- Folarin Balogun scored twice in his World Cup debut (and joked he'd "watch some Netflix") as the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1.
- About 70,000 fans — plus celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio and Katy Perry — packed the L.A. stadium, creating an electric, patriotic atmosphere.
- The U.S. netted three goals before halftime in an attack-minded showing, fueling optimism under coach Mauricio Pochettino’s "Why not us?" mantra.
The news, distilled into what matters.
- USA routed Paraguay 4-1 in their World Cup opener — the most goals the U.S. has ever scored in a World Cup match — in front of 70,000+ home fans.
- Coach Pochettino urged the team to "play like a child," and they did: free, fearless, relentless attacking football.
- Folarin Balogun scored twice; Christian Pulisic was involved but has a minor calf knock, and the U.S. now turns to matches with Australia and Türkiye.
- A mass shooting in a Johannesburg informal settlement left 12 dead and at least 15 wounded, with no arrests reported.
- The government has even deployed the army to crime “hotspots” as police struggle with shortages, slow responses and allegations of corruption.
- Violent illegal mining gangs known as "zama zamas" and an estimated 2–3 million unregistered guns are blamed for much of the bloodshed in poor townships.
- U.S. beat Paraguay in L.A. and Brazil debuts Saturday — great small-talk about the tournament atmosphere and home‑crowd energy.
- Chris “The Bear” Fallica expects Germany to romp vs. Curaçao and is actually betting on Nick Woltemade and Nico Schlotterbeck to score (plus lots of corners).
- Ivory Coast is being pegged as a dark horse after rock‑solid qualifying, while Sweden vs. Tunisia could be a low‑scoring, defensive battle (even a 0‑0).
- Australia and Türkiye kick off the 2026 World Cup on June 14 at BC Place in Vancouver — a prime opener to watch.
- The Socceroos are making their sixth straight World Cup but often exit early; they arrive after a 1-1 draw with Switzerland and a 1-0 loss to Mexico in warm-ups.
- Türkiye returns after a 24-year absence (2002 bronze) and brings momentum from recent wins — keep an eye on rising star Arda Güler.
- Viktor Orbán was re‑elected Fidesz leader almost unanimously (729 of 737 delegates) and vowed “I do not give up” despite pressure after the April defeat.
- The centre‑right Tisza party won a two‑thirds majority in April, giving it power to reverse Orbán’s constitutional changes.
- Polls show a major shift: Tisza around 55% support while Fidesz has fallen from about 39% to roughly 17%.
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