The hosts took the lead in the tournament’s first game on US soil within seven minutes thanks to an own goal, and by the end of an utterly dominant half the home fans were in dreamland, their side up by three.

Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton were among a sold-out 70,492 crowd as the US — co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada — piled wave after wave of attacks on the South Americans, with Reyna polishing off the win late in stoppage time after Mauricio had pulled one back.

The win and emphatic scoreline puts the US in a favorable position already to progress from Group D, which also contains Australia and Turkey.

The night’s only potential sour note was the half-time withdrawal of Christian Pulisic, the US attacking talisman who is carrying the hopes of the nation as they attempt a deep run into the World Cup knockouts for the first time since their quarter-final appearance in 2002.

Paraguay could not have been more obliging guests from kickoff. In the seventh minute, Weston McKennie picked up the ball in the center circle and drove upfield, finding Pulisic.

Pulisic darted between two defenders and returned the ball to McKennie, whose pass to striker Balogun was bundled into his own net by a hapless Damian Bobadilla.

The stadium erupted, and a US onslaught began.

The hosts oozed confidence. Both McKennie and Tillman played backheel through balls into the area, while captain Tim Ream sprayed out passes from the heart of defense.

Balogun had a goal ruled out in the 28th minute. He had strayed offside, as had Pulisic in the buildup.

But the Monaco striker had the ball in the net again three minutes later, thanks to a superb ball down the left flank by Antonee Robinson to Pulisic, whose cross to Balogun took a slight fortuitous deflection. 

The US added a third on the cusp of half-time. Tillman found Balogun down the right, who evaded Omar Alderete’s challenge, skipped inside Gustavo Gomez and curled his shot perfectly into the top left corner.

It could have been four or five, with Chris Richards — returning from injury — flashing a header barely an inch wide. The US had 75 percent possession in the first half.

Now without the dangerous Pulisic, the hosts sat back slightly in the second half.

Paraguay finally offered a threat. Their dangerous forward Julio Enciso, who started despite a hamstring injury, picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fed in Brazil-born substitute Mauricio, who pulled one back.

Reyna scored a superb fourth with the outside of his right foot that curled just inside the far post.

The game had been preceded by a Tinseltown-style opening ceremony. Katy Perry delivered the headline performance, accompanied by singers Future, Tyla, Anitta and K-pop star Lisa.

Performers danced around a giant World Cup trophy beneath enormous “FIFA” letters in the gold favored by US President Donald Trump — who did not attend, instead wishing the team luck via phone before kickoff. 

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“Welcome to the USA” announced a booming voiceover, as a closeup of the city’s famous Hollywood sign flashed on giant screens at the SoFi stadium, temporarily renamed the Los Angeles Stadium.

A marching band struck up the music before being joined by singers including Future, Tyla, Anitta and K-pop star Lisa. Costumes and props were designed to evoke Los Angeles street art, and the city’s creative industries.

Actor Jason Sudeikis and singer Katy Perry were due to perform shortly before kickoff.

Celebrities including Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Halle Berry, Rob Lowe, Owen Wilson and Paris Hilton looked on as performers danced around a giant World Cup trophy in the middle of the pitch.

Suspended from the roof of the space-age 70,000 stadium were enormous “FIFA” letters in the gold favored by US President Donald Trump — who did not attend.

He instead spoke to the team via phone, telling them “I think you’ve a really good chance of going all the way. I just want to wish you a lot of luck.”

US fans, many dressed as Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty or bald eagles, gamely booed the Paraguay players as they appeared for their warm ups.

“I believe we can go all the way,” said US fan Isaac Pizarro, who paid $1,900 per ticket to attend with his 14-year-old son Jacob.

But South American support showed up in force too, with dozens of Paraguay flags visible among a sea of red, white and blue sported by both nations.

US center-back Chris Richards overcame injury doubt to be named in the starting XI — as did dangerous Paraguay winger Julio Enciso.

Fellow co-hosts Mexico and Canada have already played their first matches, each featuring a separate opening ceremony on home soil.

Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0, while Canada came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw and their first ever World Cup finals point, against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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Here are five key moments in the company’s history:

– 2008: The founding myth –

Six years after its founding, SpaceX launched its first rocket into orbit after multiple failures, taking off in September 2008 from a remote archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.

“I messed up the first three launches, the first three launches failed,” co-founder Elon Musk recalled years later.

“Fortunately the fourth launch — that was the last money that we had — the fourth launch worked, or that would have been it for SpaceX. But fate liked us that day.”

– 2012: Next stop, ISS –

After the successful launch, SpaceX grew and developed more powerful launchers, including its flagship rocket, Falcon 9, which has become the most widely used rocket today.

Among its creations was the Dragon spacecraft, which docked as a cargo vessel at the International Space Station in 2012, a first by a private company.

Eight years later, the Dragon spacecraft carried its first astronaut to the ISS, beating other aerospace companies like Boeing to becoming the main American transport to the space station.

– 2018: A Tesla in space? –

At the same time, SpaceX in 2015 successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket, ushering in the age of partially reusable rockets.

This was followed by Falcon Heavy, a much more powerful launcher with two Falcon 9 boosters.

To mark its first test flight in 2018, Musk decided to place the car made by one of his other companies, a Tesla, on board.

The image of the red Tesla occupied by a mannequin dubbed Starman — after David Bowie — was seen around the world.

Not all SpaceX promises were kept though: that same year, Musk said he would send a group which included Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the Moon by 2023, but that never came to pass.

– 2020-2023: Starbase’s explosive beginning –

The tech trillionaire ended up prioritizing the development of his megarocket Starship, designed to travel to the Moon and, eventually, Mars.

To complete the project, he bought vast amounts of land in Texas and developed an industrial complex known as Starbase, where he would launch a series of Starship prototypes, most of which blew up into spectacular fireballs.

Musk justified the “rapid unscheduled disassembly” of these rockets, to use the entrepreneur’s favorite euphemism for explosions, by saying they were part of the learning process.

– 2024: The unprecedented ‘Super Heavy’ catch –

In October 2024, SpaceX succeeded in recovering the first stage of Starship, its “Super Heavy” booster, in a unique maneuver that had never been achieved before.

After launching the spacecraft, the booster detached and began its descent, returning to the SpaceX launch pad where a pair of “chopsticks” reached out to catch the booster and bring it to a halt.

The feat, while impressive, is only the first part of SpaceX’s plan to make Starship a fully reusable rocket — a goal it remains in pursuit of while dealing with several technical challenges.

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The Antitrust Division approved the blockbuster deal without demanding a single change, capping an eight-month review and clearing the way for one of the largest media mergers in years. 

It said the tie-up was “not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers” — and could even increase competition.

The approval is a coup for Paramount chief executive David Ellison, whose father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, largely financed the takeover. 

The elder Ellison, one of the world’s richest men, is a close ally of Trump. 

A group of Democratic senators led by Elizabeth Warren had warned that a Warner Bros. deal risked being “tainted by political favoritism and corruption,” urging the Justice Department to review it on the law and facts.

Larry Ellison’s financial guarantee was what finally won over the Warner Bros. board, sealing Paramount’s victory in a bruising bidding war with Netflix.

The combined company will control a sprawling roster of assets, including CNN, Warner Bros. Pictures and the HBO Max streaming service.

But the federal sign-off does not end the deal’s legal peril. 

A coalition of about 10 states led by California is preparing an antitrust lawsuit that could land this month, Bloomberg has reported. 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said this week the acquisition “remains an active investigation.” The European Commission is reviewing the merger as well.

Hollywood is uneasy about the deal.

Hundreds of actors and directors have signed a letter opposing the merger, warning it will choke production in an industry already battered by years of consolidation and cost-cutting.

The Justice Department pushed back on those fears directly, arguing the evidence did not show the merger would shrink output.

The saga began last year, when streaming giant Netflix and Paramount went to war over Warner Bros. and its prized back catalog. 

A wary Tinseltown reluctantly lined up behind Netflix as the lesser of two evils, only to watch Paramount keep raising its bid until the streamer walked away.

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After winning five Champions League titles as a club coach, the Italian will make his managerial debut in the sport’s biggest tournament at the helm of a Brazil side that has not lifted the trophy since 2002.

“It’s a new experience, it’s a new responsibility to represent the country of football,” Ancelotti said ahead of Brazil’s Group C opener against Morocco in New Jersey on Saturday.

“It comes down to two words: responsibility and honour. It’s a unique and very beautiful moment in my career.

“We have a team that can compete with every team in the world, we’re convinced of that. It’s a team with quality and experience, and with absolute confidence that it can compete with anyone,” he added.

Ancelotti, 67, predicted a very “balanced” World Cup and felt his players were well prepared going into their game with Morocco, in a section that also includes Scotland and Haiti. 

Brazil landed in the United States with doubts over their prospects after a rocky qualifying campaign, losing six of 18 matches. They finished fifth, which in previous years would have forced them into the play-offs.

They also arrived without injured forwards Rodrygo and Estevao, while Neymar will miss the opening game.

The 34-year-old suffered a right calf injury in mid-May and is expected to return to training next week, according to Ancelotti. He has not played for his country since 2023.

“Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible,” said the coach. 

“We called him up not only for his football ability, which is indisputable, but also for the experience and example he can give to the younger players in the group.”

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Cyle Larin got Canada’s goal after Jovo Lukic put Bosnia ahead with a header in the 21st minute in Toronto.

The result gave Canada its first point in World Cup history.

Canadian sides had a perfect record of futility at two previous tournament appearances in 1986 and 2022, with six losses.

Lukic’s goal from a corner sent the small but enthusiastic Bosnian contingent at the Toronto Stadium into a frenzy.

Canada had the majority of play in the first half but failed to generate any real chances.

The stadium erupted in the 17th minute when forward Jonathan David had a clear shot on goal, but it was easily handled by Bosnian keeper Nikola Vasilj.

Canada’s Ismael Kone had a golden opportunity in the 30th minute, but sailed his strike well over the net, prompting groans from tens of thousands of Canadians who blanketed the stadium in a sea of red.

The second half began in similar fashion, with Canada largely on the attack, but unable to find the net.

Bosnia’s veteran defender Sead Kolasinac saved a certain goal when he diverted a strike from David onto the crossbar, extending Canada’s agony.

But Larin’s strike in the 78th minute marked a high point in Canada’s limited World Cup history, causing a mostly Canadian crowd of 43,000 to erupt.

Canada threatened to go ahead in the final minutes, narrowly missing a goal near the final whistle.

Canadian entertainment royalty attended the match at the home of the MLS’s Toronto FC, including film star Ryan Reynolds, from Vancouver, and Saturday Night Live and Austin Powers star Mike Myers, a Toronto native.

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In a video shared on social media, the US Soccer Men’s National Team said the 79-year-old leader called Thursday night with a message of support.

Andrew Giuliani, the head of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, can be seen speaking with Trump on speakerphone, telling the president: “I’m standing in front of 26 champions and a great coach,” before handing the phone to US head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

“I just called to say you’re a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach, and you’re all about your record and your success, and I know how great the players are. I think you’ve got a really good chance of going all the way,” Trump said.

“I just want to wish you a lot of luck,” he added.

“Thank you so much for your support, Mr. President,” responded Pochettino.

Team USA faces off with Paraguay in Los Angeles for the first game in the tournament held on US soil in 32 years.

Trump will not attend the match on Friday, but told an AFP reporter earlier this week that he will attend the World Cup in some capacity.

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has previously said he expects Trump to present the trophy to the winning team at the final on July 19.

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The Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit to hand the Spurs a crushing 107-106 victory in game four on Wednesday and can capture the best-of-seven series for their first title since 1973 with a game-five win in San Antonio.

“There were a thousand ways we could have not lost that game,” Wembanyama admitted, but added: “It felt like there was a time to process this, to really dwell on it, but not anymore.

“We’re over it,” he told reporters at the Spurs’ practice on Friday. “It’s the playoffs. There’s no time to regret things for too long.”

That, he added, also goes for having had eggs thrown at him and a water bottle tossed at the team bus in New York.

“I didn’t really think much of it,” he said. “Obviously it’s not good at all. But it doesn’t bother me.”

The 7-foot-4 (2.24m) French center said players are “at this point where we can really empty the tank” but “Wemby” played 44 minutes on Wednesday and Spurs coach Mitch Johnson was concerned he left his 22-year-old star in too long.

“I have to make sure I help him have the energy required to finish the game as strong as he needs to finish the game,” Johnson said.

“Looking back on the game, I could have done better in that regard.”

Wembanyama himself vows fatigue will not be an issue in a must-win contest.

“It’s the playoffs. Everybody’s just as tired. It shouldn’t even be a factor in the game,” he said. “It’s not going to be a factor.”

Defiant Spurs players noted that LeBron James rallied Cleveland from 3-1 down in 2016 to win the NBA title.

“Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we’re going to do it,” said Wembanyama.

– ‘We can do it’ –

Leading in every game has taught the Spurs valuable lessons about what not to do when it comes to holding a late lead.

“We haven’t skipped any steps because we’ve made almost every mistake we could have possibly done, and we’ve learned from them,” Wembanyama said.

De’Aaron Fox, who struggled late in game four, said there was confidence to take even in defeat.

“Every game we’ve had some sort of a lead and we’re down 3-1. We have to figure out how to sustain those leads. We have to figure out how to finish games,” Fox said.

“These games have showed us we have a chance. It’s not like we’re going out there and getting steamrolled. We still have that belief we have a chance to win.”

Spurs guard Stephon Castle echoed that confidence.

“Each game we’ve been up and pretty much controlled the game for most of the game,” Castle said.

“We’ve had a 10-plus-point lead in every single game. Just trying to stay poised throughout that and keep our foot on the gas.

“We’ve made history all year,” Castle said of a Spurs team that ousted the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference finals.

“We’ve proven with our backs against the wall we can step up, so I don’t really expect this to be any different.”

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In a speech broadcast on national television, Diaz-Canel said Cuba would open more sectors to private businesses and streamline the approval process for new ventures.

“For non-state forms of management, the list of prohibited activities will be limited so that their scope of operations is as broad as possible,” the president said. “A process is underway… to approve all pending applications in the shortest time possible.”

Under pressure from the oil blockade imposed by Washington in January, the Cuban government has unveiled a series of reforms aimed at opening up the economy. 

Private businesses — which can employ up to 100 people — were authorized in 2021 and have become an increasingly important part of Cuba’s economy. Since February, they have been permitted to import fuel, a sector previously controlled exclusively by the state. 

As part of the new measures, the government will enable private businesses to invest in the economy on equal terms with foreign investors, after some of them recently left the country amid concerns over US sanctions.

Diaz-Canel said the government was also considering scrapping state intermediaries in import and export operations.

The president reiterated his commitment to decentralizing the economy and granting greater autonomy to state-owned enterprises, which account for roughly 80 percent of economic activity.

He also announced an overhaul of the state bureaucracy that would reduce the number of ministries and trim the the state workforce, a plan that requires parliamentary approval in July.

Diaz-Canel assured that the new reforms “will soon be discussed and approved very swiftly.”

He also sought to project confidence despite the country’s mounting economic difficulties.

“The country is not paralyzed; the country is facing this situation intelligently,” the president said, denouncing what he described as a “maximum pressure” policy from Washington.

In addition to the oil blockade, the United States has imposed a range of sanctions on Cuba.

The measures have further aggravated the economic, social and energy crises that have gripped the island for years despite its decades-long struggle against a US embargo dating back to 1962.

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The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the most right-wing in Israel’s history, vehemently opposes the emergence of a sovereign and fully independent Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and is working on the ground to undermine the possibility of a two-state solution.

The Paris meeting came ahead of a G7 summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains next week and was attended by the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas as well as ministers from Brazil, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

In a statement, representatives of Palestinian and Israeli civil society groups called on G7 leaders to urgently take action. 

“Israelis and Palestinians alike remain trapped in fear, insecurity, and trauma,” they said.

“The window for a solution remains open; but it is narrowing. This moment requires urgent diplomacy, grounded in partnership with civil society.”

The groups proposed an eight-point action plan, calling in particular for the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, progress on a two-state solution and a halt to settlement expansion.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reaffirmed France’s support for the two-state solution, saying “this year could be decisive.”

In a break with decades of Western foreign policy, France, Britain, Canada and several other countries last year recognised a Palestinian state.

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza, where a ceasefire in effect since October has largely halted fighting.

But Israel and Hamas trade near-daily accusations of ceasefire violations and the Gaza Strip remains gripped by bloodshed as progress on permanently ending the war remains stalled.

The Palestinian Authority led by president Mahmud Abbas appears extremely weakened and deeply unpopular.

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