Match report
Balogun brace fires USA to 4-1 rout of Paraguay in World Cup opener
The United States began their World Cup campaign with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay in a Group Stage - 1 fixture at SoFi Stadium. Mauricio Pochettino's side were rampant from the outset, taking control long before half-time and never allowing Gustavo Alfaro's Paraguay back into contention until it was far too late to matter.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
The hosts led as early as the seventh minute when D. Bobadilla turned the ball into his own net. Folarin Balogun doubled the advantage in the 31st minute, finishing off a Christian Pulišić assist, then struck again right on the stroke of half-time, converting a Malik Tillman pass to make it 3-0 at the break.
Paraguay pulled one back through Maurício in the 73rd minute, Julio Enciso supplying the assist, but any hope of a comeback was extinguished when Giovanni Reyna added a fourth in the 90th minute, teed up by Alexander Freeman, to complete a comfortable win for the Americans.
Balogun scored twice and was rated 9.2, the outstanding figure on the pitch as his finishing either side of half-time put the match beyond Paraguay.
The USA dominated territorially with 65% possession, underlining their control throughout the contest.
USA beat Paraguay 4–1 (half-time 3–0).
USA met Paraguay in the World Cup (Group Stage - 1). Kick-off was Saturday, 13 June 2026, 01:00 UTC at SoFi Stadium. Referee: Danny Desmond Makkelie.
Key moments
- 7' Goal (own goal): Damián Bobadilla — 1–0 · Watch Damián Bobadilla's goal video (7')
- 31' Goal: Folarin Balogun (assist: Christian Pulišić) — 2–0 · Watch Folarin Balogun's goal video (31')
- 45' Goal: Folarin Balogun (assist: Malik Tillman) — 3–0 · Watch Folarin Balogun's goal video (45')
- 73' Goal: Maurício (assist: Julio Enciso) — 3–1 · Watch Maurício's goal video (73')
- 90' Goal: Giovanni Reyna (assist: Alexander Freeman) — 4–1 · Watch Giovanni Reyna's goal video (90')
Starting line-ups
USA (4-2-3-1)
Paraguay (4-4-2)
- 12 O. Gill
- 6 Júnior Alonso
- 3 Omar Alderete
- 15 Gustavo Gómez (c)
- 4 J. Caceres
- 10 Miguel Almirón
- 16 Damián Bobadilla
- 14 Adrián Cubas
- 8 Diego Gómez
- 19 Julio Enciso
- 9 Arnaldo Sanabria
About this match
On this page: the USA vs Paraguay final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this World Cup fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
- Watch Damián Bobadilla's own goal video (7').
- Watch Folarin Balogun's goal against Paraguay (31').
- Watch Folarin Balogun's goal against Paraguay (45').
- Watch Maurício's goal against USA (73').
- Watch Giovanni Reyna's goal against Paraguay (90').
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from USA 4–1 Paraguay. Explore more on the USA and Paraguay team pages or the World Cup page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of USA vs Paraguay?
USA beat Paraguay 4–1 (half-time 3–0).
›Who scored in USA vs Paraguay?
Damián Bobadilla (7') (own goal) for USA; Folarin Balogun (31') for USA; Folarin Balogun (45') for USA; Maurício (73') for Paraguay; Giovanni Reyna (90') for USA.
›Where can I watch USA vs Paraguay highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from USA 4–1 Paraguay are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.