USMNT Beats Paraguay 4-1 in 2026 World Cup Opener

Folarin Balogun scored twice in the first half, Christian Pulisic set the tone before a precautionary substitution at the break, and Gio Reyna completed the rout with a stoppage-time trivela as the United States opened its home World Cup with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night.

Balogun's Brace and Pulisic's Influence Drove a 3-0 Lead at Halftime

The U.S. went ahead in the seventh minute when a Paraguay defender turned the ball into his own net, a mistake created directly by the movement of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie. Balogun doubled the lead in the 31st minute, then struck again in first-half stoppage time — assisted by Malik Tillman — to give the U.S. a 3-0 cushion at the break, the largest halftime advantage the team has ever held in a World Cup match.

Pulisic was the first half's most influential figure in terms of creating danger and drawing defensive attention, but he did not return for the second half. He had taken a knock to his left calf in training earlier in the week and told reporters afterward that he hoped "it's nothing," though his substitution at halftime was described as precautionary. Sebastian Berhalter came on in his place. The calf issue remains unresolved heading into the U.S.'s next group match. Paraguay pulled one back through Maurício in the second half, but the game was not seriously in doubt. The chart below maps every goal across the 90 minutes.

Historic Benchmarks Place This Performance Alongside the 1930 World Cup

The numbers from Thursday sit in rare company in the history of the U.S. program at the World Cup. The 3-0 halftime advantage was the largest the team has ever held at the break in a World Cup match. The four-goal final total was the first time the U.S. had scored four or more times in a World Cup game since 1930 — a gap of 96 years. Balogun's two-goal game was also the first multi-goal World Cup performance by an American in 96 years; no U.S. player had managed that feat at the tournament since the 1930 edition. Coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters the result reflected a transformation in the team's confidence and creativity. Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro acknowledged the U.S. had been dominant across technical, tactical, and physical dimensions. The three milestones below capture the scale of what was accomplished.

Reyna's Trivela and a Personal Announcement Closed Out the Night

With the result settled, Gio Reyna came off the bench and scored in stoppage time with a trivela — a curved pass or shot struck with the outside of the foot — to make it 4-1. The celebration was personal: Reyna placed the ball under his jersey and put his thumb in his mouth, a gesture used to announce a pregnancy. He and his partner are expecting a child. The moment gave the 70,492 fans at SoFi Stadium an additional reason to celebrate beyond the scoreline itself, and it rounded off a performance that the U.S. coaching staff will carry as a confidence-builder into the rest of Group D play. Australia and Türkiye also opened Group D action with a match in Vancouver. The goalscorer breakdown from Thursday's match is shown below.