USA TODAY
June 12, 2026Updated June 13, 2026, 12:01 a.m. ET
The United States men’s national team romped to a 4-1 win over Paraguay in its opening match of the 2026 World Cup, scoring all three goals before the whistle blew for halftime.
An own goal got the party started in the seventh minute after a clever passage of play and USMNT resulted in a deflection off a Paraguay defender into the back of the net. Folarin Balogun scored two goals to put the Americans up 3-0, the latter an absolutely stunning strike into the top corner.
Paraguay pulled one back in the 73rd minute through Mauricio, but substitute Gio Reyna scored with the outside of his boot in stoppage time to restore the Americans’ three-goal advantage.
The USMNT took control of Group D with the win, while Turkey and Australia face off in the pool’s other pairing on Saturday. The Americans face Australia in Seattle on Friday, June 19 and then finish group play against Turkey on June 25th back in Southern California.
Here’s a look back at all the goals:NEWSLETTER: Sign up to get all the World Cup highlights in your inbox
Seventh minute: Own goal – USA 1, Paraguay 0
31st minute: Folarin Balogun goal – USA 2, Paraguay 0
45+4 minutes: Folarin Balogun goal – USA 3, Paraguay 0
More Flo: How to buy Balogun’s Team USA Nike soccer jersey
73rd minute: Mauricio goal – USA 3, Paraguay 1
93rd minute: Gio Reyna goal – USA 4, Paraguay 0
When does USA play next at World Cup?
June 19 – USMNT vs. Australia
June 25 – USMNT vs. Turkey
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
- TV: FOX, Telemundo
- Streaming: FOX One, Fubo, Peacock
World Cup schedule 2026
- Round of 32: June 28-July 3
- Round of 16: July 4-7
- Quarterfinals: July 9-11
- Semifinals: July 14-15
- Third-place game: July 18 (Miami Gardens, Florida)
- Final: July 19 (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
