World Cup Day 2: Reyna wondergoal, Lalas gaffe, comical FIFA, Partey barred | OneFootball

Now that all three co-hosts have played their opening match, the 2026 World Cup is well and truly underway in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

We’ve recapped all the happenings from matchday two, including what you missed overnight and the biggest stories from Friday. You can read our round-up of day one here.

World Cup Day 2 recap:

Reyna scores golazo as USA trounce Paraguay

The US made a dream start to the tournament on home soil as they beat Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles in their first meeting since the first World Cup in 1930.

Folarin Balogun grabbed a brace in the first half, including a brilliant strike into the top corner, after Damian Bobadilla scored an own goal just six minutes into the match. Mauricio got one back for Paraguay, but substitute Gio Reyna restored the Americans’ three-goal lead with a stunning outside-of-the-boot finish deep into stoppage time.

The only sour note from a terrific night for the US was the halftime substitution of star player Christian Pulisic, which was made after he took a kick to the leg. Manager Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful, however, that the attacker hasn’t sustained a serious injury.

Read – How to watch World Cup highlights this summer

Canada win first ever World Cup point

Super sub Cyle Larin earned Canada their first ever point at a World Cup when he scored the equaliser just moments after coming off the bench on Friday.

Bosnia and Herzegovina were looking to spoil the party vibe in Toronto when Jovo Lukic opened the scoring in the first half. But Jesse Marsch’s men were much better on the day and deserved more than a draw for their efforts.

Lalas said what?

For those who are not aware, Alexi Lalas is a former US international turned pundit who has been living off the cult hero status he cultivated at the 1994 World Cup. His ‘analysis’ of the sport is absolutely brutal and he often comes across as completely clueless.

That was the case on Friday when he blurted out that James Corden (another insufferable personality) is a “full kit wanker”, entirely unaware that is an offensive term in Britain.

The reactions of his colleagues are priceless. Thierry Henry’s eyebrows almost shot to the back of his head, presenter Rebecca Lowe is left stunlocked, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic lets out a typically reserved “woah”.

The over-the-top reactions were amusing, given had this happened on British television, the presenter would have simply apologised for foul language and moved on. But I suppose hearing an American casually calling someone a wanker on live TV was shocking enough to warrant the shocked faces.

Read – The youngest players to ever feature at a World Cup

FIFA fudging the figures?

Tickets have been a hot button issue leading up to the start of the World Cup, with FIFA being accused of gouging fans by using dynamic pricing to charge exorbitant fees, both at the first point of sale and on their resale site.

This led many to wonder how this would affect attendances, particularly at matches featuring smaller nations, with locals and travelling supporters being effectively priced out.

These concerns were borne out when Korea Republic came from behind to beat Czechia in front of a swathe of empty seats in Guadalajara. Confusion reigned when the official attendance figure was announced to be 44,985, less than 700 people shy of the ground’s capacity.

FIFA made a comical attempt to explain this incongruence away by claiming that “several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match”. Sure, Gianni.

Partey barred from Canada

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey will play no part in Ghana’s opening game against Panama after he was denied entry to Canada. The Villarreal player has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police over the past year. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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See Also – The best football kits we’ll see at FIFA World Cup 2026

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