2026 World Cup: USA Make Flying Start at Home with 4-1 Rout of Paraguay -

Former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun scored twice as the United States opened their home World Cup campaign in emphatic style, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles to record their joint biggest-ever victory in the tournament.

Under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the USA made a flying start in front of a packed stadium, immediately settling early nerves and taking control of the contest. Their breakthrough came in the seventh minute when sustained pressure from Christian Pulisic forced an own goal from Paraguay defender Damian Bobadilla, giving the hosts a deserved lead.

Pulisic dictated much of the early tempo before being withdrawn at half-time as a precaution, but by that stage the USA were already in full command. Balogun had taken centre stage, striking twice before the interval with clinical finishing that exposed Paraguay’s defensive disarray and effectively put the match beyond reach.

After the break, the intensity dropped slightly, allowing Paraguay to find a consolation goal through substitute Mauricio with 17 minutes remaining. However, any hope of a comeback was quickly extinguished when Giovanni Reyna added a fourth for the USA in the closing moments, finishing confidently with the outside of his boot to cap a dominant display.

The result marks a statement start for Pochettino’s side on home soil. While questions remain about how far this performance can carry them in the tournament, the scale and authority of the victory underline a team capable of serious attacking threat and growing confidence on the world stage.