The United States opened its FIFA World Cup 2026 run with a historic 4-1 victory over Paraguay, scoring early and never letting the visitors fully settle in, according to NBC News. The Americans led 3-0 by halftime, then added one more late goal to finish a strong first step in the tournament.
Christian Pulisic helped set the tone and Folarin Balogun was on fire, scoring twice for the U.S. in front of a packed crowd at SoFi Stadium. Paraguay got one back in the second half, but the U.S. stayed in control throughout most of the match, per NBC News.
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Folarin Balogun USMNT | Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Balogun leads the attack
The U.S. struck first when Pulisic split the defense and found Weston McKennie, whose play led to Damián Bobadilla's own goal in the seventh minute, NBC News confirmed. Balogun then scored in the 31st minute off a Pulisic cross, and he added another goal before halftime to put the game out of reach.
According to Fox Sports, Balogun said, “The first game is always the most difficult, to get the nerves out of the way.†He also called it “a dreamy night†after scoring twice in the opener. Pulisic added, “All in all, just an incredible start. But there's a lot more we still have to do,†per NBC News.
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Christian Pulisic USMNT | Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Pulisic leaves at Halftime
Coach Mauricio Pochettino took Pulisic off at halftime, and Pulisic later said he was kicked in the calf late in the first half, NBC noted. He said, per the publication, “I'm really hoping that it's nothing,†and described the move as “Taking a little bit of precaution today.â€
According to NBC News, Paraguay's Mauricio Magalhães scored in the 73rd minute, but the U.S. answered late when Gio Reyna curled in a goal from about 17 yards out. The win gave the host nation an early boost as it heads into its next Group D match against Australia.
