The Americans defeated Paraguay in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup

 The United States national team impressively defeated Paraguay 4-1 in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Folarin Balogun scored 2 goals and made history in the US national team. Balogun became only the second American to score more than one goal in a World Cup match, after Bert Patenaude, who scored the first hat trick in tournament history in 1930, also against Paraguay. It was also the USA's highest victory in the World Cup - equaling 3-0 wins over Paraguay and Belgium in 1930, when the USA finished 3rd. The hosts opened the scoring in the 7th minute of the match thanks to an own goal by Damian Bobadilla from Paraguay. Christian Pulisic, who was responsible for the assist, managed to outmaneuver two defenders and pass the ball to Weston McKennie, whom Bobadilla tried to clear into the penalty area, but he shot into his own goal. In the 28th minute, the Americans scored a second goal, but the referee whistled an offside for Balogun's goal. However, the Monaco striker did not wait long for his goal and scored 3 minutes later after a pass from Pulisic. Balogun scored his second goal in the 34th minute, using a pass from Malik Tillman, passing defender Omar Alderete and with a beautiful shot he placed the ball into the goalkeeper's window guarded by Orlando Gill. After the break, the game revived a bit and the Americans made a better impression. However, it was Paraguay who scored in the 57th minute, when Mauricio, previously a Brazilian player, scored after a pass from Julio Enciso. The victory for the Americans was sealed by Giovani Reyna, who scored a beautiful goal to make it 4-1 in the last action of the match. Folarin Balogun, who has gained great popularity in recent years, performed brilliantly in this match. He was born in New York, but as a child he moved with his family to London, where he progressed through all levels of the Arsenal academy. In 2020, he made his debut in the first team, but he did not have many opportunities to play, which is why he was loaned to other clubs. He spent last season on loan at Reims, where he scored 21 goals in Ligue 1. In the summer of 2023, he moved to Monaco for £35 million. Balogun has scored 9 goals in 13 Ligue 1 matches this season. In 2023, he decided to change the national team and instead of playing for England, he chose the USA. The World Championships in the USA were inaugurated in great style - the opening ceremony attended by Katy Perry, the presence of stars such as David Beckham and Tom Cruise and the audience of over 70,000 people created an amazing atmosphere. The hosts of the match, the United States, also performed brilliantly on the pitch, winning 4-1. The USA's next match will be against Australia on Friday, June 19.