Co-host United States began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with an emphatic 4-1 win over Paraguay in a Group D match held in Los Angeles. Under coach Mauricio Pochettino, the team dominated from the start, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice to lead the victory. The match also saw an early own goal by Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla and a late strike from substitute Giovanni Reyna.

Balogun’s brace made him only the second American player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match, following Bert Patenaude’s hat-trick in 1930, also against Paraguay. The 4-1 result equaled the United States’ largest winning margin in World Cup history, matching their 3-0 victories over Paraguay and Belgium in 1930. Christian Pulisic played a key role in creating the opening goal and assisting Balogun’s first.

The win gave the United States a confident start to their home World Cup campaign, while Paraguay faced early disappointment in the tournament.