Ten observations after attending a World Cup match in the US

With the World Cup getting into full swing, Al Jazeera offers some tips for fans looking to attend a game in the US.

Los Angeles, California – The United States of America, the land of Donald Trump, baseball, gun violence and endless highways, is now co-host to football’s biggest tournament.

The World Cup is off to a good start for the US, with its team beating Paraguay four to one in Los Angeles on Friday. The result was an electric, hometown celebration, despite the visible clusters of empty seats.

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Before kickoff at SoFi Stadium, there were concerns about organisation and logistics, but Friday’s game went largely without incident.

The US, which is organising the tournament with Canada and Mexico, is set to host 78 of the 104 matches in this year’s World Cup.

Here are some observations and tips for fans after the first US-based game in Los Angeles:

Invest in transparent bags: Any bag bigger than a wallet will not be allowed into the stadium, unless it’s see-through. So if you’re attending a game in the US, keep your purse or backpack at home and buy a clear bag if you must have one.

Get ready for airport-style security: The process is pretty standard. Empty your pockets, put your see-through bag in the scanner and be ready for further inspection if the security gate beeps.

Food and drink prices are outrageous: $5.25 for a bottle of water… $5.75 for a small bag of crisps… As much as $21.50 for a beer. Expect to pay at least twice the normal price for food and beverages at the stadium.

Get the ticket app: Gatekeepers at the stadium will not accept any alternative to the FIFA app, FWC2026, when it comes to validating tickets. You may be able to add the ticket from the app to your digital wallet before the game, but screenshots and printouts will not do, so make sure your phone is charged.

The traffic is real: Most parts of the US do not have reliable public transport, so driving is the default mode of transportation.

Many US host cities are trying to facilitate fans’ arrival to the stadium without the need for a car. For example, Los Angeles has commissioned shuttle buses to bring fans to SoFi Stadium from transport hubs downtown. Still, there was suffocating traffic around the match on Friday. The gridlock remained for several hours after the game.

Plan to arrive early. Also, check local media outlets and the social media pages for the host cities’ municipal governments for the best way to get to the stadium, especially if you don’t want to get stuck in seemingly endless traffic.

Armies of staff and volunteers: Seeking to head off potential problems, US organisers have flooded the games with extra hands. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of workers and volunteers acting as stewards and assisting the crowd at the opening game in Los Angeles. Don’t be afraid to ask them for directions or help.

Law enforcement agents everywhere: In general, US police are seen as more militarised than those of their Western counterparts. At the World Cup, their presence has been exponentially amplified. There were heavily armed officers from numerous agencies everywhere around the stadium.

Don’t be too alarmed if you see a 20-something-year-old with a huge automatic rifle and tactical gear at your next World Cup match. That’s just America.

Don’t pet the police dogs: Speaking of policing, many agents walk around with their sniffer dogs, who may appear cute and harmless, but don’t try to pet them. The officers won’t like it.

Brace for commercial culture: Take the ongoing trend of the commercialisation of football, and add US capitalism to it. What you get is what’s happening at this World Cup: Everything is sponsored.

Corporations — from soda brands to banks and car manufacturers — have significant presence around the stadium with stations to promote and sell their products.

Don’t expect much around the stadium: Many football stadiums around the world are built in the hearts of their cities. They’re surrounded by restaurants, cultural sites and vibrant communities right outside their gates. That is not the case in the US.

With the abundance of land, dominance of driving culture and the sprawling nature of US cities, many stadiums are relatively far away from city centres and isolated from urban bustle. Depending on where your World Cup match is located, it may not be advisable to count on the stadium area to offer anything other than football.