The United States began their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with an impressive 4-1 victory over Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, delivering one of the most convincing performances of the opening round. Folarin Balogun starred for the hosts with a first-half brace as the Americans took control of the match early and never looked back.
United States Dominate Paraguay in Opening Match
The hosts got off to a dream start in the 7th minute when pressure from Weston McKennie resulted in an own goal by Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla. The early breakthrough allowed the United States to dictate the tempo of the game from the outset.
Balogun thought he had doubled the lead in the 28th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside. The striker quickly made amends three minutes later, finishing confidently from close range after being set up by Christian Pulisic.
The United States extended their advantage just before half-time. Balogun produced a brilliant individual effort in the 44th minute, beating two defenders before finding the top corner with an assist from Malik Tillman, giving the hosts a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break.
Loading ...Paraguay Pull One Back, Reyna Seals the Win
Paraguay managed to reduce the deficit in the 73rd minute through Mauricio, who finished a move created by Julio Enciso. However, any hopes of a comeback were ended deep into stoppage time when Giovanni Reyna calmly converted at the far post after a pass from Alex Freeman.
The 4-1 victory gives the United States a perfect start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 journey and underlines their attacking strength heading into the upcoming group-stage matches.
Match Summary
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| United States Vs Paraguay | United States 4-1 Paraguay |
Goals
| Team | Scorer | Minute |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Damián Bobadilla (Own Goal) | 7′ |
| United States | Folarin Balogun | 31′ |
| United States | Folarin Balogun | 44′ |
| Paraguay | Mauricio | 73′ |
| United States | Giovanni Reyna | 90+8′ |
Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 Live in India
Fans in India can watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live and exclusively on ZEE5 with commentary available in Hindi, English, Malayalam, and Bangla.
FIFA World Cup 2026 – Today’s Matches
| Match | Group | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar Vs Switzerland | Group C | 12:30 AM |
| Brazil Vs Morocco | Group C | 3:30 AM |
| Haiti Vs Scotland | Group D | 6:30 AM |
| Australia Vs Turkey | Group D | 9:30 AM |
📌 Watch Live: All FIFA World Cup 2026 matches are available live on ZEE5 in English, Hindi, Malayalam, and Bangla. Selected matches are also available on Zee Keralam with Malayalam commentary.
