The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first tournament to be staged across three nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — and each host country is showing a distinct football culture, according to ESPN. Mark Ogden traveled to cities in all three countries to report on how each nation has embraced the event.
In Los Angeles, a handful of small venues captured the mixed mood around the early days of the tournament. At Sushi Hanashi on Lincoln Boulevard two televisions ran simultaneously — Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on one screen and the buildup to Scotland’s Group C opener against Haiti on the other — and patrons noted the distant celebrations of travelling Scotland supporters, according to ESPN. On Abbot Kinney Boulevard there were long lines for a Brazil-Morocco watch party, and passersby reacted to a late Qatar equalizer against Switzerland.
Ogden’s reporting said the World Cup was cutting through in California but that full-scale fever had not yet taken hold across the sprawling city of 3.8 million, known for miles of beaches and driverless cars. The U.S. men’s national team had opened its tournament 4-1 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium 24 hours earlier; Christian Pulisic was strong for the first 45 minutes before leaving with a calf injury, and Folarin Balogun scored twice and was considered an early contender to be a breakout player, according to ESPN.
The match at SoFi Stadium drew 70,942 spectators and a VIP presence that included Tom Cruise, Hilary Duff, Vince Vaughn, Tobey Maguire and George Lucas, according to ESPN. Ticket scarcity and high resale values were evident: obstructed-view seats were reselling near kickoff for about $580, while a Category 1 ticket reached roughly $8,050. Ogden described the crowd as having a West Coast affluence, with designer outfits and official merchandise on display.
A Santa Monica waiter named Edward told ESPN he wanted to attend but found prices prohibitive. In his early 20s and a Chelsea supporter who counts Mexico as his first team, he criticized England selection decisions and said he would follow the tournament from watch parties that he expected among Mexican and Colombian communities. “It’s a bit quiet around here,” he added, while noting the surprising variety of nationalities present, including many Austrians, according to ESPN.
