USMNT routs Paraguay 4-1 in World Cup opener in Los Angeles

The USMNT did not merely open its World Cup with a win. It put down a marker. In a 4-1 rout of Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, the United States raced to a 3-0 halftime lead, then kept control long enough to turn an already loud opener into a statement about where Mauricio Pochettino’s team might be headed.

Folarin Balogun scored twice, Damian Bobadilla put one into his own net, and Gio Reyna finished the scoring in the 90th minute plus eight. FIFA named Balogun the Player of the Match, and U.S. Soccer said the result was the highest-scoring World Cup match in U.S. history. It was also the first time the Americans had led by three goals at halftime in a World Cup, a sign that this was not just emotional release from a home crowd in Los Angeles. It was a performance with shape, pace and ruthless finishing.

That distinction matters because Paraguay arrived with enough pedigree to make the result meaningful. The Americans had already beaten Paraguay 2-1 in Chester, Pennsylvania, in November 2025, extending a recent run against the South Americans, and the all-time series now stands at five U.S. wins, two defeats and two draws. The matchup also carried deep historical weight: the United States had not played a men’s World Cup on home soil since the 1-0 loss to Brazil at Stanford Stadium on July 4, 1994.

The night also hinted at a broader tactical ceiling. Ricardo Pepi entered in the 72nd minute in what U.S. Soccer described as his World Cup debut, making him the seventh American to debut in the tournament that night. Balogun, Pepi and Haji Wright arrived with real attacking form, combining for 56 goals across all competitions for their clubs in the 2025-26 season. That depth gives Pochettino, appointed in August or September 2024 to prepare this squad for 2026, a front line that can attack from multiple angles rather than lean on one star.

Balogun’s two goals, one in the 31st minute and another in first-half stoppage time, gave the United States the sort of edge it has often lacked in pressure matches. Reyna’s late strike only sharpened the picture. The win left the Americans atop Group D after the first round, with Australia next in Seattle on June 19. For a team trying to define its ceiling at a home World Cup, this was the kind of opener that changes expectations fast.