Balogun brace, Reyna stunner: USMNT opens World Cup with a 4-1 statement
Folarin Balogun scored twice and Giovanni Reyna added a late stunner as the USA beat Paraguay 4-1 in their 2026 World Cup group opener at SoFi Stadium. This recap covers the key moments, what Malik Tillman's performance signals, the Group D standings, and what the USA vs. Australia clash on June 19 will decide.
Four goals at SoFi Stadium on Friday night settled something the U.S. has been debating for years. Folarin Balogun, the Brooklyn-born Monaco striker who grew up in London and spent his youth career at Arsenal, planted his flag as America's No. 1 center-forward — twice — before the halftime whistle. 1
Group D: USA 3 pts, Australia 3 pts, Türkiye 0 pts, Paraguay 0 pts — with two matchdays still to play. 1
How it unfolded
The U.S. didn't let Paraguay settle. Weston McKennie cut in from the right flank in the 7th minute and squared a ball that Paraguay's Damián Bobadilla poked into his own net. Balogun had a goal chalked off for offside shortly after, then remedied that in the 31st minute — Christian Pulisic sliding the ball left across the box, Balogun converting with his left. Five minutes into first-half stoppage time, Malik Tillman released him again into the box; he shifted past two defenders and picked out the top corner. 3-0 at the break. 1
Paraguay pulled one back through Brazil-born midfielder Mauricio in the 73rd minute, briefly threatening the clean sheet. Substitute Giovanni Reyna killed any doubt in the 98th minute, curling a shot with the outside of his right foot from distance — one of those goals that replays even the casual soccer fan. Final score: USA 4-1 Paraguay. 1
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The Balogun question, answered — for now
For much of the last cycle, the USMNT carried an open secret: nobody could agree on who played the No. 9. Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, Josh Sargent, Daryl Dike — all cycled through Mauricio Pochettino's squads. Balogun, who made his senior USMNT debut in 2023 after switching his allegiance from England, was always in the mix but rarely the unambiguous first choice.
Two goals in a World Cup opener on home soil changes the framing. Malik Tillman was arguably the best player on the pitch over 90 minutes, pulling the strings in midfield. 1 Pulisic ran hard for 90 minutes and drew defenders out of shape. And with McKennie and Tillman behind him, Balogun looked like he was playing for a club that actually understood how to use him.
Group D standings and what comes next
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| Türkiye | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
| Paraguay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
Australia beat Türkiye 2-0 on Matchday 1, meaning Group D is split into a top two already pulling away. 3
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June 19 — USA vs. Australia, Lumen Field, Seattle (3 p.m. ET): The group's actual crunch game. Both teams come in with maximum points; whoever wins goes into the final group game in a commanding position. Australia qualified with a perfect six-from-six record in their AFC qualifying campaign. 4 Pochettino has stressed publicly that the team will not approach this differently because of the first-game result.
June 25 — USA vs. Türkiye, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles (10 p.m. ET): Türkiye (ranked 22nd) are the highest-ranked opponent in the group and the only team the USMNT lost to in a 2025 friendly — 2-1 in June 2025. 4 A Türkiye team in must-win mode after going winless on Matchday 1 is a different proposition than the June friendly version.
Qualification paths from here
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups advance to the Round of 32 directly. The eight best third-place teams across all groups also advance. 4
Three scenarios from the U.S. perspective:
- Win vs. Australia on June 19 → The U.S. clinches advancement regardless of the Türkiye result. The Türkiye match becomes a battle for group seeding and a favorable Round of 32 bracket slot.
- Draw vs. Australia → Advancement is still likely but depends on the Türkiye–Paraguay result on June 25.
- Loss vs. Australia → A three-way points scenario opens up. The U.S. would need a win vs. Türkiye and a favorable goal-difference swing to guarantee top-two.
If the U.S. finishes first in Group D, they play July 1 at Levi's Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area). Runner-up advances to a July 3 game at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. 2
Fan temperature
Captain Tim Ream told CBS News before the tournament: "I have no doubt that we could potentially win." SoFi was packed with 70,000-plus on Friday; Katy Perry performed the opening set. The atmosphere around the tournament — and specifically around the U.S. squad — is at a different level than 2022 in Qatar or the 2014 run in Brazil. 2
The U.S. Soccer House at Venice Beach opened this week as the tournament fan hub, with watch parties and pre-match events planned through the group stage. 4
Whether the atmosphere translates when the games tighten up — and they will — is the story to watch on June 19 in Seattle.
References
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