It may take a lot more for the 2026 World Cup to come alive, with exorbitant ticket prices, visa issues and concerns among fans, but the United States ticked an important box as co-hosts. It was showtime in Los Angeles on Friday evening as the USA put on a show, thrashing Paraguay 4-1 in the first Group D game.A World Cup that has set off a number of debates may yet find meaning in Balogun, a 24-year-old who chose to play for the USA on the basis of his birthright citizenship.The star of USA’s handsome victory was striker Folarin Balogun, whose two first-half goals steered the hosts into a dominant 3-0 halftime lead. Substitute Giovanni Reyna rounded it off with a flourish, curling it home with the outside of his right boot from the final move of the match.A World Cup that has set off a number of debates may yet find meaning in Balogun, a 24-year-old who chose to play for the USA on the basis of his birthright citizenship. The Brooklyn-born forward could have played for Nigeria, the country of his parents, or England, where he was raised and played most of his football. The talented young striker moved on from Arsenal in search of playing time and currently plays for Monaco in Ligue 1.New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, wearing a New York Knicks shirt under his suit jacket rather than a US football shirt, exhorted fans to celebrate “the working class” sport while legions of supporters bitterly complained about the exorbitant pricing of match tickets and transport to and from venues.The focus on Friday will surely be on football after co-hosts Canada fought back to hold Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 in Toronto earlier in the day in the first Group B match. Canada earned their first point from a World Cup game – they had none from their previous two tournaments, in 1986 (Mexico) and 2022 (Qatar) – as substitute Cyle Larin’s late strike finally gave Canada’s Hollywood stars Mike Myers and Ryan Reynolds something to cheer. Bosnia had looked set for all three points after Jovo Lukic turned in a relay header from a corner.NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tom Cruise had plenty more to cheer at LA’s SoFi Stadium as Mauricio Pochettino’s team ran rings around the Paraguay defence, which was set up in an ineffective zonal formation that was repeatedly pierced. Christian Pulisic made life miserable for his marker on the left wing, combining brilliantly with left-back Antonee Robinson, while Sergino Dest constantly cut in from the right. All this often left Balogun lurking free at the top of the box.The USA took the lead from a left-wing move, with Pulisic slipping in a pass that was diverted into his own goal by Damian Bobadilla in the seventh minute. There was no respite for Paraguay, playing in their first World Cup since 2010 after qualifying as the sixth and final team from CONMEBOL and contesting their first match against the USA in 96 years.A Pulisic pass to Balogun was side-footed into the bottom corner in the 31st minute, and the powerful forward then drove forward and curled in a left-footed shot in first-half added time. Pochettino rang the changes – Pulisic was withdrawn at half-time – giving Paraguay more opportunities to attack, and Mauricio scored in the 73rd minute after a long ball from the goalkeeper was relayed to him on the left side of the penalty box.Dzeko stays on the benchEdin Dzeko is Bosnia’s captain, the face of the team and one of only two players – defender Sead Kolasinac is the other – to have featured since 2014. But the inspirational forward, now with Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, is also one of a record eight players over 40 at this World Cup and has only recently recovered from a collarbone fracture suffered during the playoff win over Italy. That meant Bosnia’s No. 11 did not come off the bench, as the team management sought to manage his minutes.The direct and enterprising Canadians did cause problems for Bosnia, especially in the second half. While Canada lacked a cutting edge with their final attempts, Kolasinac, the captain, pulled off crucial interventions, especially when he extended his right foot to divert one effort onto the roof of the net and out of harm’s way. But Larin’s brilliant shot from the top of the box could not be stopped.The USA next play Australia in Seattle on June 20, while Canada move to Vancouver, where they will play Qatar on June 19.