US beats – Folarin Balogun scored twice as the U.S. opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, powered by an aggressive first half, a 3-0 halftime lead, and Gio Reyna’s late goal in a SoFi Stadium crowd of 70,492.
The noise at SoFi Stadium didn’t just rise—it kept accelerating, minute after minute, as the U.S. turned its first home World Cup in 32 years into something electric. On Friday night. the Americans ripped through Paraguay for a 4-1 victory that felt larger than the scoreline. especially after halftime when the rhythm shifted and the match still had to be finished.
It started early, with an own-goal created by Christian Pulisic’s playmaking. After the Americans went ahead on that early breakthrough, Folarin Balogun made it impossible to look away. He scored in the 31st minute. then struck again in first-half injury time—turning the game into a statement before the break. By the time the teams headed to the dressing rooms, the U.S. led 3-0, the largest halftime advantage in any World Cup game.
Pulisic’s influence was central to everything. He had an assist in a first-half display that was more than just good—guiding, splitting defenders, and forcing Paraguay’s back line to react again and again. His aggression down the left side created the first two U.S. goals.
In the seventh minute, Pulisic cleverly split two defenders and passed to Weston McKennie. McKennie’s centering touch struck Paraguay midfielder Damián Bobadilla’s outstretched foot and went in, setting off pandemonium in the SoFi Stadium stands.
A few minutes later, the U.S. continued to press. Balogun appeared to score again, but it was erased by an offside call. The response was immediate: Pulisic drove the left side again and delivered a deflected pass to Balogun, who finished with power to stretch the lead.
Then came the late surge of first-half injury time. Malik Tillman weighted a long pass to a streaking Balogun, who held up to create space and fired a brilliant shot into the far top corner. The U.S. went into halftime with a cushion that reshaped the mood of the night.
Paraguay, though, did not vanish. After the U.S. built its commanding lead, Maurício scored in the second half for La Albirroja, keeping the match alive and reminding everyone that football doesn’t pause just because one team is winning.
Gio Reyna sealed it in the dying moments of second-half injury time. He glided into the box and toe-flicked home his first World Cup goal, giving the Americans four goals in a World Cup match for the first time in U.S. history.
For many fans, the sheer scale of the performance landed as a contrast to what came before. The U.S. scored only three goals combined in its four matches at the Qatar World Cup four years ago. and it had never scored more than three in a World Cup match. This time. the Americans didn’t just find the net—they overloaded Paraguay. again and again. in a system built to create.
The night carried extra symbolism too, beyond the goals. Balogun’s two-goal debut marked the first multigoal performance by a U.S. player in the tournament since 1930. The striker, New York-born and London-raised, chose to represent the U.S. three years ago instead of staying in the English system. where he likely would have struggled to make the Three Lions’ roster. At 24, the Monaco professional has provided the kind of top-level striker presence the U.S. has historically missed.
Pulisic’s second-half exit added a layer of tension. He was replaced by Sebastian Berhalter at halftime, but the U.S. didn’t immediately indicate whether Pulisic—the driving force of that first half—was injured. Pulisic appeared to signal to family in the stands that he was fine. even as the Americans looked less cohesive without him.
Still, the match belonged to what happened early and what it set in motion. The sequence of goals wasn’t a single burst—it came from an aggressive approach with Pulisic’s left-side runs at the center, and then it was reinforced by Balogun’s timing and confidence.
In the stands, the home-game atmosphere had its own headline weight. A star-studded Los Angeles crowd of 70. 492 filled SoFi Stadium. with dozens of American celebrities and cultural icons in attendance. including Tom Cruise. George Lucas. Bill Gates. Halle Berry. Leonardo DiCaprio. and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Reyna’s goal carried a different kind of sweetness as well. At the Qatar World Cup, he barely played amid a messy family dispute involving former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, the kind of off-field disruption that can linger in the background. Against Paraguay, Reyna finally got a moment that belonged to him on the biggest stage.
The final whistle left the U.S. with a home opener it won’t easily forget: a transformed performance under new coach Mauricio Pochettino’s more creative system, a three-goal first half, and a 4-1 victory that turned SoFi Stadium into a statement of intent.
World Cup 2026 US vs Paraguay Folarin Balogun Christian Pulisic Gio Reyna Mauricio Pochettino SoFi Stadium 4-1 victory Malik Tillman Weston McKennie Damián Bobadilla