The US men’s national team opened its 2026 World Cup with a 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, and Folarin Balogun made sure the night belonged to him. He scored twice in the first half, including the final kick before halftime, as the co-hosts turned a tense opener into a statement in front of 70,492 fans.
That is the kind of start the US needed after months of waiting for the tournament to arrive on home soil. Mauricio Pochettino had asked his players to play with joy and focus, and for long stretches they did. Weston McKennie put the US ahead after a pass from Christian Pulisic, though the ball took a deflection off Damián Bobadilla on its way in. Balogun then struck in the 31st minute after a cross from Pulisic, and he added another with the final kick of the first half after Malik Tillman picked him out.
Pulisic was taken off at halftime, but the US still carried a 3-0 lead into the second half and looked in control. Paraguay kept coming back at them after the break and got one in the 73rd minute through substitute Maurício, with Tyler Adams’ attempted clearance helping open the door after a restart by Orlando Gill. The goal did not change the result, but it did expose the kind of defensive gaps that stronger teams will try to punish.
For a team that was announced as a co-host before the match and has long spoken about making an impression at its home World Cup, this was exactly the kind of opening night it wanted. The next test is less forgiving. The US is most likely headed for matches against Australia and Turkey, and those games should tell far more about whether this performance was a true launch or just a bright home opener.
