Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The World Cup arrived in the United States on Friday in a blizzard of celebrity and glamour, with Los Angeles pulling out all the stops for the opening game between Team USA and Paraguay. The stands at SoFi Stadium were a who’s who of famous folk in the world’s entertainment capital, with movie legends like Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, and “Star Wars” director George Lucas joined by the likes of socialite Paris Hilton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Other Hollywood names included Oscar winner Halle Berry, actor and director Owen Wilson, and “West Wing” alum Rob Lowe.
Singer — and one-time astronaut — Katy Perry, who performed in the opening ceremony, repaired to the seats to watch the action on the pitch while she cuddled up to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The pair have recently gone “Insta-official” with a relationship that has sent not a small number of women around the world into a funk of jealousy. British footballing giant David Beckham was also in the stands — sitting next to Cruise — hours after he had been feted with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The honour was the latest in a long line for the former England captain, who was knighted by Britain’s King Charles last year to become Sir David Beckham.
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Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was also cheering for the USA, who romped to a 4-1 victory over a hapless-looking Paraguay, giving the host nation its highest-scoring World Cup result. Before the game began, a packed SoFi Stadium was bid a booming “Welcome to the USA” in a glitzy ceremony that kicked off more than five weeks of football in the US, which is sharing the tournament with Mexico and Canada. The stadium’s giant “jumbotron” screen flashed a close-up of the city’s famous Hollywood sign, before a marching band struck up and were joined by singers including Future, Tyla, Anitta, and K-pop star Lisa. Costumes and props were designed to evoke Los Angeles street art and the city’s creative industries.
Suspended from the roof of the space-age venue were enormous “FIFA” letters in the gold favored by US President Donald Trump — who did not attend. He instead spoke to the team via phone beforehand, telling them, “I think you’ve a really good chance of going all the way. I just want to wish you a lot of luck.” Fellow co-hosts Mexico and Canada have already played their first matches, each featuring a separate opening ceremony on home soil. Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0, while Canada came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw and their first-ever World Cup finals point, against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
© 2024 AFP
