Balogun's Two Goals Power USMNT to a 4-1 World Cup Opening Win Over Paraguay
Folarin Balogun scored twice and Giovanni Reyna added a flourish as the United States opened its home World Cup with a 4-1 rout of Paraguay before 70,492 at SoFi Stadium.
The first World Cup goal of Folarin Balogun's life landed in the top corner of Paraguay's net, and the 24-year-old striker turned and ran toward a corner of SoFi Stadium that had waited a generation for a night like this. By halftime the United States led 3-0. By the final whistle on Friday, 12 June 2026, it was 4-1 — the largest margin in any U.S. World Cup match, and a statement on the opening night of the country's first home tournament in 32 years.
\n\nBalogun scored both of his goals inside a frantic first half, the brace that anchored a three-goal burst in front of a sold-out crowd of 70,492 in Inglewood, California. For a program that has spent four years selling the promise of a home World Cup, the performance did the rare thing of matching the marketing.
\n\nThe scoring opened on an own goal by Damian Bobadilla, the move sprung by Christian Pulisic's playmaking down the left. Balogun made it 2-0 in the 31st minute, finishing a Pulisic delivery into the box — the assist was Pulisic's 21st for the national team, tying him for fourth-most in U.S. history. Then, in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, Malik Tillman threaded a weighted pass and Balogun slid through the Paraguay defense to find the upper corner again.
\n\n\n\n"I visualized my debut in the World Cup scoring, but the reality did surpass that. A very dreamy night."
Folarin Balogun, speaking after the match
Giovanni Reyna supplied the fourth after the break, gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal. The finish carried its own subplot: Reyna barely played at the 2022 tournament in Qatar amid a public dispute between his family and then-coach Gregg Berhalter. Maurício pulled one back for Paraguay in the second half, but La Albirroja had fallen too far behind in their first World Cup appearance in 16 years.
\n\nThe number that will outlast the scoreline is the one tied to 1930. Balogun became the first U.S. player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup game since Bert Patenaude — who, fittingly, recorded the tournament's first hat trick in a 3-0 win over Paraguay 96 years ago. David Beckham watched from the stands as that line was redrawn.
\n\nPost by @FOXSports\n\n
The striker three countries wanted
\n\nBalogun's path here is the part the box score misses. Born and raised able to represent England, Nigeria or the United States, he committed to the Americans three years ago — a choice that looked like a gamble when England's forward line was deep and his minutes were not guaranteed anywhere. Nigeria did not qualify for this World Cup. England's roster, as ever, is stacked. On Friday, in front of relatives watching from across the U.S. and in London, the bet paid in full.
\n\nFor the host federation, the on-field return arrives alongside a commercial one. A dominant, watchable opener is the outcome U.S. Soccer needs as the sport tries to convert a home tournament into lasting attention — full stadiums, prime-time eyeballs, and a homegrown name casual fans can latch onto. A striker scoring twice on opening night is worth more than any campaign slogan.
\n\nThe win puts the United States atop Group D early, but the first-half brilliance came with a caveat: the Americans were noticeably less cohesive after the break, particularly once Pulisic's influence faded. Coach Mauricio Pochettino's side will face stiffer tests as the group stage continues — the same tournament where Canada salvaged a late draw with Bosnia, and the margin for the kind of second-half lull that crept in on Friday narrows from here. For one night, though, the math was simple, and it belonged to Balogun.
