USA Open Their Home World Cup in Style with a 4-1 Victory Over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium

June 12, 2026, Inglewood, California

Friday, June 12, 2026, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. In front of a crowd of 70,240 fans, the United States delivered an impressive performance in the opening match of their home FIFA World Cup campaign. The final score: USA 4-1 Paraguay. The American team entertained the home crowd with attacking football, energy, and confidence, making a strong statement from the very beginning of the tournament.

A Blazing First Half – 3-0 at the Break

The United States effectively decided the match within the first 45 minutes.

Goals:

Own Goal – Damián Bobadilla
The Paraguayan defender accidentally turned the ball into his own net, giving the USA an early lead.
Folarin Balogun Double
Balogun struck twice before halftime, becoming the first American player to score a World Cup brace since Bert Patenaude in 1930—ironically, also against Paraguay.
Christian Pulisic Dominates
Pulisic was unstoppable on the wing, repeatedly beating defender Juan Cáceres with his pace and skill. He also provided the assist for Balogun's first goal. His halftime substitution briefly worried American supporters.

Second Half – Control and a Reyna Masterpiece

Without Pulisic, the American attack lost some of its sharpness, but Paraguay never truly threatened a comeback.The South Americans managed to pull one goal back, making it 3-1, but struggled to contain the United States throughout the match. Paraguay received five yellow cards as they repeatedly resorted to fouls to stop the American attack.

88th Minute

Gio Reyna put the match beyond doubt with a stunning outside-of-the-foot finish to make it 4-1.The goal gave the United States the highest number of goals ever scored in a single FIFA World Cup match.