World Cup 2023: U.S. Makes History with Stunning Opener
LOS ANGELES — For weeks, the World Cup felt like a storm waiting offshore. Politics. Ticket prices. Immigration headaches. Transit chaos. All of it swirled around this tournament shared by Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Then the ball rolled, and most of that noise faded into the background.
Across three countries, the opening days have delivered a jolt of pure football. Goals, shocks, storylines. And in Los Angeles, an American statement.
A U.S. Opener for the History Books
For a U.S.-based audience, there’s only one place to start: Los Angeles Stadium on Friday night, where the American men produced what may stand as the most complete World Cup performance in their history.
USA 4, Paraguay 1.
Four goals — the most the U.S. men have ever scored in a World Cup match. A scoreline that flattered nobody. The U.S. were bold, aggressive, relentless.
Folarin Balogun owned the night. The striker struck twice, becoming the first American with a multi-goal game at a World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1930. Nearly a century of waiting for that kind of individual haul, snapped in one ruthless performance.
Behind him, Chris Richards quietly turned in a masterclass. Back in the lineup after missing both pre-World Cup warm-ups through injury, the defender treated the ball like a magnet. Eighty-three passes attempted. Eighty-three completed. No player has completed that many passes in a World Cup match since records began in 1966. He didn’t just return; he imposed himself.
Not every note was triumphant. Christian Pulisic, the star forward and emotional axis of this team, came off at halftime with a calf issue. He walked gingerly to the team bus after the match, his status uncertain. For a side that just announced itself to the world, that is the one cloud on the horizon.
Still, from front to back, the U.S. sparkled. Tempo, confidence, incision. A dream start.
But one game doesn’t win a World Cup. It only raises the stakes for the next one.
Australia Crash the Party in Group D
On Saturday, the U.S. got a clear look at the rest of Group D.
Turkey arrived as the more glamorous name, stacked with players from Europe’s elite leagues. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler. Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz. The sort of talent that usually dictates group dynamics.
Australia ignored the script.
The Socceroos stunned Turkey 2-0, a result that flips the group on its head and turns Friday’s USA–Australia clash into a potential pivot point. If the Americans beat Australia, they seize control of Group D and step into a commanding position for the knockout rounds. Drop points, and the margin for error shrinks fast.
The World Cup rarely waits long to punish complacency. Group D is already proof.
Scotland’s Surprise and Brazil Held
Elsewhere, one of the tournament’s most charming early stories belongs to Scotland.
Back on the World Cup stage for the first time in 28 years, the Scots opened with a win over Haiti and now sit, improbably, atop Group C. That’s notable because of who shares the group with them: Brazil, the five-time champions and global standard-bearers, and Morocco, a modern powerhouse after their deep run in the last World Cup.
Brazil and Morocco were widely tipped to cruise through. Instead, they cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw, leaving Scotland looking down at giants. For now, at least, the team that waited nearly three decades for this moment has the best view in the house.
Qatar’s First Point, Heavyweights Trade Blows
The undercard of early group games has produced its own landmarks.
Qatar, playing in just its second World Cup after hosting in 2022 and losing all three matches there, finally has something tangible to show for its efforts. A 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Saturday delivered the country’s first-ever World Cup point. It’s a modest milestone, but a historic one.
Group F served up a clash of heavyweights on Sunday, with the Netherlands and Japan locked in a 2-2 draw. Two ambitious sides, both with designs on a deep run, trading punches and refusing to blink. No separation on the scoreboard, but a clear message: neither intends to go quietly.
Curaçao’s Brief Dream Against Germany
Then came Curaçao, the smallest nation ever to appear at a World Cup, population 158,000, stepping onto the same stage as Germany.
For a fleeting spell on Sunday, the Caribbean underdogs dared to believe. Germany scored first, as expected. Curaçao hit back, leveling the match and freezing the stadium in a moment of disbelief.
Seventeen minutes. That’s how long the scoreboard read 1-1, how long Curaçao held one of football’s great powers in a deadlock. Then Germany did what Germany tends to do at World Cups: they shifted through the gears and ran away with it, 7-1 — a scoreline etched forever in their tournament history for very different reasons.
The dream ended in a rout, but those 17 minutes will live forever on the island.
Politics, Security and Iran’s Complicated Campaign
The football hasn’t completely drowned out the geopolitics.
On Monday at Los Angeles Stadium, Iran opens its World Cup against New Zealand under a cloud of tension. After the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, questions lingered over whether the Iranian team would even take part.
Plans for a training camp in Tucson, Arizona, were scrapped. Iran relocated its base to Tijuana, Mexico, citing ongoing hostilities and security concerns. U.S. authorities have restricted entry, allowing the Iranian squad into the country only on the day before each of its three group matches.
So Iran will arrive late, play, and leave. A World Cup campaign conducted on a tight, politically charged leash.
Mbappé, Messi and the Week Ahead
The coming days belong to some of the sport’s biggest names.
On Tuesday, France and Kylian Mbappé begin their World Cup run with a Group I showdown against Senegal. It’s the kind of opener that can set the tone for an entire tournament — a reigning global superstar against one of Africa’s most dangerous sides.
Also Tuesday, defending champions Argentina launch their bid to do what only two nations have ever done: retain the World Cup. Lionel Messi leads the holders into Group J against Algeria, chasing a feat last achieved by Brazil in 1962 and Italy in 1938.
History doesn’t bend easily in this competition. But it has a habit of yielding to players like Messi and Mbappé.
The politics will rumble on. The logistics will frustrate. The debates will rage. Yet as the second week dawns, one thing is already clear: on the field, this World Cup has no intention of easing anyone in.
