{"id":7223,"date":"2026-06-12T16:35:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/12\/usa-vs-paraguay-world-cup-fever-grips-los-angeles-despite-trump-policies\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T16:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:35:35","slug":"usa-vs-paraguay-world-cup-fever-grips-los-angeles-despite-trump-policies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/12\/usa-vs-paraguay-world-cup-fever-grips-los-angeles-despite-trump-policies\/","title":{"rendered":"USA vs Paraguay: World Cup fever grips Los Angeles despite Trump policies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p><strong>Los Angeles, California \u2014<\/strong> Juan Cortes has hung the flags of the United States and Mexico outside his mechanic shop in Los Angeles as he celebrates the return of the FIFA World Cup to Southern California after 32 years.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his love of the game and the tournament, Cortes will not attend a single World Cup fixture in the football-mad metropolis, which is hosting eight matches \u2013 including USA\u2019s opener against Paraguay on Friday \u2013 a few kilometres from his business.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/6\/12\/world-cup-day-2-usa-canada-begin-schedule-predictions-and-how-to-watch\">World Cup day 2: USA, Canada begin \u2013 schedule, predictions and how to watch<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/video\/newsfeed\/2026\/6\/12\/protesters-clash-with-police-during-world-cup-opening-match\">Protesters clash with police during World Cup opening match<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/video\/newsfeed\/2026\/6\/12\/video-us-defends-visa-denials-at-world-cup\">Video: US defends visa denials at World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Exorbitant ticket prices have pushed World Cup games out of reach for die-hard fans like Cortes, who will instead settle for watching the action on the screen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wish they would help us out \u2013 so people like us, who are into the game and have the passion for their teams, were able to go see our idols play,\u201d Cortes told Al Jazeera as he stood with the two flags behind him and cars whizzing past on the busy road in front of him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not every day I get to see a World Cup in my country.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4597216\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4597216\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/INTERACTIVE-World-Cup-2026-Stadiums-Los_Angeles_Stadium-1779602605.jpg?quality=80\" alt=\"INTERACTIVE World Cup 2026 Stadiums Los_Angeles_Stadium-1779602605\" data-interactive=\"true\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4597216\">(Al Jazeera)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tickets for the home team\u2019s opening game were still available on resale platforms less than 12 hours from kickoff.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the heartache, the Mexican-American fan is ecstatic about being incredibly close to the action and was thrilled to have seen the Paraguay team bus drive past his shop earlier.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery four years, I get excited. I know my Mexico can make it further than the World Cup before, and if they don\u2019t make it far, I know my US [is] right behind them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>As World Cup fever grips Los Angeles, excitement for the tournament has slowly overcome the controversies surrounding it, including the travel and immigration policies implemented by US President Donald Trump\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n<p>Reminders of the World Cup are everywhere in America\u2019s second-largest city. Local businesses, ranging from bars to skateboard shops and tattoo parlours, are proudly flying the flags of the teams.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-class-thing\">\u2018A class thing\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Late on Thursday, cheering could be heard across Venice Beach in western Los Angeles as South Korea and the Czech Republic faced off in the tournament\u2019s second game in Mexico, with fans flooding bars to catch the action late into the night.<\/p>\n<p>When Mexico beat South Africa in the tournament\u2019s opening game in Mexico City earlier in the day, dozens of proud fans walked around in Mexico\u2019s distinctive green football shirts.<\/p>\n<p>Among them was Francisco Aguilar, a football fan from Texas, who is visiting LA but cannot get tickets for any games.<\/p>\n<p>Aguilar said it was sad that the tournament\u2019s organisers had prioritised profits instead of making the games accessible for the most passionate fans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just sad that you can\u2019t go; it\u2019s a class thing,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p>The disappointment hasn\u2019t dampened Aguilar\u2019s anticipation for the tournament and magical on-field action, especially as he wants to see Spain\u2019s young superstar Lamine Yamal play his first World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Aguilar is also optimistic that Mexico will make a deep run in the tournament on home soil. His prediction for the final is a repeat of the 2022 decider between Argentina and France, terming it a \u201crevenge\u201d match for Kylian Mbappe\u2019s side.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond ticket prices, visa and travel issues in the US have dampened some of the joy around the tournament, fans and activists say.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, US authorities denied entry to Somali referee Omar Artan, who was set to officiate some games.<\/p>\n<p>Iraqi player Aymen Hussein was detained for nearly seven hours after arriving in Chicago earlier this month before being allowed into the country.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, fans from across the world have reported being denied US visas.<\/p>\n<p>Amid the war with Iran in March, Trump said it would not be \u201cappropriate\u201d for the Iranian team to participate in the World Cup, suggesting that they should stay away for \u201ctheir own life and safety\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Subsequently, the Iranians set up their base in Mexico, not in the US where all their group stage games will still be played.<\/p>\n<p>In an unusual arrangement, Team Melli, who start their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday, will only travel to the US for their matches and return to the base camp south of the border.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ice-concerns\">ICE concerns<\/h2>\n<p>Another worry for some rights advocates is potential immigration raids in and around stadiums.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/28\/trump-administration-sues-states-for-denying-ice-agents-undercover-plates\">Trump administration<\/a> has not ruled out deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to games.<\/p>\n<p>Lisa Walker, an activist with the advocacy group, the Venice Resistance, held a sign featuring a football and the caption \u201cICE out\u201d at a small protest on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Walker said people are \u201creally concerned\u201d about ICE raids during the tournament.<\/p>\n<p>She also slammed the Trump administration for its travel bans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t see any reason why we should be banning people during the World Cup. I mean, it is the World Cup,\u201d Walker told Al Jazeera, emphasising the international nature of the event.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just fascism, and I hope this will shed light on what we\u2019re experiencing here in America. I think most people around the world probably already see it. I hope that we can make some changes here soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4650225\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4650225\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PXL_20260612_012528457-1781252631.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C578&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Lisa Walker\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4650225\">Activist Lisa Walker during a protest in Los Angeles, June 11, 2026 [Ali Harb\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jan Wilkinson, an English fan from London, said he did not have any issues coming into the US for the World Cup, but said \u201cit\u2019s not a good look\u201d for the country to turn back people such as Artan the referee.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Wilkinson praised the excitement around the event in the US. \u201cIt\u2019s buzzing, absolutely buzzing, great atmosphere so far,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Politics aside, will England take advantage of the top talent at their disposal and break the curse of faltering near the finish line at major tournaments?<\/p>\n<p>Wilkinson appeared confident.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s coming over. We\u2019ve been saying that for 60 years, but this year it\u2019s coming home,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Los Angeles, California \u2014 Juan Cortes has hung the flags of the United States and Mexico outside his mechanic shop in Los Angeles as he celebrates the return of the FIFA World Cup to Southern California after 32 years. Despite his love of the game and the tournament, Cortes will not attend a single World &#8230; <a title=\"USA vs Paraguay: World Cup fever grips Los Angeles despite Trump policies\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/12\/usa-vs-paraguay-world-cup-fever-grips-los-angeles-despite-trump-policies\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about USA vs Paraguay: World Cup fever grips Los Angeles despite Trump policies\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}