The United States men's national team began its 2026 World Cup campaign with a statement, beating Paraguay 4-1 in its opening group game. The hosts dominated for long stretches and produced a flowing, attacking performance that left the home crowd fully engaged from the first whistle to the last.
The Americans did most of their damage early, scoring three goals in the opening 45 minutes. The first came after sustained pressure down the left, where Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie combined to carve open the defense and force the ball into the net off a Paraguay defender. It set the tone for a first half the United States controlled.
The standout of the night was Folarin Balogun, playing in his first World Cup with the United States. He repeatedly found the right spaces in the box and finished his chances, scoring twice, including a goal that arrived just before the halftime whistle from a precise feed by Pulisic that he tucked past the Paraguay goalkeeper.
Balogun could have had even more. He had another effort ruled out and created further openings, in a display that underlined the depth the United States now carries in attack. Alongside him, players such as Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright give the team a range of options up front heading deeper into the tournament.
Gio Reyna rounded off the scoring late on, extending the lead to 4-1 with what was effectively a cosmetic goal once the result was secure. His teammates flooded the end line to celebrate with him, a moment that captured the mood of a squad enjoying itself on the biggest stage. Reyna is the son of former United States international Claudio Reyna.
Analysts praised not only the result but the manner of it, pointing to the freedom and movement in the American play. There were backheels, intricate passing and combinations between the attackers, the kind of creative, confident football that produced three goals before the interval and kept Paraguay on the back foot.
Despite the convincing scoreline, there was a note of caution from those around the team, who stressed the importance of staying level headed after just one match. It was, by any measure, a strong first step, an encouraging opening to a home World Cup that the United States will hope to build on in its remaining group fixtures.