U.S. Routs Paraguay 4-1 in World Cup Opener as Balogun Scores Twice
Folarin Balogun became the first American since 1930 to score twice in a World Cup match as the co-hosts dazzled a packed SoFi Stadium in their tournament debut.
The United States men’s national team opened its home World Cup in emphatic fashion Friday, dismantling Paraguay 4-1 in front of a roaring, partisan crowd at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It was the first World Cup match played on U.S. soil in more than three decades, and the Americans seized the moment, scoring three times in the opening half to set the tone for their tournament.
The rout was powered by striker Folarin Balogun, who scored in the 30th and 45th minutes to become the first American to net multiple goals in a single World Cup match since 1930. Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents and raised in London, the 24-year-old Monaco forward chose to represent the United States and rewarded that decision on the biggest stage. The U.S. had never before scored four goals in a World Cup game.
The scoring opened early, in the sixth minute, when Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie combined down the left flank to force an own goal off Paraguay midfielder Damián Bobadilla. Pulisic, the team’s talisman, had a hand in the first two goals before being substituted at halftime. Coach Mauricio Pochettino said the move was precautionary after Pulisic took a kick to his left calf, telling reporters he was “really hoping that it’s nothing.”
The U.S. midfield trio of Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman and McKennie controlled long stretches of the match with slick combinations, while center back Chris Richards anchored a defense that conceded only a late consolation goal. Gio Reyna capped the scoring with a strike in the closing stages, sending the crowd into delirium and underscoring the depth Pochettino has assembled.
Paraguay, which had qualified out of a demanding South American group, struggled to contain the American press and rarely threatened until the game was well out of reach. Their lone goal arrived in the 73rd minute, briefly quieting the stadium before Reyna restored the three-goal cushion.
The victory offered an early statement for the co-hosts, who share World Cup duties with Mexico and Canada in the first 48-team edition of the tournament. For Pochettino, hired to elevate a talented but inconsistent group, the performance validated months of buildup and quieted skeptics who questioned whether the U.S. could deliver under the weight of expectation. Attention now turns to the Americans’ next Group D fixture, with Pulisic’s fitness the chief concern as the team chases a deep run on home soil.
Originally reported by Fox News.