay. “Let’s relax.”

Coach Mauricio Pochettino described Pulisic’s condition as “good” but did not elaborate. Pulisic was not made available to the media.

“He’s good. He said it wasn’t a big deal,” forward Haji Wright agreed.

Pulisic was kicked in the left calf during a recent training session, then was hit again in the same spot during the game with Paraguay. Coach Mauricio Pochettino said Pulisic had trouble walking after coming off the field at halftime so he sent Sebastian Belhalter on in Pulisic’s place to start the second half in what he said was a precaution.

Pulisic was not limping noticeably and his leg was not wrapped when he met with the media following the game.

“I’m really hoping that it’s nothing,” he said then. “I’m hoping I’ll be fine in the next few days. I’ve had similar things before. I’m staying positive. I don’t think it’s anything.”

Pulisic played one of his best halves of his national team career against Paraguay, with his passing setting up the first two U.S. goals. On Monday, Adams was asked if he had ever seen Pulisic play better.

“Tough to say,” he answered. “He was extremely sharp and ready to go. But I’ve just seen him over the past few weeks training extremely well. Every single training session wanting to improve — as he always does.

“You can just see the importance level of this tournament, what it means to him, what it means to represent his country. He’s a leader, an unbelievable player. And when you get that version of Christian it makes everyone around him just believe even more. He’s such an important player for us.”

There’s the Scottish soccer fan who marveled at our wildly varied landscape and welcoming communities as he walked from L.A. to Boston, arriving in time to see Scotland play Haiti on Saturday. There’s the German traveling in the opposite direction from Atlanta who could not get over the wonders of the hospitable South, from Stone Mountain to Buc-ees. There’s the Swede promoting the power of ranch dressing, the Italians marveling at fountain drinks with ice and free refills, the English rhapsodizing over chicken parm and just about everyone shouting out the friendliness of the businesses that served them. Even the “beauty” of American trucks, big yellow school buses and eight-lane freeways have gotten their fair share of shout-outs.

Just in time for the semiquincentennial, the churning waves of social media discontent have parted and given us a glimpse of how these United States look (and taste) to wide-eyed World Cup attendees. And it is glorious.

SEATTLE — Romelu Lukaku didn’t have to touch the ball to have a major impact on Belgium’s World Cup opener with Belgium. His presence alone so unnerved the Egyptian defense that outside back Mohamed Hany deflected the ball into his own net for an own goal in the 66th minute, allowing Belgium to escape with a 1-1 draw while costing Egypt its first World Cup win before a sold-out crowd of 66,775 at Lumen Field.

Emam Ashour’s first international goal, a right-footed blast that bent just inside the left post, had given Egypt a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute. Egypt parked the bus after that, dropping numbers behind the ball to protect the lead. They still came close to doubling the lead, though, when Mo Saleh found striker Omar Marmoush loose on a breakaway up the right wing in the 65th minute.

But Marmoush, with two Belgian defenders in hot pursuit, sent his right-footed shot harmlessly high and wide to the right. Lukaku, who has been battling hamstring and hip injuries for nearly a year, came off the bench a minute later and changed the game.

Seconds after Lukaku entered, a pass from midfielder Youri Tielemans launched Thomas Meunier up the right sideline. As he neared the end line, Meunier spun a cross into the box for Lukaku, who had split the center of the Egypt defense. Hany got there first, but in his effort to deny the Belgium striker the ball he got a foot on the pass and deflected it past goalkeeper Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir.

That made up for two mistakes from Belgium midfielder Kevin DeBruyne, who sent a free kick from distance off the left post early in the second half, then missed a right-footed shot from inside the box 10 minutes later, rolling it in Shobeir’s open arms.

That shot, in the 62nd minute, was the first Belgium put on target. They put just three shots on frame in the game, the same as Egypt, which has been playing international soccer longer than any country in Africa but has never won a game in four World Cup appearances.

Belgium finally drew even in the second half at Lumen Field in Seattle thanks to an own goal in the 66th minute.

Belgium pressured throughout the second half after Egypt carried a 1-0 lead into halftime, once hitting the post on a free kick in the 53rd minute.

Emam Ashour’s goal in the 19th minute has staked Egypt to a 1-0 lead over Belgium at Lumen Field in Seattle.

The second match of the day features Egypt and Belgium playing in their first match of group play at Lumen Field in Seattle. Belgium hasn’t lost in more than a year, but it also hasn’t played a top-10 team since 2024. Egypt, Africa’s oldest national team, is playing in a World Cup for the fourth time and is still looking for its first win. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, the team’s active leading scorer, is the only player on the roster with a World Cup goal.

MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday said FIFA should reflect on the high cost of tickets for the 2026 World Cup as many have called the price far out of reach for the vast majority of Mexicans.

Sheinbaum told journalists that soccer should be much more than a business.

“Soccer has to be something else,” she said. “All of this should prompt reflection, even within FIFA.”

There was no immediate public reaction from FIFA. Its president, Gianni Infantino, last week defended high ticket prices as fitting in the North American market.

Earlier this year, tickets for matches in the three host countries including Mexico went on sale at prices ranging from $140 to $8,680. While some prices have fallen, others have soared. Tickets for the final are priced at $32,970. Resale prices are higher. In April, FIFA’s own resale platform listed four tickets for the final at around $2.3 million each.

Although Mexico’s president acknowledged that it is “fine” for the World Cup to be run as a business, she said soccer also should be “a space for bringing people together, like all sports.”

Sheinbaum’s government has come under criticism by a range of social movements protesting in Mexico City, which say the government is prioritizing the tournament over pressing social needs.

Meanwhile, parts of stadiums in places like Guadalajara have had visibly empty seats. FIFA last week blamed some empty seats in Guadalajara on fans who watched from the concourses.

Since the prices were announced for the 104 World Cup matches to be played in Mexico, the United States and Canada, Sheinbaum has spoken out and promoted a government-backed “Social World Cup” initiative.

The program aims to set up street festivals in Mexico City and other cities across the country where Mexicans and foreign tourists can watch matches free of charge on giant screens.

According to local authorities, half a million people attended the 18 street festivals across Mexico City on June 11 to watch the opening match in which Mexico defeated South Africa.

Sheinbaum also broke with a longstanding World Cup tradition under which the host country’s president attends the opening match. Instead, she gave her ticket to a 21-year-old Indigenous female soccer player who had no financial means of purchasing one.

The federal government also decided that public officials would give up about 500 tickets to people who participated in “Social World Cup” activities, and that 88 tickets would be distributed through schools.

ATLANTA — Tiny Cape Verde pulled off a stunning result in its World Cup debut, shutting out heavily favored Spain.

An impressive performance by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha helped Cape Verde play one of the favorites to in the tournament to a 0-0 draw. The final score is the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

Cape Verde actually had a chance to win the game, but Diney Borges’ late header was saved by Spain keeper Unai Simon.

European champion Spain’s roster is filled with superstar players. But they were frustrated by the underdogs from Cape Verde, with Vozinha pulling off a string of saves before halftime.

Barcelona forward Ferran Torres came closest to scoring for Spain, hitting the bar with shot and later forcing a save from Vozinha on another well-struck ball.

The keeper also denied Pedri and pushed away another potential score late in the half.

Cape Verde — a group of islands with around half a million inhabitants — is playing at its first World Cup.

The 2010 champion Spain is aiming to win the World Cup for a second time, but coach Luis de la Fuente warned on Sunday that Cape Verde could be one of the surprise teams of the tournament.

Cape Verde continued to defend stubbornly in the second half and not even teenage star Lamine Yamal could turn the game Spain’s way after he entered the match.

Spain and Cape Verde have kicked off in their group stage match in Atlanta. For Cape Verde, their first-ever World Cup match comes against Spain, the 2010 champion and one of eight countries to ever win the World Cup.

SEATTLE — If a pregnant Nigerian woman had been allowed to board a plane 25 years ago, the U.S. team’s path through this summer’s World Cup may have unfolded much differently. Instead, a gate agent turned her away, insisting it wasn’t safe for her to fly from New York to London.

So Florence Balogun returned to Brooklyn, where she had been visiting relatives, and waited for her second son to be born. And when Folarin arrived a few weeks later, entering the world just hours before Independence Day dawned, he did so as an American citizen.

More men have been elected president of the United States than have played for the U.S. in a World Cup game on home soil.

It is among the rarest of achievements in a country that has achieved so much.

Two dozen Americans have flown to the moon, 116 have sat on the Supreme Court, 25 have run a mile in under 3:51 and 76 have won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

After a break of more than three decades, the FIFA World Cup returns to North America where it will be shared by the continent’s three countries, the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It will be the largest and most complex tournament in history, with 48 teams playing 104 games in 16 cities over 39 days.

But it hasn’t been without its controversies. High ticket prices and exorbitant transportation and parking fees have angered fans and drawn the attention of politicians and state attorneys general. Visa restrictions have blocked residents from four qualifying nations from entering the U.S. and fear of immigration agents has discouraged fans of other countries from coming.

For the U.S. and Mexico the goal is to get beyond the quarterfinals, the high-water mark for both countries in the modern era. Canada, meanwhile, will play in its third World Cup looking for its first win.

Béla Guttmann may be the most consequential soccer coach you’ve never heard of. But if it weren’t for Guttmann, you may never have heard of Pelé.

And Brazil may never have become the greatest soccer-playing country on Earth.

That’s because Guttmann changed the shape of modern Brazilian soccer — and changed the sport forever — when he imported the revolutionary 4-2-4 system from Hungary to Sao Paulo in 1957. A year later, Brazil won the first of five World Cups and the joga bonito was born.

The U.S. men’s soccer team isn’t only trying to win games in this World Cup. It is trying to win hearts and minds as well.

“We want the game to grow,” star midfielder Christian Pulisic said. “We want to get Americans excited to watch this game, to watch our team. That’s obviously a big goal of ours. And being successful would give that the best boost.”

The Americans certainly got a great start Friday, opening the second World Cup played on U.S. soil with a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay. It was one of the most complete performances the American men have had on the sport’s biggest stage, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice, Pulisic setting up two goals, and just one momentary lapse on defense separating goalkeeper Matt Freese from a shutout.

Julian Ryerson hadn’t learned to walk the last time Norway played in the World Cup. He was just 7 months old then, and if he had known his country was going to go 0 for the 21st century when it came to World Cup qualifying, he might have considered pursuing a sport other than soccer.

But that drought will finally end next week when Norway plays in the World Cup for the first time in nearly three decades.

“It’s been a long wait, especially for the Norwegian people,” he said. “They’ve been waiting as long as I am old. So yeah, I think everybody’s ready.”

Iran’s World Cup team arrived in Tijuana last week bearing gold lapel pins on their jackets honoring the 168 victims, most of them schoolgirls, killed in a Feb. 28 U.S. missile strike on an elementary school in southern Iran at the outset of the war.

The World Cup kicked off last week as that war in the Middle East continues, with Iran set to open play against New Zealand on Monday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. It’s significant that the game will take place in the Los Angeles area, home to the largest Iranian population outside Iran.

In a perfect world, you’d be able to take a helicopter from your home straight to Sofi Stadium during the World Cup. But unfortunately, we do not live in that world, so you’ll probably need to find a reliable and cheap way to get to the World Cup.

Fans from all around will flock to the Los Angeles area for the biggest sport event in the world, meaning that traffic will be worse (if you can imagine), buses will be fuller and Metro stops will drown in the flags and jerseys of all competing nations.

In many ways, the most ambitious World Cup in history — which kicked off Thursday in Mexico City — has inspired more angst than anticipation, more fear than fervor.

The competition, returning to North America for the first time in more than three decades, has expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches, to be played over 39 days in 16 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The complex planning was eight years in the making.

The first four days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are done, with the U.S. and Mexico each winning their group stage openers. However, most of the World Cup field is still looking to hit the competitive pitch for the first time.

Here’s everything you need to know about matches being played on Monday and Tuesday in the 48-team tournament across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).

The first four days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup offered plenty of memorable moments.

Check out The Times’ daily recaps ahead of Monday’s four-game slate:

Soccer

FIFA World Cup Day 4 recap: Sweden dominates; Netherlands plays to draw

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 14, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 3 recap: Australia and Scotland win their openers

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 13, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 2 recap: Canada plays to draw; U.S. wins its opener

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 12, 2026

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World Cup recap: U.S. defeats Paraguay with dominant offensive display

Folarin Balogun scores twice and Christian Pulisic sets up two goals to lead the U.S. to a 4-1 win in its World Cup opener over Paraguay on Friday.

June 12, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 1 recap: Mexico and South Korea open with victories

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 11, 2026

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World Cup: Mexico defeats South Africa in game marred by 3 red cards

Mexico defeats South Africa 2-0 in a game that featured three red cards. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored for Mexico in front of 80,824 fans.

June 11, 2026