USMNT crushed Paraguay 4-1 in their 2026 World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium, led by Folarin Balogun's brilliant first-half brace.
Last Updated: June 16, 2026The United States Men’s National Team kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign in spectacular fashion, delivering a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their Group D opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. For anyone who confidently took the “over two goals” bet, this match was an absolute dream, as the scoring action started early and never really slowed down.
A Blistering First Half
Backed by a passionate home crowd, Mauricio Pochettino’s squad wasted no time asserting their dominance against a traditionally defensive-minded South American side. The breakthrough came just seven minutes into the match. A dynamic offensive run led by Christian Pulisic forced an unfortunate error from Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla, resulting in an own goal that completely ignited the Californian stadium.
Riding that early wave of momentum, the U.S. maintained excellent organization and exploited spaces brilliantly. Their superiority was rewarded again in the 31st minute when Pulisic set up star forward Folarin Balogun for the team’s second goal. Balogun, proving exactly why he is a cornerstone of this squad, struck once more deep into first-half stoppage time. His second goal sent the hosts into the locker room with a highly comfortable 3-0 lead, effectively dismantling Paraguay’s gritty defensive reputation.
Closing Out the Victory
In the second half, Paraguay desperately attempted to claw their way back into the contest. They managed to reduce the deficit in the 73rd minute when Maurício capitalized on a rare defensive lapse by the Americans. However, this brief spark wasn’t nearly enough to threaten the host nation’s commanding grip on the game. The USMNT displayed impressive maturity to control the pace, and Giovanni Reyna added the final exclamation point with a late goal to seal the definitive 4-1 triumph.
Looking Ahead
This emphatic opening win puts the United States in a fantastic position atop Group D. The Americans will carry this immense confidence into their next matchup against Australia. Meanwhile, Paraguay will need to regroup quickly as they face a crucial, must-win fixture against Turkey to keep their tournament hopes alive.
See my bet for USA vs Australia.
Betting Prediction: USA vs Paraguay
Having followed Paraguay closely during the South American qualifiers, I saw firsthand how much they improved after manager Gustavo Alfaro took over following the 2024 Copa América. Before his arrival, Paraguay was among the worst teams in CONMEBOL and was eliminated from the Copa América with three straight losses. Under Alfaro, they suffered just one defeat in the qualifiers—a narrow 1-0 loss to Brazil away from home. At home, they managed to beat Brazil (1-0), Argentina (2-1), and Uruguay (2-0). They also picked up impressive away draws against Ecuador (0-0), Uruguay (0-0), Colombia (2-2), and against Bolivia in the extreme 4,000-meter altitude of El Alto.
Paraguay is a highly resilient team, and they are fully capable of pulling off an upset at SoFi Stadium.
That said, we cannot underestimate the home-field advantage or the recent form of the USMNT. The U.S. beat Paraguay in November and put up strong performances against Belgium, Uruguay, Senegal, and Germany, consistently producing over 1,50 xGF.
While the U.S. has a real chance to win, their moneyline price of -111 is too low against such a battle-tested Paraguayan side. Instead, the best value on the board is backing both teams to find the back of the net on this battle of two managers from Argentina.
My Pick: Both Teams to Score (Yes) @ +100 on BetOnline
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• Updated May 14, 2026
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