Roker Report’s World Cup Diary, Part One!

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 12: Giovanni Reyna #7 of United States celebrates scoring with teammates and United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino during the second half against Paraguay during a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) | ISI Photos via Getty Images Well, the football has started, and some of it has been good, right? A Mackem scored a worldie on Friday night in what was probably the best game of the competition so far — not that many of us bothered to stay up until 4:00 to watch it.

Thus far, controversy off the pitch has taken the limelight.A Somalian referee was disgracefully denied entry to a country purely because he denied links to a terrorist organisation and shares a name with a man, whilst an alleged rapist has been allowed entry to one country — only for him naturally to be denied entry to another, somehow causing more controversy?The way certain teams from certain countries have been profiled and searched upon entry, while others of a certain other profile from a certain other continent have been welcomed with mariachi bands, marches and parties says a lot about the socio-political climate engulfing the world around this tournament, but hey, Gianni Infantino has told us to “chill and relax”.

Despite the ghoulish build-up caused by extortionate ticket prices leading to some stadiums reportedly only having sold 10% of tickets for certain games, $17 “foreign premium beers”, a 100% increase on parking and public transport costs and temperatures regularly above 30°C for players, I still can’t help but get excited.💸⚽ cervezas en el estadio.Una botella de agua cuesta cerca de US$5, una gaseosa US$6.

45 y una bebida deportiva unos US$7.17. En cuanto a las bebidas alcohólicas, una cerveza local supera los US$12 y una cerveza premium grande ronda los US$17.

39. (es una lata muy grande)… pic.

twitter.com/6cYJ58hqN5— Eduardo Lim