The United States made a statement in front of their home crowd on Friday night, thrashing Paraguay 4-1 in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with Folarin Balogun grabbing the headlines after becoming the first American since 1930 to score twice in a single World Cup match.

A capacity crowd of 70,492 packed into SoFi Stadium for the first World Cup match ever held on American soil, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side wasted no time settling the nerves.

The Americans broke the deadlock just six minutes into the contest when Paraguay defender Damián Bobadilla turned the ball into his own net after pressure from Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, sending the home crowd into raptures early.

The U.S. continued to dominate from there, doubling their advantage in the 30th minute when Balogun, assisted by Pulisic, scored his first ever World Cup goal. Balogun was not done, however, as he added a second before the break with a stunning finish into the top corner, completing a remarkable first-half showing that gave the Americans a three-goal cushion heading into the interval, their best opening 45 minutes at a World Cup since the 2002 tournament.

Paraguay managed to get on the scoresheet in the second half, with midfielder Mauricio pulling one back in the 73rd minute to briefly threaten a fightback. But the U.S. response was emphatic.

Late substitute, Gio Reyna sealed the rout deep into stoppage time with a sensational strike, rounding off a 4-1 scoreline that matched the largest margin of victory in USMNT World Cup history, a feat last achieved against Paraguay in 1930.

For Balogun, born in New York to Nigerian parents and raised in London, the night carried special significance. The 24-year-old, who had been eligible to represent England, Nigeria, or the United States before committing to the Americans in 2023, described the occasion as a dream come true, with his family watching proudly from the stands.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino praised the energy of the home support, saying the performance and atmosphere demonstrated that soccer in America has truly arrived on the world stage. The result puts the United States in a commanding position at the top of Group D ahead of their next fixture against Australia in Seattle.