Folarin Balogun was the star of the show, scoring twice as USA began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Saturday.
The Monaco forward became only the second American player to score multiple goals in a World Cup match after Bert Patenaude (three) versus Paraguay in 1930.
It marked a perfect performance and result for the co-hosts, who laid down a statement of intent in front of a packed Los Angeles Stadium.
Buoyed by their supporters, the United States made a brilliant start to the game, pressing their opponents resiliently. The early pressure paid off as Mauricio Pochettino’s side were ahead after just seven minutes with Damián Bobadilla turning the ball into his own net from Weston McKennie’s cutback.
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USA thought they had extended their lead shortly before the half-hour mark, but Balogun’s finish was ruled out for an offside.
However, Balogun was not to be denied as he found the net 180 seconds after his disallowed goal. This time, his positioning was spot-on as he got on the end of Pulisic’s pass to side-foot a finish past Orlando Gill, making it 2-0.
Just before half-time, Balogun got his brace, completing a ruthless first half performance for the United States. The 24-year-old received a perfectly weighted pass from Malik Tillman, before cutting inside and blasting a finish into the roof of the net to make it 3-0.
The second half continued in the same fashion, with the co-hosts dominating possession. However, Paraguay got a goal back against the run of play in the 73rd minute, as substitute Mauricio found the net, giving his side a tiny bit of hope.
However, Giovanni Reyna restored the United States’ three-goal cushion in the dying minutes, dispatching a perfectly hit strike with the outside of his right boot to make it 4-1 and secure all three points.
The result sees USA go top of group D with their next game set to come up against Australia on Friday, June 19. Meanwhile, Paraguay will be desperate for victory when they face Turkey on Saturday.
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