The United States Men’s National Team defeated Paraguay 4-1 in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles.
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
The United States stepped onto the pitch at SoFi Stadium carrying more pressure than either of the other two host nations in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Playing on home soil, led by a world-class manager, and featuring one of the most experienced European-based squads in U.S. soccer history, expectations are higher than ever.
As a host nation, the United States received an automatic berth into the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada. With the World Cup’s expanded format, the eight best third-place teams from the group stage will now advance to the knockout rounds, rather than the traditional top two. Everything appears to be in place for the USMNT to make its deepest World Cup run of the modern era.
Paraguay, meanwhile, did not enjoy the luxury of an automatic bid and had to earn its place through qualifying. The Paraguayans finished sixth in the CONMEBOL standings, securing the final automatic qualification spot and avoiding an intercontinental playoff.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The United States lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Christian Pulisic starting on the left wing. Paraguay countered with a 4-4-2 setup, though the biggest surprise came with Julio Enciso earning a start in an attacking role. Enciso, widely regarded as Paraguay’s most dangerous offensive weapon, had suffered multiple injuries in one of the team’s final warm-up matches and was heavily rumored to miss the World Cup entirely.
The match began in a disjointed fashion for the United States, with nerves clearly showing. Paraguay nearly capitalized early on a dangerous counterattack, but goalkeeper Matt Freese came up with a tremendous one-handed save to keep the match scoreless.
Once the early jitters faded, the Americans settled in and struck on a brilliant counterattack. Pulisic received the ball near the top of the penalty area, split two defenders to break into the box, and delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Weston McKennie. McKennie got just enough of a touch to force the ball off Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla and into the net, giving the United States a 1-0 lead. Officially, it went down as an own goal.
After a hydration break at the 23-minute mark, the U.S. thought it had doubled the lead when Folarin Balogun finished a chance, but the goal was ruled offside. He wouldn’t be denied for long, however. Two minutes later, Balogun finished a cross from Christian Pulisic into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-0.
Right before halftime, Balogun struck again, getting on the end of a perfectly weighted through ball from Malik Tillman. He made a sharp move inside the box to create space and curled a stunning finish into the upper-left corner, completing his brace and sending the United States into the locker room up 3-0.
Beyond the scoreline, the United States thoroughly dominated the opening 45 minutes, holding 71.5 percent possession compared to Paraguay’s 28.5, outshooting them 4-1 in shots on target, and earning two corner kicks while allowing none.
Coming out of halftime, however, the U.S. looked sluggish once again. A series of loose passes and poor clearances allowed Paraguay to apply sustained pressure and tilt the momentum early in the second half.
The Paraguayans eventually pulled one back in the 72nd minute, as Mauricio got in behind the defense and chipped Matt Freese to cut the deficit to 3-1. From there, Paraguay pushed forward in search of another goal, but the United States held firm to see out the match.
Then, deep into stoppage time, Giovanni Reyna delivered the final blow. He curled a brilliant strike into the upper-left corner from outside the box, sealing a 4-1 victory for the Stars and Stripes and putting an emphatic stamp on the U.S. World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium.
BIG NUMBER: 16
The United States registered 16 shots on goal in its victory over Paraguay, converting four of those chances into goals. Even with a comfortable lead for much of the match, the Americans never took their foot off the gas, consistently applying pressure and forcing Paraguay to defend from start to finish.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Folarin Balogun
His first-half brace completely shifted the game in the United States’ favor and gave them full control heading into the break. Beyond the goals, he constantly stretched Paraguay’s defense with his movement and presence in the box, always looking dangerous. In a match where the U.S. dominated, Balogun was the difference-maker who turned that dominance into goals when it mattered most.
UP NEXT: The USMNT will play again in their second game of Group D on Friday, June 19th, against Australia in Seattle, Washington, at Lumen Field.
