Balogun leads United States to emphatic 4-1 World Cup win over Paraguay

The United States announced itself as a home-soil force with a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, before 70,492 fans. Folarin Balogun scored twice and earned Player of the Match honors, while Gio Reyna added the fourth goal in stoppage time to finish a night that pointed far beyond one opening-group result.

Christian Pulisic set the tone early, assisting on the first U.S. goal and helping force the own goal that opened the scoring. Balogun then turned the match into a showcase for Mauricio Pochettino’s attack, finishing with the kind of efficiency that can change the ceiling of a tournament side. FIFA described the performance as one of the most impressive by the United States at a World Cup, and the result gave the Americans the sort of emphatic start that can reshape expectations in a tournament they are helping host.

The scale of the win carried historical weight. The three-goal margin was the United States’ largest at a World Cup since the 3-0 victory over Paraguay in 1930, and Balogun became the first American to score a World Cup brace since Bert Patenaude did it against Paraguay in that same inaugural tournament. For a team that entered the competition with the burden of national expectations, the performance suggested that Pochettino has a side capable of breaking games open rather than merely surviving them.

Even so, the result did not erase every concern. The United States still conceded, a reminder that the defensive phase remains less settled than the attack. Pulisic also left at halftime after taking a knock, briefly clouding an otherwise dominant night, though he later downplayed the issue and Pochettino sounded optimistic about his condition.

Paraguay’s return to the World Cup after 16 years ended in a sobering lesson. Gustavo Alfaro, who had insisted before kickoff that Paraguay was not back merely “para hacer número,” called the defeat a “very painful lesson” and said his team was outclassed tactically, technically and physically. For the United States, the statement was stronger: Pochettino’s side looked capable of imposing itself, but the defensive lapses and the Pulisic scare ensured the celebration came with a warning label.