Balogun doubles up as USA leads Paraguay in World Cup opener

Folarin Balogun’s second goal and the United States’ third before halftime turned a tense opener into a clear statement in front of 70,492 at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California. In the USA’s Group D debut, the co-hosts looked far more settled than a team carrying the weight of a first home World Cup match in more than 30 years, and the opening half suggested Mauricio Pochettino’s side can handle the stage, at least against an opponent it already knows well.

Paraguay arrived in Los Angeles after finishing sixth in CONMEBOL qualifying and making its first World Cup appearance since South Africa 2010, but the matchup had history beyond the bracket. The United States had beaten Paraguay 2-1 in Chester, Pennsylvania, in November 2025, with Balogun scoring the winner there as well, and FIFA noted that the two nations had met only once before in World Cup play, in 1930, when the Americans won 3-0 in Uruguay behind Bert Patenaude’s hat-trick, the first in tournament history. Balogun’s form has made him central to the U.S. attack, and FIFA said he had become the first American male to score in three consecutive UEFA Champions League appearances for Monaco.

The early numbers matched the eye test. U.S. Soccer said the Americans had 40 touches in the attacking box in the first hour, their most in any World Cup match since 1966, and 66.7% possession through that same span. The only full-match possession figure higher for the United States since 1966 came against Poland in 2002, when the Americans posted 68.3%. Those figures mattered because they showed more than momentum; they showed a team dictating the rhythm of a World Cup game on home soil, before a crowd that expected authority rather than anxiety.

Christian Pulisic came off at halftime for Sebastian Berhalter, while Balogun was replaced by Ricardo Pepi in the 72nd minute. Paraguay pulled one back in the 73rd, leaving the score at 3-1, but the larger picture had already been set: the United States had front-loaded the pressure, protected its lead, and answered a brutally visible test of expectation. If the goal in this tournament is to prove the host nation can play with control and conviction, this opener delivered that message. If the question is how far that level can carry against stronger opposition, the real examination is still ahead.