United States open home World Cup with a 4-1 rout of Paraguay as Balogun and Reyna star
Mauricio Pochettino’s side needed only seven minutes to take the lead and never looked back at Los Angeles Stadium, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice before the break.
Opening blitz
The United States began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Group D at Los Angeles Stadium. Pochettino’s team were on the front from the opening whistle and took the lead after seven minutes when Christian Pulisic slipped past his marker and fed Weston McKennie, whose low cross was turned into his own net by Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla under pressure from Balogun.
Balogun takes over
The early goal settled any nerves and the Americans continued to press. Pulisic was the provider again on 31 minutes, escaping Cáceres and threading a pass for Balogun, who finished calmly to double the advantage. The Monaco forward grabbed his second deep into first-half stoppage time, winning a duel with Alderete and firing a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Gill to make it 3-0 at the interval.
Paraguay pull one back
Pochettino withdrew Pulisic early in the second half, sending on Berhalter, and the tempo dipped slightly. Paraguay offered little going forward but found a consolation goal in the 73rd minute. A long clearance from Gill was collected by Enciso, who slipped in Maurício Magalhães Prado, and the striker beat goalkeeper Freese with a left-footed finish. The United States responded immediately, with former Juventus winger Timothy Weah rattling the crossbar.
Reyna seals the rout
The home side managed the closing stages and added a fourth in stoppage time when Giovanni Reyna produced an audacious outside-of-the-boot finish to delight the crowd. The 4-1 scoreline sends the United States to the top of Group D with three points, pending the outcome of Sunday’s fixture between Australia and Turkey.
Group D outlook
The United States return to action on Friday 19 June against Australia (21:00 local time), while Paraguay face Turkey on Saturday 20 June at 05:00. With a three-goal margin from their opener, Pochettino’s squad have given themselves an early cushion in a group where every goal could prove decisive.
