The United States men's national team could not have asked for a better start to the 2026 World Cup, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in front of 70,492 spectators at Los Angeles Stadium. The crowd included Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Paris Hilton.
The scoring began early, in the 7th minute, when Weston McKennie set up Folarin Balogun for a shot that deflected off Paraguay defender Damian Bobadilla and into the net. That own goal gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead.
In the 31st minute, Balogun doubled the advantage with a finish from Christian Pulisic's pass. Just before halftime, Balogun completed his brace with a brilliant solo run past two Paraguayan defenders and a curling shot into the far top corner.
Paraguay fought back in the second half and pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute through Brazil-born forward Mauricio. But Gio Reyna sealed the win for the U.S. deep into stoppage time, chipping the ball with the outside of his right foot into the far corner to make it 4-1.
The only downside for the hosts was Christian Pulisic's exit early in the second half due to injury. Nonetheless, the comprehensive victory gives the U.S. a significant advantage in Group D, which also includes Australia and Turkey.
Before the match, a spectacular Hollywood-style opening ceremony featured a headline performance by Katy Perry, along with Future, Tyla, Anitta, and K-pop star Lisa.
