The United States Men's National Team opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday, June 12, at SoFi Stadium.
Striker Folarin Balogun delivered a first-half brace to lead the American side to a dominant start in Group B.
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Early Lead and Balogun's Brilliance
The USMNT took an early lead in the seventh minute through a Paraguay own goal.
Balogun then extended the advantage in the 31st minute, finishing a pass from Christian Pulisic into the bottom-right corner.
Just before halftime, Balogun struck again, cutting past the defense and firing into the top-left corner to make it 3-0.
Paraguay pulled one back late in the second half through Maurício.
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However, American midfielder Gio Reyna sealed the win with a strike from inside the box in the closing seconds.
Other Group B Action
In the earlier Group B match, Canada earned their first-ever World Cup point with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia took the lead through Jovo Lukic from a corner, but Cyle Larin equalized for Canada in the 78th minute after a deflection.
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The draw leaves Canada and Bosnia level on points, alongside Switzerland and Qatar in the group standings.
