The United States kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in style, cruising to an emphatic 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday.
Backed by their home supporters, the co-hosts put on a dominant display from start to finish, recording the highest-scoring win in their World Cup history.
The Americans got off to a dream start in the eighth minute when Christian Pulisic charged into the box and squared the ball across goal. Weston McKennie got a touch before Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla accidentally turned the ball into his own net.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men continued to control the tempo, with Pulisic and McKennie pulling the strings in midfield and creating problems for the Paraguayan defence.
Paraguay struggled to threaten going forward, while Folarin Balogun had an effort ruled out for offside before finally doubling the lead in the 31st minute after latching onto another brilliant move orchestrated by Pulisic.
The Monaco striker was not done yet. Just before halftime, Balogun collected a pass from Malik Tillman, dribbled past two defenders and curled a stunning shot into the top corner to make it 3-0.
Paraguay attempted to mount a comeback after the break, but the United States remained organised at the back and continued to create chances.
The South Americans eventually pulled one back in the 73rd minute when Julio Enciso combined with Miguel Almirón before setting up substitute Maurício, who calmly finished past goalkeeper Matt Freese.
However, any hopes of a late revival were dashed in stoppage time as the hosts capped off a brilliant 26-pass team move with Giovanni Reyna applying the finishing touch to seal a memorable 4-1 victory.
The win marked the first time the United States have scored four goals in a FIFA World Cup match, giving them a perfect start to their quest for glory on home soil.
