World Cup 2026 live updates: US eliminated from World Cup after losing to Belgium, 4-1, in Round 16

Team USA is set to play in the Bay Area for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup on July 1, bringing excitement to local fans.

Team USA is set to play in the Bay Area for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup on July 1, bringing excitement to local fans - and steep ticket prices for those still hoping to attend.

If tickets were not purchased earlier, fans now face paying thousands of dollars on resale sites to get into the game. Still, many say they are making plans to gather at watch parties across the region to cheer on the team.

"It's one of the best things that could ever happen. Having USA here at Levi's? What more do you want?" said Jose Cardenas of San Jose.

But the surge in demand has driven prices up sharply. Victor Matheson, a sports economics professor at the College of the Holy Cross, said the matchup's significance is reflected in the cost.

"You finally got a really premier game. And guess what? Along with that premier game comes premier prices," Matheson said.

With original tickets sold out, fans are left to search resale markets, where the lowest prices were around $3,000 as of Saturday.

"That's, steep but there's so much, excitement behind the US people I think will pay it," said soccer fan Steven Evans.

Matheson said prices could dip slightly just before kickoff if sellers get desperate.

"In cases where people may have been hanging on to tickets specifically in hopes to resell them, and if they don't get their price, then they dump them right at the last minute," he said.

For those unable to secure tickets, watch parties throughout the Bay Area offer another way to take part in the moment.

"So much excitement in the air. I mean to host it since 1994. It's been a long gap and we believe we can go all the way," Evans said.

Fans say whether inside the stadium or watching from afar, the opportunity to support Team USA on soccer's biggest stage is something they do not want to miss.

The excitement around the World Cup continues in the Bay Area.

The excitement around the World Cup continues in the Bay Area.

And with it, heavy traffic and congested commuter lines.

"I hate it. I hate it so much. I think that's why the Caltrain is the best option," said Romulo Nunez.

Ahead of Tuesday night's game in Santa Clara, ABC7 Eyewitness News was outside the stadium as thousands of excited fans arrived on the VTA's light rail system.

VTA spokesperson Stacey Hendler Ross says Tuesday's ridership broke its all time record for the third time this year after transporting nearly 40-thousand riders.

"Last game was Saturday. We had 37,000 riders and prior to that our biggest ridership was for the Super Bowl in February and that was 31,000," said Hendler Ross.

One of those 40-thousand was Kitshia Zambrano Meza, who took BART down to the South Bay before hopping on the light rail.

"We knew it was going to be chaotic driving and parking and all of that. So we knew that BART was for sure the better option," she said.

Amid the surge in passengers, a number of commuters took to the internet to complain following Tuesday's game.

Some people say it took them over an hour to get on the VTA.

But Hendler Ross says they cleared the platforms outside the stadium within 90 minutes...well within their goal given the huge number of people.

"It's equivalent to moving a small city when you have that many people coming out of a stadium at once after a major event," she said.

A major event that will eventually come to an end.

And when it does, public transit agencies say they hope some commuters continue to ride.

"We think that people are learning the more people ride the system they understand how efficient it is, how affordable it is and it certainly helps keep them out of traffic and keeps them from having to pay large parking fees," said Hendler Ross.

The Bay Area's next World Cup game will take place on June 19.

Editor's Note: This story originally aired on Wednesday, June 17

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Mexican national team ahead of the World Cup was who would start in net.

Would it be the inexperienced Raúl Rangel, who hadn't played a single official match for El Tri? Or the great Guillermo Ochoa, the team's anchor since 2014?

Coach Javier Aguirre bet on youth, and it turned out to be a wise decision.

The 26-year-old Rangel made a spectacular 87th-minute save against South Korea to help the co-hosts secure a dramatic 1-0 victory and become the first team to reach the knockout stage of this year's World Cup.

With two shutouts already under his belt, Rangel has matched the feat of the iconic Jorge Campos. In Mexico's next match against the Czech Republic, he will try to emulate Ignacio Calderón, the only Mexico goalkeeper to record three clean sheets in a single World Cup - achieved at home in 1970.

"Raúl has shown great determination since we first called him up. He was Luis Ángel Malagón's backup, but he persevered and just kept improving," Aguirre said. "He played well with his club, Chivas, and improved day by day. Few players debut with such ease; usually, they have to learn by making mistakes. He seemed a bit nervous in the first match, but he did well."

Rangel's rise to World Cup stardom was very unexpected. He was playing in the second division with Tapatío only three years ago, he became a starter with Chivas just a year ago, and Malagón was the favorite to start for Mexico after leading the team to CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup titles, but a ruptured left Achilles tendon in March ruled him out.

Even then, doubts lingered over whether Aguirre would trust Rangel on the world stage or default to the veteran experience of Ochoa. At 40 years old, Ochoa is attending his sixth World Cup, having started in 2014 in Brazil, four years later in Russia, and then at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

History almost repeated itself for Ochoa. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ochoa was poised to be the starter, but Aguirre - also the coach back then - belatedly benched him in favor of veteran Óscar Pérez. This time, Aguirre went with youth.

Despite being relegated to the bench, Ochoa has embraced the role of teacher.

"I have to thank 'Memo,' who has been a true mentor to me. I say it openly, he has helped me a lot," Rangel said. "He has instilled in me the serenity he brings every day, despite all the World Cups he has played in."

After the match against South Korea, Ochoa waited for Rangel to greet him and hugged him before making his way to the locker room.

"Having Guillermo Ochoa behind me raises the level and intensity in all aspects, and that helps me mature. Knowing that I have a figure like him behind me, or beside me, supporting me, competing for the position, gives me a lot of confidence," Rangel said.

"Feeling like favorites would lead to complacency, and the team isn't ready for that," Rangel said about starting with two wins. "The team needs to focus on one game at a time, knowing that we're going to face tough opponents and avoiding overconfidence."

By keeping two clean sheets in his first two matches, Rangel equaled Ochoa's own debut run from 2014. Ochoa would go on to collect additional shutouts in 2018 and 2022, holding the Mexican record for the most total clean sheets in the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Campos, famous for his colorful uniforms and acrobatic style, recorded two shutouts over the 1994 and 1998 tournaments.

If Rangel manages to shutout the Czech Republic, he will equal Calderón's Mexican mark - though he will still be chasing the ultimate milestone. Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga holds the all-time World Cup record, keeping five consecutive clean sheets during the 1990 tournament.

Following Paraguay's stunning 1-0 upset over Turkiye, the U.S. has officially clinched first place in Group D, securing a highly anticipated Round of 32 knockout match at Levi's Stadium.

The crucial single-elimination game is locked for Wednesday, July 1 at 5 p.m.