Balogun scores twice as Team USA routs Paraguay 4-1

Balogun gave Team USA the kind of front-foot start it has often lacked on the sport’s biggest stage, scoring twice in the first half as the United States beat Paraguay 4-1 in its World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The result, built on an early own goal by Damián Bobadilla and a stoppage-time finish from Gio Reyna, was the Americans’ largest World Cup victory margin since 1930 and an early measure of what Mauricio Pochettino’s side can be.

Christian Pulisic set up Balogun’s first goal, and the opening minutes set the tone. Bobadilla turned the ball into his own net in the seventh minute, Balogun doubled the lead in the 31st minute, and then struck again in first-half stoppage time to send the United States into the break with a commanding cushion. Pochettino called the team “amazing” in the first 45 minutes, and the performance suggested a level of attacking clarity that has too often been missing when the Americans reach the World Cup stage.

Paraguay, back at the tournament for the first time in 16 years, offered a reminder that the game was not entirely one-sided. Maurício scored in the 73rd minute, briefly testing the U.S. shape and composure, but the Americans answered late through Reyna in the 90th minute plus eight. The U.S. outshot Paraguay 16-9 and controlled enough of the match to keep the result from feeling endangered, even after the second-half slowdown.

Balogun’s brace carried the clearest significance. He became the first American to score twice in a World Cup match since 1930, a gap that underlined how rarely the U.S. has found reliable finishing when the pressure rises. The Americans had already beaten Paraguay 2-1 in a friendly on Nov. 15, 2025, but this was a louder statement, one that paired a heavy scoreline with an attack that created early separation and never fully surrendered it.

The larger question now is whether this performance reflects a true ceiling or just an ideal opening. FIFA’s official match center lists the next Group D game against Australia in Seattle on June 19, and that matchup will offer a far sterner test of balance, discipline and end-product. For one night in Inglewood, the United States looked like a team with answers. The next opponent will show how many of them hold up.