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The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday, powered by a first-half double from striker Folarin Balogun, but the victory was tempered by concern over the fitness of Christian Pulisic.

The emphatic Group D win marked a dream start for the co-hosts, whose four goals were their most ever in a World Cup match. Balogun became the first US player to score twice in a World Cup game since the 1930 tournament.

“Amazing result,” US captain Tim Ream said.

“It’s exactly the way we wanted to start the tournament.”

The US broke through Paraguay’s vaunted defence in the seventh minute when Pulisic deftly split two players and found Weston McKennie, whose cross was kicked into the net by Damian Bobadilla for an own goal.

Shortly after the first-half hydration break, Pulisic raced with the ball up the left side and sent a perfect cross to Balogun, who angled his shot past the diving goalkeeper Orlando Gill for a 2-0 lead.

Balogun struck again on the stroke of halftime, taking a long pass and shaking off a sliding defender and hammering a left-footed shot into the top corner of the net to wrap up a flawless half for the home side.

Pulisic injury concern

The only blemish on the night for the US came when Pulisic was substituted at halftime by coach Mauricio Pochettino because of tightness in his calf.

“It was difficult for him to walk, but I hope that it is not a big issue and he can be ready for the next one,” Pochettino said.

Paraguay came out of the break with more intensity, and finally got on the board in the 73rd minute with a goal from substitute Mauricio, who took advantage of a defensive lapse by the US.

But the Americans continued to control the game and Gio Reyna scored from the edge of the box with the outside of his right foot in the closing action of the match.

“The opposition were better than us,” Paraguay defender Junior Alonso said.

“We were able to play further forward (in the second half). These are things we need to improve on for the next match. We have two games left, and we must improve. Regretting things wont help us at all; we need to use these mistakes to improve and put in a better performance that brings us closer to victory.”

Ream said his team would seize on the momentum.

“There’s not a whole lot of words to describe the feeling,” he said.

“You want to start the tournament off on a good foot, scoring four goals, getting three points. It sets you up for the rest of the group stage, for sure.”

High-profile spectators

Played under Los Angeles Stadium’s massive, semi-translucent roof, the game drew a crowd of high-profile spectators, including Tom Cruise and David Beckham, who was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier in the day.

Despite pre-tournament concerns over high ticket prices, Los Angeles Stadium was sold out for the match, with the NFL home of the Rams and Chargers and site of next year’s Super Bowl configured for a World Cup capacity of 70,492.

“Massive thank you to the fans because the energy they gave to the team was amazing,” Pochettino said.

“We can do amazing things if the fans are in this as well.”

The US entered the tournament looking to improve on their last-16 finish in Qatar.

Paraguay, meanwhile, came through the demanding Conmebol qualifying campaign to make their first appearance in the tournament since 2010.

The first men’s World Cup match on US soil in 32 years included a pregame performance by singer Katy Perry and a parade of nations, where some booing could be heard when the flag of Iran was carried into the stadium. Iran play their first match of the tournament in Los Angeles on Monday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio watched the match alongside Paraguay President Santiago Pena and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

The US will again be favoured when they face Australia on June 19 in Seattle, while Paraguay will look to bounce back when they travel to Santa Clara to face Turkiye.

Pontiff appeals in Catalan for harmony on Barcelona leg of Spain tour after making football foes in city

To the delight of many, Pope Leo XIV kicked off the Barcelona leg of his week-long visit to Spain with a few words in Catalan, calling on the faithful who had gathered in the city’s cathedral on Tuesday “to build harmony and communion beyond all polarisation”.

The pontiff’s familiar and commendable plea for people to set aside their differences may, however, have come a little late. Three days earlier, while chatting to journalists on the flight to Spain, Leo had made an awkward confession.

SINGAPORE: In a June 3 Instagram post, an Indian woman in Singapore told of how a woman pushed her in order to grab a seat on the train that had been offered to her by commuters who saw her holding her sleeping baby.

However, a complete reversal of that stranger’s rudeness soon took place. Another woman not only offered her a seat but also fanned her and her sleeping child nonstop for the next 15 minutes in the crowded train.

“One pushed. One helped. And that’s why I’ll never forget Singapore,” wrote the post author (@unplugwithsakshi), who lives in Singapore, adding a heart emoji to the caption of her post.

The new mum explained that while they were on their way back from Universal Studios on a hot day, her baby fell asleep on her shoulder while they were waiting for their ride home on the MRT.

Ms Sakshi said that the train that arrived was full, but when the passengers inside the cabin she entered saw her, several offered her a seat.

However, before she could take it, another woman swooped in and grabbed the seat for herself, apparently pushing her away. According to the post author, the woman appeared to also be an Indian and looked to be around 35 to 40 years old. 

Ms Sakshi added that the woman did not seem to have anything physically wrong with her, but she just chose to ignore the woman’s rudeness.

Fortunately, another woman, described by the post author as being between 40 and 45 years old, very quickly offered her a seat, and as if that kindness were not enough, went on to fan her and her child, as it was warm on the train. 

“I was so emotional at that time,” she said, “no stranger has ever done anything this kind for me.”

When Ms Sakshi thanked her for her kindness, the woman replied, telling her not to worry as she understood the challenges of travelling with a baby, adding that it was her duty to help the young mum out, as she was raising a future generation.

“So you know, you got the message, right? How one small act can represent your country in a foreign land, and how one small act by a stranger can define a complete memory, a complete journey, for you,” she said at the end of her video.

The Independent Singapore reached out to Ms Sakshi, who told us, “I just want to say that Singapore people are a gem. Unknowingly knowingly we met very kind people. In another incident, a stranger handed over an umbrella to us when it was drizzling, and we were standing at the traffic light with our baby.”

She added that she is “really impressed with everything… the rules, regulations, cleanliness… everything is top notch./TISG

Read also: ‘Always choose kindness!’: PAP MP stops at accident site, offers to take home stranded PHV passengers in the rain

This article (Indian mum says she was pushed aside for a seat before stranger stepped in to help) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

With matches in 16 cities across the US, Mexico and Canada, players and fans face an array of weather-related challenges

With the 2026 World Cup now under way, all 48 teams face a common opposition: summer weather across North America. Matches will be played in 16 cities, from southern Mexico to Canada, with a range of weather risks possible at each venue.

Thunderstorms disrupted play before the tournament had even begun. England’s warm-up against Costa Rica in Orlando was delayed by about an hour after storms brought lightning and heavy rain that waterlogged the pitch. Safety regulations at US venues mean play is suspended when lightning is recorded within roughly 8 miles of a stadium, not resuming until 30 minutes after the last strike.

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Photograph by Ivan Finbow. A digitally restored image from an original colour negative in my collection.

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Mexico ignited their World Cup party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa on Thursday as the biggest ever edition of the global footballing showpiece kicked off at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca.

Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament, and veteran striker Raul Jimenez added a second as the co-hosts’ bid for qualification from Group A got off to a smooth start.

South Africa, meanwhile, never looked like they were spoiling the opening day fiesta, and finished with only nine men after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off.

The Mexican-colored red, green and white smoke from pre-game fireworks had barely dissipated before Quinones fired the hosts into the lead on nine minutes, drilling a low shot through the legs of South Africa’s goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams.

A deafening roar cascaded down from the stands of the Azteca, the footballing cathedral that became the only stadium to host games at three different World Cups.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos had warned his players to be ready for the intimidating atmosphere created by a capacity crowd of 80,824 at the imposing concrete arena.

But South Africa’s players looked to have a bad case of stage fright as Mexico’s fans greeted each completed pass with a raucous chorus of “Ole!” in the opening minutes.

Sithole seemed particularly affected, being caught in possession trying to play out of the back for Quinones’ opening goal. His miserable afternoon ended with a 49th-minute dismissal after bundling over Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez when clean through on goal.

Mexico rammed home their advantage in the 67th minute, with a fine counterattack culminating in Roberto Alvarado crossing for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Jimenez to nod home at the far post.

It got worse for South Africa in the 84th minute when Zwane was dismissed after a VAR review for flinging an arm into the face of Alvarado.

There was still time for late drama when Mexican defender Cesar Montes was shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on Khulisa Mudau on the edge of the penalty area.

The 48-team tournament is also being hosted by the United States and Canada and will feature 104 games, culminating in the final in New Jersey on July 19.

Shakira and Burna Boy warm up spectators at opening ceremony

Colombian pop icon Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy had the spectators out of their seats in the opening ceremony for the World Cup ahead of the opening clash.

Dancers twirled around a giant model of the World Cup trophy while fireworks went off in the historic stadium, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and has been renovated for this year’s tournament.

In the highlight of the ceremony, Shakira and Burna Boy performed ‘Dai Dai’, the official song of the tournament, bringing roars from the crowd.

J Balvin and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli were among the other performers before kickoff as the noise levels ramped up.

“It’s already a party in Mexico,” Ingrid Orozco, a 40-year-old supporter, told AFP.

“It’s amazing,” said Gustavo Ramrez, 19.

SINGAPORE: A Go-Ahead Singapore bus captain was allegedly assaulted by a passenger after the commuter became upset over missing his bus stop while travelling on Bus Service 2 on May 23.

In a Facebook post, the transport operator said the incident happened at around 3:10 p.m.

“At about 3:10 p.m., the commuter grew angry after his bus stop was missed and proceeded to verbally abuse and physically assault our bus captain while he was driving,” Go-Ahead Singapore stated.

The company added that the trip was disrupted following the incident and that the bus captain later sought medical attention at Changi General Hospital.

Go-Ahead Singapore stressed that it does not tolerate any form of abuse or violence against public transport workers, warning that such behaviour puts staff, commuters, and other road users at risk.

“Our bus captains carry out their duties every day with professionalism and care to ensure commuters reach their destinations safely. They deserve respect and should not have to endure abuse in the course of their work,” the company added.

Many netizens also shared their thoughts on the incident online.

Some commenters speculated that there may have been more to the confrontation.

“There is a great chance that the driver say something rude and make the passenger angry. I had many exp with rude bus drivers. Yes, the passenger should not hit the driver but the driver is responsible for calming the situation,” one commenter wrote.

“Not condoning violence but it takes 2 hands to clap,” another said.

Others disagreed, saying there was no excuse for physically assaulting a public transport worker regardless of the circumstances.

One netizen wrote that disagreements should instead be resolved calmly or reported through the proper feedback channels.

Another commenter also praised Go-Ahead Singapore for publicly standing up for its employee.

“It makes them feel supported and not alone, giving them greater confidence to carry out their duties safely and confidently,” the commenter said.

This article (‘They deserve respect’: Go-Ahead Singapore speaks out after bus captain allegedly assaulted) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.