After the 1-0 win for Ivory Coast, the RB Leipzig winger discussed his Player of the Match performance, a rumored move to Liverpool, and overcoming Ecuador in the heat of Philadelphia.
Los Canaleros had a rough, points-free debut on the world's stage in 2018, but their experienced squad and well-organized defense give them hope heading into a tough group with England, Croatia, and Ghana.
The importance of that 4-1 USMNT win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, what we make of the rumor linking Christian Pulisic with interest from City Football Group, and the good and bad of fan travel to Metlife Stadium for the World Cup.
Both sides had chances, but it was the Ivory Coast that came out on top in the 90th minute to silence a Lincoln Financial Field crowd mostly wearing yellow jerseys and supporting Ecuador.
Fans at the first World Cup match in East Rutherford, New Jersey found it easier getting to the stadium before kickoff than they did getting home after Brazil played Morocco.
The four-time champions haven't been able to escape the group stage in back-to-back World Cups, and they'll hope a tantalizing front-four of attackers can guide them back to knockout-round success after years of disappointment.
After Brazil opened the World Cup with a draw, the Real Madrid superstar criticized the state of the New York/New Jersey Stadium pitch, while coach Carlo Ancelotti deflected questions surrounding his squad selection.
Boasting two of the four starting center-backs from this year's UEFA Champions League final, Ecuador will look to prove their second-place finish in South American qualifying wasn't a fluke.
The first World Cup match of 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, saw Morocco get off to a flying start, but a moment of brilliance from Vinícius Júnior and some necessary adjustments by Carlo Ancelotti helped Brazil rescue a point.
The United States stacked up a bunch of World Cup firsts while winning their tournament opener 4-1 over Paraguay, with NYCFC's Matt Freese starting in goal and making some history of his own.
What it was like at the first free World Cup watch party at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, and what New York City's World Cup czar said about the benefits of making the tournament more accessible and affordable.
What each of Matt Freese, Kai Trewin, and Aiden O'Neill will be hoping to accomplish for their national teams as play in Group D, home to both the United States and Australia, begins.
We convened a six-writer panel to make some bold predictions about the World Cup, like who will win it all, which players will take home top individual awards, and which hyped team will go down as the biggest flop.
Brazil struggled in qualifying and enter this World Cup flying a bit under the radar, but with a trophy-winning specialist at the helm and a world-class center-back pairing, they have a path to claiming the trophy for a sixth time.
When they open their World Cup in New Jersey, France will need to see Kylian Mbappé click as a center-forward, and they'll hope coach Didier Deschamps can find the right tournament formula one last time in search of another world title.
An unpacking of the controversies and off-field issues swirling around the World Cup as it kicks off, like pricing absurdities, attempted water-bottle bans, and US travel and immigration policies impacting fans, referees, and team officials.
