The United States kicked off their home World Cup in style, thumping Paraguay 4-1 at a sold-out SoFi Stadium to top Group D and lift a mountain of pressure off Mauricio Pochettino. The headline act was Folarin Balogun, whose two goals carried the hosts to their biggest World Cup win in 96 years.
Inglewood’s 70,492 crowd barely had time to settle before the hosts were ahead. Damián Bobadilla turned into his own net inside seven minutes, and from there the USA never looked back. Balogun struck on 31 minutes, then again deep in first-half stoppage time to make it 3-0 at the break — a commanding lead that flattered nobody.
A historic afternoon for Balogun
Balogun’s brace put him in rare company. He became the first USA player to score twice in a single World Cup match since Bert Patenaude managed it back in 1930 — a wait of 96 years. The four goals, completed by Giovanni Reyna’s strike deep in second-half stoppage time, were the most the USA have ever scored in a single World Cup game. Maurício’s 73rd-minute effort was a mere consolation for Paraguay.
There was history elsewhere on the pitch too. Defender Chris Richards completed all 83 of his passes, a flawless display at the back, while veteran Tim Ream, 38, became the oldest player ever to represent the USA at a World Cup. You can follow every group as it unfolds on our live World Cup 2026 standings.
Pulisic withdrawn as a precaution
The one note of caution came at half-time, when Christian Pulisic was withdrawn after taking a knock to his left calf. Pochettino moved quickly to settle nerves, and Pulisic himself described the substitution as precautionary — sensible management with a 3-0 cushion and a long tournament ahead.
For Pochettino, this was exactly the start the host nation needed. Pre-tournament scrutiny had been intense; a four-goal opener answers a lot of questions in one afternoon.
The result leaves the USA top of Group D on three points, with Paraguay rooted to the bottom on zero and plenty of repair work to do. Win their next match and the co-hosts will be in a commanding position to reach the knockout rounds. For the full picture and every fixture still to come, head to our World Cup 2026 hub.