FIFA World Cup 2026 co-hosts United States launched their tournament in emphatic fashion, storming to a resounding 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Saturday morning.
Playing on home soil in front of a packed crowd at Los Angeles Stadium, Mauricio Pochettino's men dominated from the outset. The Americans caught an early break in the 7th minute when heavy defensive pressure forced Paraguayan midfielder Damián Bobadilla to inadvertently bundle the ball into his own net, handing the hosts a 1-0 advantage.
Star forward Folarin Balogun then took center stage, completely dismantling the Paraguayan defense before the interval. Balogun doubled the lead in the 31st minute by calmly slotting home a precise pass from Christian Pulisic. Deep into first-half stoppage time, the Monaco striker scored a spectacular individual goal, cutting past two defenders to curl the ball into the top corner and send the U.S. into halftime with a commanding 3-0 cushion.
Paraguay showed signs of life after the break, pulling a goal back in the 72nd minute when Maurício capitalized on a defensive lapse to beat American keeper Matt Freese. However, any hopes of a comeback were permanently dashed in the final minute of second-half injury time. Midfielder Gio Reyna capped off a sweeping counterattack with a brilliant outside-of-the-boot finish to seal the historic 4-1 scoreline.
With this dominant win, the United States secures 3 points to claim the top spot in Group D, which also features Australia and Turkey. The emphatic victory follows Friday night's Group B opener, where fellow co-hosts Canada fought back to rescue a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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