The United States got its World Cup 2026 campaign off to a thundering, near-flawless start with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night. Played in front of a rapturous crowd of 70,492 fans at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, the US men’s national team delivered arguably the best half of soccer they have ever played at a men’s World Cup, putting the South Americans to the sword early on.
Following an opening ceremony performance by Katy Perry that set a distinctly American party tone, Mauricio Pochettino’s side embraced the weight of immense expectations. Powered by a brilliant first-half performance from Christian Pulisic and a lethal brace by Folarin Balogun, the Stars and Stripes took complete control of their Group D destiny.
A Frenetic Start and an Early Breakthrough
The visitors briefly threatened to spoil the party early on. Paraguay took advantage of a frenetic start, with Antonio Sanabria forcing an early save from US goalkeeper Matt Freese. However, from that moment forward, it was all USA.
The breakthrough arrived in the seventh minute, courtesy of the enduring connection between Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic. McKennie sprayed the ball out to the left wing for Pulisic, who bamboozled two defenders before squaring the ball back. McKennie looked to cross the ball through the box, but Paraguay defender Damián Bobadilla stretched out a foot and inadvertently deflected it past his own goalkeeper, Omar Gill, giving the US an early 1-0 lead.
Pulisic continued to act as the primary danger man. In the 31st minute, the AC Milan forward successfully got in behind his defender on the left wing and slotted a perfect pass to Folarin Balogun. The Monaco striker made no mistake, finishing inside the far post to double the hosts’ advantage.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Balogun struck again. Running onto a threaded through ball from Malik Tillman, the 24-year-old cut back against the grain and smashed a confident left-footed finish into the top left corner, sending the American fans into raptures and securing a 3-0 halftime lead.
Match Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Competition | World Cup 2026 (Group D) |
| Match | USA vs Paraguay |
| Venue | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California |
| Attendance | 70,492 |
| Final Score | USA 4 – 1 Paraguay |
Pulisic’s Surprise Exit and Paraguay’s Push
Despite a sensational first 45 minutes, a wave of concern swept the stadium when Pulisic was substituted at halftime for Sebastian Berhalter. While Berhalter—the son of former US coach Gregg Berhalter—added defensive bite to the midfield, the departure of the team’s best player raised immediate questions, though reports indicated Pulisic signaled to his family that he was okay.
With the pace of the game slowing in the second half, Paraguay made tactical adjustments, bringing on attacking midfielder Mauricio for Bobadilla. The substitution injected new life into the visitors. In the 73rd minute, Mauricio latched onto a subtle pass from Julio Enciso and fired home to give the South Americans a lifeline.
The goal reawakened the USA. Malik Tillman had a glorious chance to restore the three-goal cushion but showed hesitancy in front of the net, allowing Gill to save comfortably.
A New VAR Rule and Reyna’s Cherry on Top
The second half also featured a historic World Cup first: the introduction of a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review for “mistaken identity.” The VAR stepped in to overturn a foul and a yellow card initially given to American defender Tim Ream. Replays clearly showed Ream made no contact, and the yellow card was instead issued to Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón for embellishment.
As the match entered its dying seconds, the United States provided a final exclamation point. Substitute Gio Reyna completed the rout in stoppage time, bending an impressive, long-distance strike off the outside of his boot into the back of the net to seal the 4-1 victory.
Goal Summary Timeline
| Minute | Goalscorer | Team | Assist / Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7′ | Damián Bobadilla (Own Goal) | USA | Forced by McKennie cross |
| 31′ | Folarin Balogun | USA | Christian Pulisic |
| 45’+ | Folarin Balogun | USA | Malik Tillman |
| 73′ | Mauricio | Paraguay | Julio Enciso |
| 90’+ | Giovanni Reyna | USA | Trivela (outside of boot) finish |
Historic Milestones and Looking Ahead
The 4-1 result rewrote the history books for American soccer. The four goals represent the most the US men’s team has ever scored in a single World Cup match—eclipsing their total goal tally from the entirety of the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Furthermore, Folarin Balogun became only the fourth player in World Cup history to score a brace in a host nation’s opening match, joining an elite list featuring Neymar (2014), Denis Cheryshev (2018), and Enner Valencia (2022).
The co-hosts ran out comfortable winners and will head into their next match full of confidence. The USA will travel to Seattle to face Australia on June 19, while Paraguay will head to San Francisco to play Turkey in their next Group D fixture.
All in all, it was a dream start to a home World Cup, sending the hype surrounding this golden generation of American players into overdrive.
