The USA look the part, but their two co-hosts have work to do
Mexico, the United States and Canada have all opened their home World Cup. One of the three hosts looked a class above the other two.
Jun 13, 2026
The 2026 World Cup belongs to three countries this summer, and after the opening round all three have now played. They could hardly have given Indian fans tuning in three more different impressions. The United States looked like a side that means business. Mexico got the job done without much polish. Canada celebrated a single point as if it were a trophy. Only one of the hosts walked away looking genuinely convincing.
The USA made the loudest statement
Of the three, the Americans were comfortably the most impressive. Their 4-1 win over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on June 12 was the most goals the US men have ever scored in a single World Cup match, and they were three up at the break for the first time in their tournament history. Folarin Balogun scored twice, Christian Pulisic pulled the strings with an assist, and Gio Reyna capped it with an audacious curled finish deep in stoppage time. A Damián Bobadilla own goal had already set the tone inside the first ten minutes.
There is a caveat worth keeping in mind. Paraguay are not one of the heavyweights, and a fast start at home in front of a roaring crowd is exactly what a host nation should produce. But you can only beat what is in front of you, and the US did it with a swagger that their qualifying campaign had not always promised. If Mauricio Pochettino’s side carry that intent into the knockout rounds, they look capable of a deep run.
Mexico did the job, but the discipline is a worry
Mexico opened the whole tournament on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca and came through it 2-0 against South Africa, with Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez on the scoresheet. Three points and a clean sheet in front of a packed Mexico City crowd is a solid night’s work, and few teams enjoy a tougher venue to visit.
The concern is how they got there. The match produced three red cards, which is not the kind of control a side wants to show in a group game it was expected to win. Mexico have the talent and the home advantage to go far, but they will not survive the latter stages playing with that kind of edge. The result was right. The temperament needs work.
Canada’s point was historic, and revealing
Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field carried real emotional weight. It was the first men’s World Cup match ever staged on Canadian soil, and Cyle Larin’s 78th-minute equaliser, after Jovo Lukić had headed Bosnia in front, earned the country its first point in World Cup history. Canadian teams had lost all six of their previous matches across 1986 and 2022, so a draw was something to savour.
Look past the milestone, though, and the night was a reminder of the gap. Canada had plenty of the ball but struggled to turn it into clear chances, and they needed a late goal to rescue a game they should have been controlling. A point is a point, and in a 48-team format where the eight best third-placed sides also progress, even draws keep a campaign breathing. But if Canada want more than a cameo at their own World Cup, the performances will have to climb above the occasion.
Who is best placed?
On the evidence so far, the USA are the host best set up to make noise. They have scored the most goals and looked the most convincing, and their group looks navigable. Mexico are right behind them on points but carry questions about composure, while Canada will likely be scrapping for one of those third-place spots. It is early, of course, and one round tells you only so much. But first impressions matter at a World Cup, and the three hosts have given three very different ones.