The U.S. men's national soccer team trained Monday morning in Irvine with fans in the stands ahead of its Copa Mundial De Fútbol De 2026 opener against Paraguay on Friday in Inglewood. The session at Championship Soccer Stadium gave selected supporters a close look at the team before the tournament begins Thursday.
Juan Reyes in Irvine
Juan Reyes traveled one and a half hours from San Diego with his 13-year-old son, Adrian, to watch the session at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine Great Park. Reyes said, "Desde que San Diego cuenta con un equipo profesional, empezamos a ver mucho más fútbol" and "Así que, cuando llegó la selección de EE. UU., estábamos deseando venir aquí."
Adrian had plenty of energy for the morning visit. "¡Estamos emocionadísimos!" he said while watching the team train.
Lottery seats and autographs
Fans who won a ticket lottery were given seats for the practice, turning a routine workout into a brief public window before the World Cup begins. Some players stayed after training to sign autographs, a small but direct reward for supporters who made the trip to Irvine.
Samantha Sánchez, who is from Anaheim, said, "Soy una gran aficionada" and added, "Pero también jugué al fútbol toda mi vida, así que, sin duda, es amor por este deporte." She added, "Solo quiero ver buenas jugadas" and "Quiero ver qué van a hacer en la Copa del Mundo."
Paraguay and the opener
The timing leaves little room between the public workout and the first match. The United States was scheduled to face Paraguay on Friday in Inglewood after already setting up its base in Irvine.
Joanna Chen Ancelat, who has followed the national team since 2010, said, "Es emocionante" and called the tournament near her home "Es algo que esperamos con ilusión, una oportunidad para que todos nos unamos y apoyemos a nuestro equipo." She also pointed to the weekend setback in Chicago, saying, "Creo que hoy se lo están tomando con calma. Jugaron un partido el sábado y, al enfrentarse a Alemania, estoy segura de que no fue nada fácil" and "Fue un partido difícil." The United States lost 2-1 to Germany in that friendly on Saturday, so Friday in Inglewood arrives with one last chance to reset before the largest World Cup in history starts with 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
