United States beats Paraguay 4-1 in World Cup home opener with Balogun brace

The United States kicked off their home World Cup campaign in style with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. An own goal from Damián Bobadilla and a clinical brace from Folarin Balogun put the hosts firmly in control before Gio Reyna's stunning late strike capped an impressive opening-night performance. Mauricio grabbed a consolation goal for Paraguay, but it did little to dampen the celebratory mood as the USMNT made the perfect start on home soil.Opening Statement. pic.twitter.com/yhWOQbVlV8— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 13, 2026 Roared on by a packed and passionate crowd, the USMNT made a blistering start and were rewarded with an early breakthrough. Weston McKennie delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area, and Paraguay defender Damián Bobadilla could only divert the ball into his own net as the hosts took the lead.The Americans continued to dominate proceedings, with Folarin Balogun emerging as the standout performer. The striker thought he had doubled the advantage with a clinical finish midway through the first half, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside after a VAR review.Balogun was not to be denied for long. The forward showcased his quality with a superb finish to extend the United States' lead before halftime, giving the hosts complete control of the contest.Our stage. pic.twitter.com/VcSmN4LyX3— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 13, 2026 'You've Got A Really Good Chance': Trump Rallies USMNT In Phone Call Ahead Of Paraguay ShowdownAfter the break, the U.S. maintained their attacking intensity and Balogun struck again, producing another composed finish to grab his second goal of the evening and put the result beyond doubt.Paraguay managed to pull a goal back late in the match through Mauricio, briefly threatening to spoil the celebratory atmosphere. However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished when Gio Reyna capped a brilliant team performance with a stunning strike to restore the three-goal cushion.The 4-1 victory marked an ideal start to the World Cup for the United States, whose energetic display, attacking quality, and clinical finishing sent a strong message to the rest of the tournament. With Balogun in inspired form and key players such as McKennie and Reyna impressing, the USMNT could hardly have asked for a better opening night on home soil.

LOS ANGELES, United States  (AFP) — The United States could scarcely have scripted a better start to their World Cup as a Folarin Balogun brace and Gio Reyna curler fired the co-hosts to a 4-1 drubbing of Paraguay in front of Hollywood royalty in Los Angeles on Friday. The hosts took the lead in the tournament's first game on US soil within seven minutes thanks to an own goal, and by the end of an utterly dominant half the home fans were in dreamland, their side up by three. Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton were among a sold-out 70,492 crowd as the US -- co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada -- piled wave after wave of attacks on the South Americans, with Reyna polishing off the win late in stoppage time after Mauricio had pulled one back. The win and emphatic scoreline puts the US in a favorable position already to progress from Group D, which also contains Australia and Turkey. The night's only potential sour note was the half-time withdrawal of Christian Pulisic, the US attacking talisman who is carrying the hopes of the nation as they attempt a deep run into the World Cup knockouts for the first time since their quarter-final appearance in 2002. Paraguay could not have been more obliging guests from kickoff. In the seventh minute, Weston McKennie picked up the ball in the center circle and drove upfield, finding Pulisic. Pulisic darted between two defenders and returned the ball to McKennie, whose pass to striker Balogun was bundled into his own net by a hapless Damian Bobadilla. The stadium erupted, and a US onslaught began. The hosts oozed confidence. Both McKennie and Tillman played backheel through balls into the area, while captain Tim Ream sprayed out passes from the heart of defense. Balogun had a goal ruled out in the 28th minute. He had strayed offside, as had Pulisic in the buildup. But the Monaco striker had the ball in the net again three minutes later, thanks to a superb ball down the left flank by Antonee Robinson to Pulisic, whose cross to Balogun took a slight fortuitous deflection. The US added a third on the cusp of half-time. Tillman found Balogun down the right, who evaded Omar Alderete's challenge, skipped inside Gustavo Gomez and curled his shot perfectly into the top left corner. It could have been four or five, with Chris Richards -- returning from injury -- flashing a header barely an inch wide. The US had 75 percent possession in the first half. Now without the dangerous Pulisic, the hosts sat back slightly in the second half. Paraguay finally offered a threat. Their dangerous forward Julio Enciso, who started despite a hamstring injury, picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fed in Brazil-born substitute Mauricio, who pulled one back. Reyna scored a superb fourth with the outside of his right foot that curled just inside the far post. The game had been preceded by a Tinseltown-style opening ceremony. Katy Perry delivered the headline performance, accompanied by singers Future, Tyla, Anitta and K-pop star Lisa. Performers danced around a giant World Cup trophy beneath enormous "FIFA" letters in the gold favored by US President Donald Trump -- who did not attend, instead wishing the team luck via phone before kickoff.