USMNT crushed Paraguay 4-1 to open their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a resounding victory. Folarin Balogun was the star of the show with a sensational first-half brace while Giovanni Reyna added a fourth in stoppage-time with a top-drawer strike from the outside of his boot.
It took the World Cup co-hosts only seven minutes to get in front after Damian Bobadilla inadvertently turned a ball into his own net. After a brief blip, USA sprung to life again and Balogun doubled their advantage with a simple finish off Pulisic’s fine work from the left.
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The AS Monaco star came back to haunt La Albirroja in the added minutes with a confident finish as USMNT led 3-0 at the break. Paraguay though, wrestled back the control of the match post the interval, but clear-cut chances were still hard to come by.
Their persistence paid off in the 73rd minute when substitute Mauricio got in behind the USMNT defense to connect with a pass and finish it beyond Matt Freese in the bottom corner.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side had taken their feet off the pedal in the second half after having led by three goals at the break but Reyna came off the bench to score another one for USMNT.
For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the USMNT scored four goals in a match. Favorites to win Group D? You bet! Here are the player ratings for the hosts:
USMNT Player Ratings
Matt Freese – 6.5/10
The USMNT goalkeeper was untested when Paraguay spent most of the first half on the backfoot. However, he remained vigilant when La Albirroja got their attacking boots on right after the break. Mauricio snatched Freese’s clean sheet in the 73rd minute by netting one past him.
Alex Freeman – 7.5/10
After getting bloodied in a scuffle with Paraguayan players last year, Freeman bled La Albirroja with an imperious display tonight. His match-reading ability was excellent and made five recoveries. At 6ft 2in, the defender boasts a towering frame and he used it to win five aerial duels.
Chris Richards – 7/10
With exemplary positional awareness and concentration, Richards ensured everything was solid in defense. He was also key to building up from the back, completing all 83 of his passes.
Tim Ream – 6.5/10
At 38 years, he was clearly lacking pace but did break the lines on a few occasions. Ream also set the record for being the oldest USMNT player ever at play the FIFA World Cup.
Antonee Robinson – 7/10
A constant supplier of crosses, Robinson asked questions of Paraguay’s defense with critical inroads from the left while also winning the ball in key areas. He also embarrassed Paraguay’s Juan Caceres with a ridiculous ankle-breaker in the second half.
Tyler Adams – 7/10
Tyler Adams was such a vital figure in defense for USMNT. He made sure Paraguay never got a chance to hit them on the break and thoroughly dominated the midfield. The Bournemouth player made three interceptions and four clearances, while winning seven out of 10 ground duels.
Malik Tillman – 7.5/10
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder terrorized Paraguay’s defense with high press and superb dribbling ability. He assisted Balogun for his second goal while attempting five shots in the match himself, but missed a golden opportunity to score his team’s fourth late on.
Sergino Dest – 6.5/10
A big threat to Paraguay on the right although the end-product was lacking; made a few poor decisions on the ball too.
Weston McKennie – 7/10
The Juventus man looked solid in midfield and was involved in the opening goal too. He laid three key passes and three crosses in the match.
Christian Pulisic – 8.5/10
‘Captain America’ was at the heart of everything productive that USMNT pulled off, barging down the left flank with great poise and purpose. He was involved in the build-up to the own goal before setting up Balogun for his first strike. Pochettino’s decision to sub him off at the break has sparked injury concerns though.
Folarin Balogun – 9.5/10
Coming off the back of a 19-goal season with AS Monaco, Balogun clearly was in no mood to stop; the 24-year-old bagged two first-half goals, including a sensational strike into the top corner for to give USMNT a comfortable cushion at the break. He tried to set one up after the hour mark but the pass went begging.
Substitutes
Sebastian Berhalter – 6/10
He replaced Pulisic at half-time and couldn’t keep up the AC Milan star’s pace. A massive step down.
Tim Weah – 6/10
Weah came into a goalscoring chance right after getting onto the pitch but couldn’t hit the target.
Ricardo Pepi – 6.5/10
He too made an attempt but it flew wide.
Giovanni Reyna – 8/10
Boy, oh boy, what a strike there at the end!
Edited by Nived Zenith
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