Folarin Balogun starred with a brilliant first-half brace as the United States began their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in style, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in their Group D opener at a packed SoFi Stadium on Saturday.
Playing a World Cup match on home soil for the first time since 1994, the co-hosts delivered an attacking masterclass under Mauricio Pochettino. An early own goal from Damian Bobadilla, followed by two clinical strikes from Balogun and a late stunner from Gio Reyna, ensured the Americans collected all three points to make an emphatic start to their tournament.
The United States needed just seven minutes to break the deadlock when Paraguay midfielder Damian Bobadilla inadvertently turned Weston McKennie’s dangerous cross into his own net while attempting a clearance.
The early breakthrough allowed the hosts to dictate the tempo, with Christian Pulisic orchestrating several dangerous attacks and constantly troubling the Paraguayan defence.
Balogun thought he had doubled the lead midway through the first half, but the goal was ruled out for offside. The striker, however, made no mistake in the 31st minute. Pulisic split the defence with a perfectly weighted through ball, and Balogun calmly slotted home his finish to make it 2-0.
The 24-year-old produced an even better finish in first-half stoppage time. Receiving a pass from Malik Tillman inside the box, Balogun cut inside two defenders before curling a superb effort into the top corner, sending the home crowd into celebration as the United States took a commanding 3-0 lead into halftime.
Pochettino withdrew Pulisic at the break, but the hosts continued to control possession and prevent Paraguay from building sustained pressure.
Paraguay found a lifeline in the 74th minute when Julio Enciso reacted quickest to a loose ball and set up Mauricio, who fired a low shot past goalkeeper Matt Freese to reduce the deficit to 3-1.
Any hopes of a comeback, however, were short-lived. Substitute Ricardo Pepi nearly restored the three-goal cushion moments later before being denied by goalkeeper Orlando Gil.
Deep into stoppage time, Gio Reyna put the result beyond doubt. The midfielder finished off a swift counterattack with a superb outside-of-the-boot strike that beat Gil and sealed a convincing 4-1 victory for the hosts.
The win sends the United States to the top of Group D ahead of Türkiye’s clash against Australia later on Saturday. The Americans will next face Australia in Seattle on June 19, while Paraguay will look to bounce back against Türkiye on the same day.