US beats Paraguay 4-1 in opening match of 2026 World Cup

PARIS, France — The United States opened the 2026 World Cup with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday, the first match of the tournament hosted on American soil. The tournament is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Folarin Balogun scored twice for the United States, with an own goal and a late strike by Gio Reyna completing the scoring. Mauricio netted Paraguay's only goal. The match was played before a crowd of 70,492 that included celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton. Christian Pulisic, one of the United States' key attacking players, was forced off with an injury in the first half, and his status remains unclear. The result gave the Americans an early advantage in Group D, which also includes Australia and Turkey.