{"id":213607,"date":"2026-06-13T03:46:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T03:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/from-the-sports-desk-mexico-wins-opener-u-s-starts-its-world-cup-journey-tonight-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T03:46:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T03:46:48","slug":"from-the-sports-desk-mexico-wins-opener-u-s-starts-its-world-cup-journey-tonight-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/from-the-sports-desk-mexico-wins-opener-u-s-starts-its-world-cup-journey-tonight-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"From The Sports Desk: Mexico wins opener, U.S. starts its World Cup journey tonight – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The World Cup<\/em><\/a> has kicked off! Mexico hosted the opening ceremony yesterday and then <\/em>beat South Africa, 2-0,<\/em><\/a> in front of an electric home crowd. Can the U.S. men\u2019s national team follow suit tonight? The Americans start their World Cup journey in Los Angeles against Paraguay.<\/em>
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We\u2019ll have two reporters at that game and <\/em>a live blog running all day<\/em><\/a>, keeping you up to date on all things World Cup. After the game, check out our coverage on the <\/em>NBC News website<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>
Mexico started its World Cup campaign in a fiery opening match of the tournament that also saw three red cards. Juli\u00e1n Qui\u00f1ones<\/strong> and Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez<\/strong> scored the goals for the home side, in front of a capacity crowd of 80,824 at the iconic Azteca Stadium.
South Africa\u2019s Sphephelo Sithole<\/strong> and Themba Zwane<\/strong> were given red cards, forcing the team to finish the match with only nine players. Mexico defender C\u00e9sar Montes<\/strong> was then given a red card in injury time.
It was the first time there were three red cards given in the opening match of a World Cup tournament. And it\u2019s the most in a World Cup game since four were handed out when Portugal played the Netherlands at the 2006 tournament in Germany.
\u201cWe didn\u2019t play well in the first half, but we could have gone into the break leading 3-0 and no one would have complained \u2014 we were far superior,\u201d Mexico\u2019s coach Javier Aguirre <\/strong>said. \u201cIn the second half, it felt like we relaxed a bit, but starting with a win is good, and we can certainly improve.\u201d
In the second game of the tournament, South Korea rallied to defeat Czechia 2-1.
After a lackluster first half in which both teams were jeered as they left the field, the Czechs took the lead in the 59th minute with a header by captain Ladislav Krejci<\/strong> after a long throw-in into the penalty area.
South Korea equalized in the 67th minute when Hwang In-beom<\/strong> scored after faking a shot with a nifty move to clear two Czech players. The midfielder, who plays for Dutch club Feyenoord, then made the cross from the right flank for Oh Hyeon-gyu\u2019s<\/strong> decisive strike in the 80th minute, played in front of hundreds of empty seats at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico.
\u201cIt was our first game and a very difficult one,\u201d South Korea\u2019s coach Hong Myung-bo<\/strong> said. \u201cThe win itself makes me happy, but what\u2019s even more positive is that our boys won by not giving up. I knew that we were more than capable of winning, so at 1-1, I told the boys to keep playing the way we\u2019ve been playing.\u201d
The U.S. men\u2019s national team, nicknamed the \u201cGolden Generation,\u201d will be hoping that home advantage counts as it starts its campaign at the Los Angeles Stadium today.
Ranked 17th by FIFA, the U.S. has advanced to the knockout round in four of the last six World Cups it has played, but hasn\u2019t been able to get past the quarterfinals.
Its first opponent, Paraguay, is the lowest-ranked team in Group D at No. 47 and back in the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.
All eyes will be on Pennsylvania-born Christian Pulisic<\/strong>, who is widely considered the most talented American player of his generation and \u2014 rightly or wrongly \u2014 tasked with delivering the best result in the country\u2019s history this summer on home soil.
But the 27-year-old says he\u2019s not letting that pressure get to him.
\u201cI think no matter what, wherever you\u2019re playing, in the World Cup there\u2019s pressure,\u201d Pulisic, dubbed \u201cCaptain America,\u201d told NBC News<\/a> in February at the training facility of his professional club, AC Milan. \u201cI\u2019m just going to try to live in the moment and enjoy the best I can.\u201d
Canada is also searching for its first World Cup win when it faces Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto today.
After being dumped out of the 1986 and 2022 tournaments at the group stage, the co-hosts have been on the rise over the past decade, moving to No. 30 in FIFA\u2019s rankings after being ranked below 100 as recently as 2017.
Forward Jonathan David<\/strong> \u2014 who plays for Italian giants Juventus \u2014 is the country\u2019s career-leading scorer with 39 goals in 77 matches.
Bosnia-Herzegovina \u2014 playing in its second World Cup and first since 2014 \u2014 beat four-time world champion Italy<\/a> in a playoff to qualify for the event.
Leading up to the World Cup, we\u2019re counting down 26 players to watch. Today is the final entry and it is France\u2019s <\/em>Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/strong><\/em>.<\/em>
Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/strong> already cemented himself among the greats in French history at 19 when he helped secure the country its second World Cup title in 2018. Now 27, Mbapp\u00e9 is a veteran returning to the international tournament with the hopes of securing France its third star.
Soccer is a family business for Mbapp\u00e9, the son of a former football coach and older brother to another professional player. The Paris-born forward began his career at just 14 when he left home to play for AS Monaco\u2019s academy and garnered international attention at 18 when he scored 21 goals for Paris-St. Germain in his first year with the team.
His first World Cup appearance in Russia was when Mbapp\u00e9 became a household name, becoming only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final. The technical skill that makes Mbapp\u00e9 hard to defend against also makes for a stylish offensive press that was on full display in his first World Cup appearance.
Mbapp\u00e9 returned to the World Cup final in 2022 as a force to be reckoned with, single-handledly tying against Argentina with two goals in the 80th and 81st minutes of regulation. France fell in penalty kicks, though Mbapp\u00e9 earned a hat-trick in the shootout.
It\u2019s a moment that Mbapp\u00e9 told Vanity Fair the French team has to move past as it faces enormous pressure going back to the world stage this summer.
\u201cWe have to take that disappointment and transform it into motivation to try to truly change the course of history, and to give ourselves the opportunity to reach another final, which will be extremely difficult, and to try to bring back the third star,\u201d he said in a pre-tournament interview.
He returns to the World Cup this year after scoring 24 goals with Real Madrid this season but is fresh off a recovery from a hamstring strain.
Yesterday\u2019s entry was Argentina\u2019s <\/em>Lionel Messi<\/strong><\/em>. <\/em>Read about him here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>
When U.S. Soccer hired Mauricio Pochettino<\/strong> in 2024, it was with this exact moment in mind: A proven big-game coach on a short-term contract for a World Cup on home soil. Well, the day has arrived, and it\u2019s a make-or-break time for the Argentine and the host nation. Star defender Chris Richards<\/strong> is officially back after missing out on both pre-tournament friendlies due to injury, while the rest of Poch\u2019s 26-man squad are all available for selection.
The USMNT defeated Paraguay 2-1 in November in an international friendly, but La Albirroja will have put that loss behind them.
For more World Cup coverage sent straight to your inbox every morning,<\/em> subscribe to the Men in Blazers newsletter<\/em><\/a>. We\u2019ll be covering every match, every goal and every joyous moment that soccer\u2019s biggest spectacle is sure to bring.<\/em>
Additionally, Men in Blazers is going from host city to host city for Match Day Live! We\u2019re taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans directly before some of the biggest matches this summer. <\/em>Join us today in Los Angeles<\/em><\/a> at 3 p.m. PT with <\/em>Rob Mac<\/strong><\/em>, <\/em>Larry Nance Jr.<\/strong><\/em> and<\/em> Kyle Beckerman<\/strong><\/em>, or check out the rest of the tour dates <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>
\u201cCaptain America\u201d Christian Pulisic<\/strong> has played under pressure before, but nothing like this World Cup<\/a>.
Empty seats on the World Cup\u2019s opening day renew ticket price concerns<\/a>.
Golf legend Phil Mickelson <\/strong>was kicked out of California club<\/a> after misconduct allegations, Golf Digest reports.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache<\/strong> faces scrutiny<\/a> over Conor McGregor\u2019s<\/strong> use of PEDs.
The U.S. men\u2019s national team kicks off its World Cup tonight, and there are lots of storylines we\u2019ll be following. Who will the starting goalkeeper be? Matt Freese<\/strong>? How will Pulisic perform? How will the squad look under new manager Mauricio Pochettino<\/strong>?
Remember, we\u2019ll be live-blogging all the World Cup games<\/a> today. Follow along!
All times are Eastern:
That\u2019s it for now! We\u2019ll be back Monday.<\/em>
Mark Hodge is a platforms editor for NBC News based in London.
I am a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital, covering a range of news-of-the-day topics. My job is to report in a timely manner on crime, mass shootings, war coverage, domestic and international affairs, pop culture and more.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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news AlertsThere are no new alerts at this timeThe World Cup has kicked off! Mexico hosted the opening ceremony yesterday and then beat South Africa, 2-0, in front of an electric home crowd. Can the U.S. men\u2019s national team follow suit tonight? The Americans start their World Cup journey in Los Angeles against Paraguay.Subscribe to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":213608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-213607","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}