USA 4, Paraguay 1 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California | June 12, 2026

Balogun Brace and Pulisic Magic Send USA Flying in World Cup Opener

The United States announced themselves to the world in emphatic fashion on Friday night, dismantling Paraguay 4-1 in front of a raucous full house at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Folarin Balogun scored twice and Christian Pulisic ran roughshod over Paraguayan defenders as the United States recorded a dominating victory in their World Cup opener. It was the kind of performance that will have the rest of Group D sitting up and taking notice.

The packed house at SoFi Stadium shook like a Southern California earthquake as the world’s top soccer competition returned to American soil for the first time since 1994. The atmosphere was electric from the first whistle, and the USMNT fed off every single moment of it.

The Opening Goal

Pulisic split defenders, and his pass to Weston McKennie led to Damián Bobadilla’s own goal and a 1-0 American lead in just the seventh minute. The stadium erupted. The combination play between Pulisic and McKennie was exactly the kind of sharp, purposeful football that head coach Mauricio Pochettino had been demanding from his side, and Paraguay were immediately on the back foot.

Pulisic was as active on the left flank as we have seen in recent USMNT memory, constantly terrorizing the right side of Paraguay’s back line. Everything dangerous ran through him, and Paraguay simply had no answer.

Balogun Takes Over

Balogun found the back of Paraguay’s net in the 31st minute, cashing in on Pulisic’s precise cross. Antonee Robinson also deserves enormous credit for the quality of the ball he played to find Pulisic down the left that led to the first Balogun goal. It was a team goal in the truest sense of the word.

The cool, calm and focused Balogun then dribbled around two Paraguayan defenders and scored again in added time at the end of the first half to send the United States into the break with a stunning 3-0 lead. It was one of the most dominant opening halves the USMNT has produced in recent World Cup memory.

Second Half and the Pulisic Question

Pochettino opted to take Christian Pulisic off at halftime and replace him with Sebastian Berhalter, a decision that raised eyebrows given how influential the captain had been in the first half. There were immediate nerves surrounding the halftime exit, and his status became a major talking point, with his well documented hip and glute injuries in mind. The USMNT will be desperate to have him fit and firing for the matches ahead.

The second half was far more meandering and choppy than the first, and the Americans proved unable to keep a clean sheet when Paraguay’s Mauricio pulled one back shortly after the hydration break, making it 3-1 and giving the South Americans a consolation to take into their next match.

But the response from the United States was decisive. Gio Reyna produced a deeply satisfying fourth goal in second half stoppage time that sent the Americans fully into party mode and sealed a resounding 4-1 victory that will be remembered as one of the great opening night performances in USMNT history.

The Bigger Picture

The USMNT have now won their opening World Cup group stage match for the first time in years, and the manner of the victory will send a message across the entire tournament. Balogun looks sharp, Reyna looks hungry, and when Pulisic is on the field, this team is genuinely dangerous.

Group D also features Türkiye and Australia, and with three points and a plus three goal difference already on the board, the United States are perfectly positioned to advance from the group. The question now is not whether they can get out of the group, but just how far this team can go on home soil.

America is believing. And after tonight, so is the rest of the world.