The 2026 World Cup Vibes Report: An Inside Look at the Atmosphere During the USMNT’s Dominant Opening Win | OneFootball

In what was a dream start to the 2026 World Cup, the USMNT rolled to a 4-1 victory over Panama at Los Angeles Stadium. But did the vibes both in and out of the venue match the team’s dominant performance? 

In the months leading up to the 2026 World Cup, there was plenty of concern surrounding the United States’ fitness as a host nation. Some of it was quintessential Euro-trolling: The classic “they-call-it-soccer-so-how-could-they-properly-host-a-football-tournament” type discourse that paints a completely one-dimensional picture of American sports.

Then there were the more serious criticisms: The U.S. is currently at war with Iran, one of the participating nations. It’s become increasingly difficult or downright impossible for travelers from certain countries to acquire visas to the U.S., and there’s been cases where those with a valid visa are still denied entry. How can a country that refuses to accept the world host a global event of this magnitude?

Out of the two dissenting camps, there is a decidedly easier one to respond to, and I’m not too proud to admit that more often than not I’ll take the easy way out. So for the first match of the 2026 World Cup on American soil, I was focused on the spectacle of it all. Is the U.S., particularly Los Angeles, capable of creating an atmosphere worthy of the world’s biggest sporting event?

Outside of the Stadium

SoFi Los Angeles Stadium is a microcosm of the city itself: A sprawling, gorgeous feat of architecture whose geographic footprint is mostly parking lots. For a typical event at the venue, the parking lots are used for, well, parking, and fans can scan their tickets and check into the stadium at one of 12 gates.

For the World Cup opener, this check-in process was pushed out to the parking lots for an extra layer of security, which created a somewhat strange halo zone where you were technically scanned in, but not yet in the stadium.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by SoFi Stadium (@sofistadium)

Fans that wanted to tailgate outside the stadium were able to do so across the street in Hollywood Park’s “The Meeting Spot,” where the American Outlaws supporters’ group were doing their thing. If that’s your speed, fine, I don’t hate it. But I’ve always felt that they try too hard to be like a classic European supporters’ group, and it feels a bit inauthentic at times. I’ve hung out at a few AO tailgates and all of the members I’ve met were passionate, knowledgeable fans, but I prefer a proper American tailgate.

Let’s talk about tailgates for a second. They’re one of those unquestionably American things that the European mind can’t comprehend.

If there’s one benefit that’s come from the American automotive lobby’s decades-long campaign to keep this nation dependent on cars, it’s getting trashed in massive stadium parking lots before a sporting event. The Euros can have their marches from the pub to the gate; giving the people’s elbow to a plastic folding table from 10 feet high is strictly for us.

So with the world’s game coming to the States, it was a perfect opportunity to showcase the beauty of tailgating culture. Could you imagine the German fan who’s gone viral on X with his American culture discovery journey experiencing a Buffalo Bills-style tailgate?

But alas, that wasn’t the case outside of Los Angeles Stadium.

Inside the halo zone was the dedicated fan zone which served as the place for fans to gather “inside” the stadium, because without cars in the parking lot, tailgating would be impossible. However, it felt like less of a pregame celebration and more of a showcase for sponsors of U.S. Soccer and the FIFA World Cup. Littered across the vast slabs of asphalt along Touchdown Drive were various activations put together by corporate entities, in addition to a FOX Sports pregame broadcast that featured the likes of Tom Rinaldi, Stu Holden, and others.

I didn’t get a chance to check out all of the activations, partially because it was quite warm and it was getting close to game time, but also because the lines going into each one looked like they’d be more at home at Disneyland.

So instead of a communal experience where fans came together and shared their love for the sport and/or drinking, we got a siloed and sterile atmosphere brought to you by the likes of Michelob, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Doritos, and more. Here I was, hoping to see one of America’s true great pastimes at its peak, only to find a tepid showcase of late stage capitalism. This plus commercials during the mid-match hydration breaks powered by Powerade™ make the Euro-troll argument sound a little valid.

Nevertheless, there were still some highlights throughout the pre-game festivities, including a plethora of fantastic kits and costumes from both fanbases. From Paraguay flags made from traditional Ñandutí lace to kitschy American Revolution getups, there were plenty of fans that stood out on the outskirts of Los Angeles Stadium prior to kickoff.

In addition, watch parties across the country showcased the culture I was pining for, however it would’ve been nice to see it outside the actual stadium.

Inside the Stadium

For all of the concern surrounding the ticket sales for this match, the stadium was jam-packed. The announced attendance was 70,492, which qualified as a sellout. But prices, another point of contention for critics of this tournament, were still quite high. Before game time, the cheapest ticket available was well above $1,000. Even still, it was a full house. But how was the actual crowd itself?

In typical LA fashion, the crowd took their time to find their seats, and there were visible empty rows during the pre-game ceremonies, which saw performances from Katy Perry, Future, Tyla, Anitta, LISA, and Rema. Even the least tardy of the stragglers missed out on the concert, which flew by in a flash. Future opened up with a blink-and-you-miss-it rendition of his World Cup anthem “Game Time” featuring Tyla, and those hoping for the intro to “March Madness” to hit (ahem, me), were disappointed to see him leave after just one song.

Anitta, LISA, and Rema were up next with “Goals,” also on the World Cup playlist, and just like that, the stage was being torn down. Just before the match, Katy Perry took to the center of the pitch in what can only be described as a lampshade of a dress, also playing just one song, “Wonder,” featuring 10-year-old Norwegian singer Tius Luka.

I was so certain that this match would prove all of the U.S. haters wrong, but this wasn’t exactly the most auspicious start, and it was far from looking like an instant classic of a tournament. Then the game started.

By the national anthems, the stadium was quite full, and the “U-S-A” chants following Dan and Shay’s “Star Spangled Banner” performance was enough to register the slightest of chills down my doubtful spine. I don’t consider myself the most patriotic of folks, but had I not been in the professional setting of the press box, I would’ve almost certainly joined in with the chants.

Speaking of the press box, our entire row was palpably shaking after Christian Pulisic’s slick dish to Weston McKennie set up an own goal to open up the scoring. Showers of beer rained down throughout the stands, and the tension of the first few minutes was completely cut loose.

The crowd atmosphere fueled the players on the pitch, propelling the U.S. to a 3-0 halftime lead behind a brace from Folarin Balogun and a masterclass performance from Pulisic.

“Being in America, having this crowd around us, seeing the red, white, and blue, all our red- and white-striped shirts in the crowd, it’s awesome,” Pulisic said after the match. “Hearing the USA chants, it’s really pushing us forward. We just hope it continues like that, and I’m sure it will.”

Pulisic was subbed off in the second half for precautionary reasons, and the raucous crowd energy somewhat died down in what was a far less eventful 45 minutes of soccer. But things rose to a climax in the final seconds with Gio Reyna’s wonder strike just before the final whistle, sealing a dominant 4-1 win.

For the U.S., it was a desperately needed opening salvo and the best game this generation of players had ever played together. For me, it was proof that a rocky start doesn’t always spell doom.

For Balogun, it was a dream of a World Cup debut, and the fans played a major role in it.

“I’ve always said the fans give me so much motivation and show me so much support,” the Monaco striker said after the match. “And for me the most important thing has always been to be able to repay that.

“I wanna continue to show the fans that I made the right decision [to represent the USMNT over England] and I’m completely proud and I wanna continue to make the fans proud as well.”

So even in spite of the corporate hellscape that was the pregame fan zone, it turns out that America is pretty good at putting on a show. But this was something of a lay-up. It was the opening match, and the home team was playing. The real test will be next Monday, when Iran takes on New Zealand in the very same stadium. We will be on the scene as well to bring back the vibes report. Stay tuned.

Photography by Jorge Sanchez for Urban Pitch.