USA rout Paraguay in World Cup opener as co-hosts win
The buildup to this World Cup cycle was rarely graceful, but it now looks like the prologue to something larger. This is the glare in which the US had prepared to perform — and for 45 minutes, they...
Jeff Rueter at Los Angeles StadiumSaturday June 13, 2026
With the Forum standing across the parking lot as a reminder of Los Angeles’ showtime sports tradition, the US men’s national team opened its 2026 World Cup campaign before 70,492 spectators and looked every bit the part. The latest homegrown cast delivered the kind of bright, swaggering performance that made the Lakers famous in the 1980s, sweeping past Paraguay in a 4-1 victory.
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Folarin Balogun celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s third goal during their win over Paraguay. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
The result was a statement start for the Americans, who not only beat Paraguay but did so with authority, rhythm and a sense of occasion. One day earlier, Mauricio Pochettino had urged calm rather than theatrics, telling his players there was no need for a rousing speech from a team that has long dreamed of thriving at a home World Cup. Drawing on advice he said had been passed down from a member of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup champions, Pochettino asked for joy, discipline and concentration.
The players gave him exactly that, and more, in a first half that bordered on dazzling.
From the opening whistle, the US seized control and made the game theirs. Christian Pulisic and Malik Tillman spent much of the first half tormenting Paraguay defenders, as if competing to see who could slip the most balls through their legs. Their quick feet and bold approach drew two yellow cards for Paraguay in short order. Then, before 10 minutes had elapsed, the US struck first. Tim Ream sprayed a pass across the back line to Alex Freeman, who threaded a measured ball into the channel for Weston McKennie. The Juventus midfielder surged forward, combined with Pulisic as both men closed in on the box, and Pulisic rolled it square for McKennie. His shot deflected off Damián Bobadilla and trickled into the net.
At previous World Cups, American sides have often eased off after an early breakthrough. This version kept pressing. On his World Cup debut, Balogun produced a sparkling 20-minute double that turned the opener into a rout. In the 31st minute, he met a Pulisic cross and finished confidently. Then, with the final kick of the first half, he ran onto Tillman’s through ball, danced past Gustavo Gómez and curled a shot into the top corner.
Pulisic was withdrawn at half-time, though the change appeared precautionary rather than the result of an injury. Pochettino, it seemed, saw little reason to leave his star exposed to the kind of rough treatment Paraguay had already begun to dish out as it tried to claw its way back. The visitors were better after the restart, tracking Balogun more closely and compressing the spaces between the lines that the US had exploited so easily in the first 45 minutes.
Paraguay eventually found a response. In the 73rd minute, after goalkeeper Orlando Gill restarted play, the US were caught out of shape. Tyler Adams’ attempted clearance fell to Miguel Almirón on the edge of the area, and he quickly nudged the ball to Julio Enciso. Enciso then slipped it into the path of substitute Maurício, whose finish for Palmeiras beat Matt Freese.
It was little more than a consolation, but it also exposed where the US can still be vulnerable. Paraguay found space behind the defense and at times tested Freese’s willingness to come off his line. Australia and Turkey, the Americans’ next opponents, are likely to probe those same weaknesses more aggressively, and the back line will need to stay alert even with a comfortable cushion.
Still, that is a concern for another day. Ever since the US were confirmed as co-hosts of this World Cup, each appearance by a national-team player has been weighed against the demands of this summer. On Friday, rather than folding under the burden, the Americans played with a clear intent to show they belong on this stage.
And no performance under the lights is complete without a flourish at the end. With Paraguay attempting to protect its goal difference, late substitute Gio Reyna added a fourth, guiding the ball past Gill with the outside of his boot.
The buildup to this World Cup cycle was rarely graceful, but it now looks like the prologue to something larger. This is the glare in which the US had prepared to perform — and for 45 minutes, they barely missed a beat.
