U.S. opens World Cup with 4-1 win over Paraguay
Folarin Balogun’s two goals powered a 4-1 opening win as the U.S. began its home World Cup at SoFi Stadium, where three Group D games and more knockout matches await.
Folarin Balogun scored twice and Gio Reyna added another as the United States beat Paraguay 4-1 in its World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The three-goal margin was the U.S. men’s largest World Cup win since 1930, and Balogun became the first American to score two goals in a World Cup match since that inaugural tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and features 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. FIFA’s group stage runs through June 27 before the knockout rounds begin.
The draw on Dec. 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., put the Americans in Group D with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. As a co-host, the U.S. qualified automatically and avoided the uncertainty of a qualifying campaign, a break that gave the program a direct route into the field and a home schedule built around major venues. The U.S. is set to play Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle on June 19 and Turkey back at SoFi Stadium on June 25.
SoFi Stadium is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches in all, including two U.S. group-stage games, two Round of 32 matches and a quarterfinal. The matchup was also the U.S. men’s first World Cup game on American soil in 32 years.
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