USA Dominates Paraguay 4-1 in Historic 2026 World Cup Opener
Published June 13, 2026
The United States men's national team began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a resounding 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles, marking a significant start to their co-hosting duties.
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The United States kicked off their journey as co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an emphatic 4-1 win against Paraguay. Playing in front of a passionate crowd of 70,492 at the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the American squad delivered a performance that immediately set a new benchmark for the team in World Cup history.
Under the guidance of new coach Mauricio Pochettino and a more dynamic tactical approach, the USMNT quickly established dominance, building a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime. Striker Folarin Balogun was instrumental in this early surge, netting two of the team's goals. This impressive offensive display saw the US score more than three goals in a World Cup match for the first time ever, a significant improvement from their combined total of three goals across four matches in the previous tournament in Qatar.
Paraguay, the lowest-ranked team in Group D and making their first World Cup appearance in 16 years, found it challenging to contain the revitalized American side. The atmosphere was electric, enhanced by an opening ceremony that preceded kick-off, celebrating the start of the tournament. The United States, co-hosting alongside Canada and Mexico, are currently ranked 17th by FIFA and are hopeful that the home advantage will propel them beyond their previous best quarter-final finishes in the expanded 48-team tournament.