The United States national football team defeated Paraguay 4–1 in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking a strong start to the tournament with a valuable victory.
The match was held on Friday evening local time at the 70,000-seat SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the United States delivered a dominant performance to secure their first three points in Group D.
The U.S. took an early lead in the 7th minute through an own goal by Paraguay defender Damián Bobadilla, setting an aggressive tone from the outset.
In the 28th minute, Folarin Balogun found the net for the United States, but after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed for offside. However, just three minutes later, the forward scored again, and this time the goal stood, extending the lead to two goals.
The pressure continued, and Balogun added a third goal in the 45+4th minute, sending the hosts into halftime with a commanding 3–0 advantage.
This marks the first time in the history of the U.S. national team at the World Cup that they have finished the first half with a three-goal lead.
In the second half, Paraguay attempted a comeback and reduced the deficit in the 73rd minute through substitute Mauricio.
Despite the goal, the United States maintained control of the match and sealed their 4–1 victory in stoppage time through Giovanni Reyna.
The match took place following the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup, which featured artistic performances and the presence of prominent political, sporting, and entertainment figures.
Among the attendees who watched the match live were U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Tom Cruise, Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Katy Perry, and Justin Trudeau.
U.S. President Donald Trump also reportedly called the national team players before the match to wish them success and expressed hope that the United States would advance to the later stages of the tournament.
The United States is placed in Group D of the 2026 World Cup alongside Australia, Turkey, and Paraguay. Prior to the tournament, the U.S. was ranked 17th in the FIFA rankings, while Paraguay was ranked 41st.
Earlier in the tournament, the other co-hosts also played their opening matches: Mexico defeated South Africa 2–0, while Canada drew 1–1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina, earning their first-ever point in a World Cup final-stage match.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
