LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, and Southern California gets to see a piece of the action during the supersized tournament.
The U.S. will host 78 matches, eight of which will take place at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium. The venue will be known as Los Angeles Stadium for the duration of the tournament.
Team USA beat Paraguay 4-1 for its opening match at SoFi Stadium on Friday night in front of a crowd of thousands of Southern California fans.
We're bringing you live updates and everything you need to know.
If you don't have the opportunity to attend one of the World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium, there are still plenty of ways to take part.
We've compiled a list of Southern California watch parties, official fan festivals and things to know before the tournament gets underway.
Fans packed Liberty Park in Koreatown to watch South Korea kick off its World Cup journey with a nail-biting 2-1 win over Czechia.
"Korea winning just makes me so happy," Koreatown resident Patricia Kong said.
"The whole time, I was like, they can pull it off. I know they can, they can come back down by one. I was like, they have it in them," Edwin Aguilar of Studio City said.
As the World Cup gets underway, Caltrans is warning commuters to be prepared for extra congestion starting Friday.
It's urging people to use public transportation, especially if you're heading to a match in Inglewood.
You'll want to check out go511.com/worldcup for all of the various transportation options. That includes direct Metro bus service to the stadium from 15 different locations.
South Korea beat Czechia 2-1 in a thrilling Group A game in Mexico on Thursday night.
South Korea went down 1-0 after a goal by Ladislav Krejci in the 59th minute but then scored twice to come away with three points. A goal by Oh Hyeon-Gyu in the 80th minute proved to be the difference.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to watch the World Cup's inaugural matchup. That's where FIFA's Fan Festival is happening. This unique fan experience is only around through the weekend. It's only $10 to get in and kids get in for free.
If you weren't in Mexico City for the game, Plaza Mexico in Lynwood was the next best place to be. Some fans told Eyewitness News that watching the game there was almost like watching it in Mexico.
A sea of green jerseys jumped with joy as Mexico scored, not once, but twice to take the victory over South Africa. There were families with babies and people of all ages and walks of life under a unified tradition of cheering for Mexico.
Even before the game started, fans were ready with jerseys, Mexican flags and energy, dancing their way into the opening match.
Although the furthest Mexico has gone in a World Cup is quarter finals, fans are hopeful that the future of El Tri in this World Cup will be different.
FULL STORY HERE
