United States defeats Paraguay 4-1 in 2026 World Cup opener

In the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, the United States defeated Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Over 70,000 spectators attended the match, which featured Folarin Balogun scoring two goals. The U.S. team, coached by Mauricio Pochettino, led 3-0 by halftime. Damian Bobadilla scored an own goal for Paraguay in the 7th minute, followed by two goals from Balogun and a final strike by Gio Reyna in stoppage time. Mauricio scored the lone goal for Paraguay. The two teams are in Group D alongside Australia and Turkey. This victory represents the widest margin of win for the U.S. in a World Cup match to date.