USMNT Opens 2026 World Cup With 4-1 Rout of Paraguay
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- Folarin Balogun scored a brace to lead the USMNT to a 4-1 win over Paraguay in their 2026 World Cup opener, according to the article headline.
- Gio Reyna also found the net in the Americans' dominant performance, per the article's share metadata.
- The United States opened their 2026 World Cup campaign at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, June 12, 2026.
- Paraguay managed just one goal as the USMNT's first goal of the 2026 World Cup sparked fan celebrations (per the embedded video caption).
- ESPN framed the result as a statement win, asking in the lede 'How good was Folarin Balogun?' and inviting readers to 'relive all the action from the USMNT's epic win.'
Why it matters: This is the USMNT's first match of a home World Cup, and a 4-1 rout immediately sets the tone for their tournament. Balogun's brace establishes him as the attacking focal point heading into the group stage, while Reyna's goal offers an early answer about the Americans' attacking depth.
