Mass celebrations swept across New York - some fans climbed onto cars on the streets of Manhattan, while thousands of kilometers away, in Santa Monica, thunderous cheers could be heard from bars along the coast.
But the reason was not the World Cup game. The reason for the celebration was the triumph of the New York Knicks, who on Wednesday made a spectacular turnaround against the San Antonio Spurs and recorded a victory that will go down in history as the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, writes the British BBC.
The moment served as a reminder of the competition facing the world's biggest soccer event in the United States, as the U.S. national team prepares for its first match against Paraguay, tonight in Los Angeles at 3 a.m. local time.
Soccer still doesn't enjoy the same status and popularity as basketball or American football. According to a recent survey, as many as half of Americans surveyed said they weren't interested in the World Cup at all.
After preparations marked by political controversies and high ticket prices, the question arises - how excited are Americans really about the start of the tournament?
"I'm not interested in anything but the Knicks"
The United States, the home of baseball, is hosting the men's World Cup for the second time, after hosting it in 1994.
"Football is the sport of the future here and it will remain that way forever," some American media wrote at the time.
However, the organization of the 1994 FIFA World Cup left a deep mark on the development of football in the country. It contributed to the growth of football's popularity and paved the way for the establishment of MLS (Major League Soccer).
Yet, more than three decades later, the return of the World Cup has yet to fully capture the public's attention.
"You watched Batman? Do you know what Gotham looks like? This is what New York will look like on Saturday night if the Knicks win the title," one fan told BBC Sport.
In New York, however, the first signs of tournament fever can be seen, writes the BBC.
Subway cars are decorated with the colors of the national teams. Lionel Messi's image adorns huge billboards in Times Square, while fans can be seen in the streets of the "Big Apple" wearing the jerseys of Morocco and Brazil, who are playing one of the group stage matches in New York tomorrow night.
However, what New Yorkers are currently completely fascinated with is not football, but basketball.
The Knicks lead 3-1 in the NBA Finals series against the Spurs and are one step away from their first championship title since 1973.
"You watched Batman? Do you know what Gotham looks like? This is what New York will look like on Saturday night if the Knicks win the title," one fan told BBC Sport.
"Honestly, I haven't been following the World Cup too much. Right now, I'm not interested in anything but the Knicks."
Another fan, Frank, added:
"I'm completely focused on the Knicks, but as soon as the finals are over, I'll turn my attention to the World Cup. It's just that the Knicks are the talk of the town right now."
A younger fan was even more direct:
"I'll be honest - I don't know much about football."
Excitement is growing slowly but surely
On the other side of the country, in Los Angeles, where the US team will play two of its three group stage matches, the situation is similar.
Promotional banners with the word "LA26" can be seen on the streets, electronic billboards show players from the US national team, while a large mural in the city center features the image of Lionel Messi. Souvenirs related to the championship can also be found in some shops.
However, for those who are not football fans, it is very easy to not even notice that the tournament is starting.
A taxi driver who was driving the BBC team was genuinely surprised when he found out that the championship was starting.
"The World Cup is on? Who's participating?" he asked.
Organizers, however, believe that interest will grow as the tournament progresses.
"I think we had a slow start that is now growing into a real euphoria," says Larry Friedman, co-chairman of the Los Angeles World Cup Organizing Committee.
"People have been thinking about other sports and everyday obligations for a long time. They didn't pay much attention to something that seemed two or three years away. But now, with the start just around the corner, the excitement is growing day by day."
He reminds us that Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in the world.
"People from all over the world live here, and many will be cheering for their national teams."
Younger Americans are showing more interest
There is significantly more enthusiasm among the younger generation.
Isaiah from Sacramento County says he's never watched the World Cup before, but he's going to change that this year.
"I'm very excited. I've never followed the World Cup before, but now I will. Especially because it's being played here, in Los Angeles. It's going to be something new and different."
His friend Husna believes that the household will help popularize football.
"A lot of people here don't know what the World Cup is, but now that it's coming to Los Angeles, they'll definitely hear about it and start following it."
However, both admitted that they did not know who the USA was playing against in the first match.
Mahon, another young fan, believes interest will grow.
"We organize joint viewings of matches and we are very excited. We have friends who are not interested in football, but we try to get them involved and remind them that we support our country."
In his opinion, football has already overtaken baseball in popularity among the younger generations.
"However, I don't believe it will ever be bigger than American football or basketball. But people will definitely follow it more."
"I don't think many people even know that the World Cup has started"
Scotland's return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years attracted numerous Scottish fans to Boston.
Their enthusiasm, however, was not shared by a large number of the local population.
"I was sending a letter ten minutes ago and the girl at the counter asked me what I was doing here and if I was on vacation," said one Scottish fan.
"I was wearing the Scotland jersey. She didn't even know the World Cup had started."
Another added:
"Pubs are great, but I get the impression that most people have no idea that the World Cup is being played."
High ticket prices alienate local fans
One of the biggest topics among fans is ticket prices.
Even a few days before the first match of the US national team, there were still seats available in the stadium. However, the cheapest tickets cost $1.120, which made attending the games out of reach for many families.
Chris, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife and children, says they are big football fans.
"Our two daughters play soccer and we really love this sport. Unfortunately, we will be watching the games from home. Ticket prices are a separate story."
Brennan thinks similarly.
"If tickets were more affordable for families, we would definitely go to the stadium. This is how we will cheer from our living room."
The success of the national team could change everything
How much the World Cup will truly win over the American audience will largely depend on the results of the home team.
The longer the USA stays in the tournament, the greater the chance that public interest will continue to grow.
Signs of this growth are already there. At the national team's recent open training session, as many as 30.000 people registered for just 5.000 available tickets.
The Football Association is trying to reach out to audiences that don't normally follow sports. For example, national team player Malik Tillman recently appeared on the cover of a fashion magazine wearing an unusual hat in the shape of an elongated mushroom.
"Photos have been circulating in the national team's group chats. There are some really questionable edits," joked defender Chris Richards.
His teammate Mark McKenzie believes the goal is clear:
"The most important thing is to be visible. I'm always in favor of presenting ourselves to the audience in different ways."
If such attempts succeed in attracting new audiences, and the national team achieves a good result on home soil, the World Cup could leave a lasting mark on American soccer - just as it did back in 1994, the BBC concludes.
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