USMNT Thrash Paraguay 4-1 in Statement World Cup 2026 Opener

ESPN · 7h ago

The United States stormed out of the gates at SoFi Stadium, riding a sixth-minute Damián Bobadilla own goal and a Folarin Balogun brace to a commanding 3-0 halftime lead over Paraguay. Paraguay clawed one back through substitute Mauricio in the second half, but a stoppage-time strike from Gio Reyna sealed a 4-1 rout in the Americans' Group D curtain-raiser. The result marks one of the USMNT's most dominant World Cup openers in program history and sets an early benchmark in a group that also features co-hosts and tournament dark horses.