What a way for the U.S. to open the World Cup.
U.S. rolled to a 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, giving fans across the country plenty to celebrate.
That included supporters in Fresno, where soccer fans gathered at venues throughout the city to cheer on the red, white and blue.
The excitement hit even closer to home because of Fresno native Max Arfsten, who was named to the U.S. squad.
Although Arfsten did not see action against Paraguay, local fans were thrilled to see a Fresno-born player on the World Cup roster.
Arfsten attended San Joaquin Memorial before continuing his soccer journey to the national team.
At Strummer’s, members of the American Outlaws — the largest supporters group for the United States Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Teams — hosted a watch party for the match. Several fans sported Arfsten jerseys as they celebrated the U.S. victory.
When the U.S. scored its first goal, fans erupted in cheers and chanted “USA, USA!”.
The U.S. will play again on June 19 against Australia.
This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 10:20 PM.
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Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology.
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