World Cup Desk – The co-hosts, United States, couldn’t have asked for a more spectacular start to their home World Cup campaign.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men delivered a clinical performance, dismantling Paraguay 4-1 in their Group D opener in front of a roaring crowd at SoFi Stadium in California.
A stunning brace from Folarin Balogun, an early own goal, and a late stoppage-time strike from Giovanni Reyna secured all 3 points for the Americans.
Early Drama and an Own Goal
The USMNT signaled their attacking intent right from the opening whistle. In the 7th minute, Weston McKennie drove deep from the midfield into the Paraguayan box.
After a sleek one-two combination with AC Milan star Christian Pulisic, McKennie fired a sharp cutback.
In a desperate attempt to clear, Paraguayan midfielder Damián Bobadilla accidentally deflected the ball into his own net, registering the first own goal of the 2026 World Cup.
Balogun Steals the Show
Refusing to sit on their 1-0 lead, the US kept pressing forward. In the 28th minute, AS Monaco forward Folarin Balogun found the back of the net off a pass from Pulisic and Tyler Adams, but the goal was ruled out by VAR due to an offside call against Pulisic.
Undeterred, the 24-year-old forward needed just three minutes to redeem himself. In the 31st minute, Pulisic delivered a precise pass from the left flank, and Balogun buried it into the net with a clinical first-touch finish, putting the hosts comfortably ahead 2-0.
The American dominance continued deep into the first half. Five minutes into stoppage time, Malik Tillman threaded a brilliant through-ball from midfield.
Balogun latched onto it, broke into the box, and unleashed a rocket past the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 just before the half-time whistle.
VAR Drama and Paraguay’s Consolation
Paraguay showed more defensive resilience in the second half. Controversy struck in the 50th minute when the referee initially showed a yellow card to US captain Tim Ream for a perceived foul on Miguel Almirón.
However, a VAR review revealed that Almirón had simulated the fall without any contact. The referee promptly rescinded Ream’s card and booked Almirón for simulation instead.
Paraguay managed to pull one back in the 73rd minute to hint at a potential comeback. Off a long clearance from their goalkeeper, Almirón found Julio Enciso, who slipped a pass to substitute Gabriel Ávalos. Ávalos made no mistake, slicing a precise shot into the bottom right corner to make it 3-1.
Reyna Puts the Icing on the Cake
As the USA adopted a more defensive posture to protect their lead, substitute Giovanni Reyna added the final flourish in the dying moments of the match.
Deep into stoppage time, Reyna received a pass from Brandon Vazquez at the edge of the box, controlled it beautifully, and curled a stunning strike into the net.
The spectacular goal sealed an emphatic 4-1 victory, sending a loud statement to the rest of the tournament.