FIFA World Cup 2026 · Los Angeles Stadium · Inglewood, California · June 12
USA 4–1 Paraguay: Fifa World Cup 2026 Match Report
Tim H
Match Report & Goalkeeper Analysis
June 13, 2026
8 min read
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🇺🇸
USA
Stars & Stripes · Group D · Co-Hosts
⚽ Bobadilla OG 7'
⚽ Balogun 31' · 45+5'
⚽ Reyna 90+8'
4
–
1
Full Time
June 12, 2026
Los Angeles Stadium · Inglewood, California
GROUP D · MATCHDAY 1
🇵🇾
Paraguay
La Albirroja · Group D
⚽ Maurício 73'
Match Summary
The USA delivered the most commanding performance in their World Cup history with a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12 — the first World Cup match on US soil since 1994. An own goal from Damián Bobadilla in the 7th minute gave the co-hosts an early lead, before Folarin Balogun scored twice in the first half. Maurício pulled one back for Paraguay in the 73rd minute. Giovanni Reyna sealed a record victory in the 90+8th minute. Christian Pulisic was outstanding before being withdrawn at half time as a precaution. The USA scored four goals in a single World Cup match for the first time in their history.
Hollywood's Biggest Night — USA Make a World Cup Statement
Katy Perry sang the opening anthem. The crowd at Los Angeles Stadium — 70,000 of the most passionate football fans the United States has ever assembled — roared so loudly the building shook. And then the USA went out and made them all look like understatements. This was not just a win. This was a declaration. America's best, on America's biggest night, against an opponent that barely knew what had hit them until the final whistle confirmed it: four goals scored, all three points won, Group D topped with a goal difference that matters.
The game was decided in the first half — arguably the finest 45 minutes the USA have ever produced at a World Cup. Christian Pulisic was unplayable. Weston McKennie covered every blade of grass. Folarin Balogun was lethal. By the time Balogun tucked away his second goal in the fifth minute of first-half added time, the Paraguayan players looked shell-shocked — and their manager Gustavo Alfaro, who had spent the pre-tournament talking up his side's resilience, had already begun making substitutions in search of answers that never arrived.
A consolation goal for Paraguay through substitute Maurício in the 73rd minute restored a fragment of pride. Giovanni Reyna — coming on as a late substitute — then smashed home a fourth in stoppage time to complete a historic evening that will be talked about in American football for a generation.
Match Timeline — Every Key Moment
2
Paraguay
⚡ Paraguay's Only Early Threat — Sanabria
Matt Turner Saves Early Cheeky Attempt
Antonio Sanabria tested Matt Turner in the second minute with a cheeky shot from distance that the USA goalkeeper was required to turn away. It was Paraguay's warning shot — and also, as it turned out, one of their better chances of the entire match. The USA immediately took control from there and rarely allowed Paraguay to threaten again in any meaningful way.
7
USA
⚽ Goal — USA 1-0 Paraguay (Own Goal)
Damián Bobadilla (OG)
Pulisic picked up the ball wide on the left and burst past two Paraguayan defenders with a dribble of pure quality. He cut inside and slid a pass to McKennie, whose cutback was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Damián Bobadilla under pressure. The fastest-ever goal the USA have scored at a World Cup. Los Angeles Stadium erupted. The opening ceremony noise — already deafening — somehow doubled. USA 1-0 in seven minutes. Assist: McKennie / Pulisic.
28
USA
🚫 Goal Ruled Out — Balogun Offside
Balogun Celebration Cut Short by Flag
Folarin Balogun turned in what appeared to be a second USA goal but the flag was raised — Pulisic had been caught offside in the build-up. Balogun's celebrations were cut short by the linesman's flag. The Monaco striker would not have to wait long for the real thing — three minutes later, he delivered it with style.
31
USA
⚽ Goal — USA 2-0 Paraguay
Folarin Balogun
Antonee Robinson broke forward down the left flank with the energy of a man who had been waiting his entire career for this moment. He released Pulisic, who took a touch and played a deflected pass into Balogun's feet inside the penalty area. The Monaco striker took one touch and fired precisely into the bottom-right corner past Orlando Gill. 2-0. Eleven goals in 28 appearances for the USA. A career that almost went differently — Balogun had represented England at youth level before committing to the United States. Assist: Pulisic.
45+5
USA
⚽ Goal — USA 3-0 Paraguay
Folarin Balogun
The goal of the match. The goal of the tournament so far. In the fifth minute of first-half added time, Balogun received the ball with two Paraguayan defenders tightly marking him. With composure that drew audible gasps from the Los Angeles crowd, he shed both of them with a feint and a burst of pace, opened up a tight window to goal, and placed a perfect strike to the upper corner. Orlando Gill had absolutely no chance. A World Cup quality finish that announced Balogun to a global audience. 3-0 at half time. He became only the second American to score multiple goals in a World Cup match — the first was Bert Patenaude, in 1930, also against Paraguay.
HT
USA
🔄 Pulisic Withdrawn — Precautionary
Sebastian Berhalter on · Christian Pulisic off
Pochettino made the difficult but correct decision to substitute Pulisic at half time as a precaution — the AC Milan winger had completed three dribbles and created two chances in 45 extraordinary minutes. Sebastian Berhalter — son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter — entered to become the 24th father-son duo in history to both play in a FIFA World Cup match. A historic footnote within a historic evening.
73
Paraguay
⚽ Goal — USA 3-1 Paraguay
Maurício
A moment of quality from the Paraguayan substitute. Maurício — who had replaced the unfortunate Bobadilla at half time — latched onto a subtle pass from Julio Enciso and fired home to give Paraguay a consolation. The USA were briefly made to feel the game was not entirely over. But their composure held, and within seventeen minutes they had sealed the match with a fourth.
82
USA
🔄 Substitution
Giovanni Reyna on · Malik Tillman off
Pochettino brought on Giovanni Reyna — the Borussia Dortmund midfielder whose career has been disrupted by injury since 2021 — with eight minutes of normal time remaining. Reyna had been working his way back to his best throughout the qualifying campaign. What he did with his time on the pitch at Los Angeles Stadium would be his most significant moment in a USA shirt.
90+8
USA
⚽ Goal — USA 4-1 Paraguay
Giovanni Reyna
The perfect ending to a perfect American evening. Alex Freeman — the other second-half substitute — drove forward and cut back for Reyna, who arrived with a run from deep and struck a composed finish past Gill. 4-1. The USA's biggest ever margin of victory in a World Cup match. The record books rewritten in Los Angeles. Assist: Alex Freeman. The crowd — already delirious — found another level. The final whistle came seconds later.
Full Match Statistics
Key Statistics
Possession
59%28%
Total Shots
169
Shots on Target
61
Shots Inside Penalty Area
134
Goals
41
Stat
USA 🇺🇸
Paraguay 🇵🇾
Goals
4
1
Scorers
Bobadilla OG 7' · Balogun 31' · 45+5' · Reyna 90+8'
Maurício 73'
Total Shots
16
9
Shots on Target
6
1
Shots Inside Box
13
4
Possession
59%
28%
Pulisic Dribbles (1st half)
3 (joint most)
—
Pulisic Chances Created
2 (joint most)
—
Historic Record
USA's biggest ever World Cup win · Balogun 2nd American with WC brace (after Patenaude 1930 vs same opponents!)
Attendance
Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) · Inglewood, California · June 12, 2026
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Goalkeeper Spotlight
🥅 Matt Turner — Composed Night, One Save, Historic Win
USA GK · Crystal Palace
Result
4–1
USA biggest WC win ever
Saves
1
Sanabria 2nd min
PAR xG Faced
Low
Paraguay barely threatened
Shots on Target
1
Conceded vs Mauricio 73'
Matt Turner had a relatively quiet evening by his own lofty standards — exactly what a goalkeeper wants when the team in front of them wins 4-1. The Crystal Palace goalkeeper made his only significant save early, turning away Sanabria's cheeky second-minute effort, and was otherwise left as a spectator as the USA's defensive structure kept Paraguay to one shot on target across 90 minutes. He was beaten by Maurício's 73rd-minute consolation through a combination of pace and precision that left him with little chance. Turner was reliable in his distribution throughout and commanded his area with authority. A composed, professional performance befitting a goalkeeper playing at a home World Cup for the first time.
Orlando Gill — Beaten Four Times, Let Down by Everyone Around Him
Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill had the most difficult possible evening for a goalkeeper. None of the four goals he conceded were errors on his part — the Bobadilla own goal was created by a Pulisic dribble that the whole Paraguayan team could not stop, the Balogun first goal came from a perfectly weighted Pulisic pass, the Balogun second was placed so precisely to the upper corner that barely any goalkeeper in the world could have saved it, and Reyna's late strike was hit with power and placement that left Gill stranded.
For the goalkeeping community, Gill's evening is a reminder of something important: a goalkeeper's individual rating cannot always be separated from the performance of the team in front of them. He was beaten four times. He was responsible for none of them. In football — and particularly in goalkeeping — that is both the hardest and most honest verdict available.
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All in all, just an incredible start. This was exactly what we wanted to show the world about American football.
Christian Pulisic — USA Captain · Post-Match Reaction · Los Angeles Stadium · June 12, 2026
What This Means Going Forward
🇺🇸
USA — Top of the World
Three points, four goals, a goal difference of +3, and the knowledge that this generation of American players is capable of something truly special at a home World Cup. They face Australia next — who also won their opening match 2-0 over Türkiye — in what is already a defining Group D encounter. A win would send the USA into the knockout stages with a match to spare.
📅 USA vs Australia · June 20 · 10:00 PM ET · 7:30 AM IST Jun 21 · Seattle
🇵🇾
Paraguay — Must-Win Situation
A 4-1 defeat in a World Cup opener is a result that requires an immediate response. Paraguay face Türkiye next — who also lost their opening match — in what has become a must-not-lose fixture. Both teams will be desperate for their first points. Alfaro must address his side's failure to deal with the USA's pressing and direct running before the next match.
📅 Paraguay vs Türkiye · June 20 · 3:00 PM ET · 12:30 AM IST Jun 21
Conclusion
USA 4-1 Paraguay. The most goals the United States have ever scored in a single World Cup match. A performance that will be analysed, celebrated, and replayed in American football for years to come. Katy Perry sang. Hollywood's finest watched. And then Pulisic, Balogun, McKennie, Robinson, and Reyna made their own kind of music — four goals, three points, a nation believing.
Matt Turner had a quiet night in goal. That is one of the finest things a goalkeeper can say. His teammates gave him very little to do — and in doing so, gave him the greatest gift of a goalkeeper's professional life: a 4-1 World Cup win, on home soil, with a nation watching.
Follow Elite Sport throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup for full match reports, goalkeeper ratings, and complete coverage of all nine ES athletes on the world stage — only at elitesportkeepers.com
Frequently Asked Questions
The USA beat Paraguay 4-1 in Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California on June 12. An own goal from Damián Bobadilla opened the scoring in the 7th minute, Folarin Balogun scored twice in the 31st and 45+5th minutes, Maurício pulled one back for Paraguay in the 73rd minute, and Giovanni Reyna sealed the victory in the 90+8th minute.
Damián Bobadilla scored an own goal in the 7th minute, created by Christian Pulisic's dribble and Weston McKennie's cutback. Folarin Balogun scored in the 31st minute assisted by Pulisic, and scored again in the 45+5th minute with a brilliant upper-corner finish. Giovanni Reyna added a fourth in the 90+8th minute assisted by Alex Freeman.
Yes. The 4-1 victory over Paraguay was the USA's biggest ever win at a FIFA World Cup — the first time they had ever scored four goals in a single World Cup match. The 3-goal margin of victory (4-1) was also a record for the United States at the tournament.
Folarin Balogun is a Monaco striker who chose to represent the USA internationally after playing for England at youth level. His two-goal performance against Paraguay made him the second American player ever to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match — the first was Bert Patenaude, who scored a hat-trick against Paraguay in 1930. The same opponents. 96 years apart.
The USA face Australia on June 20 at 10:00 PM ET / 7:30 AM IST June 21 in Seattle — a Group D leaders clash. Paraguay face Türkiye on June 20 at 3:00 PM ET / 12:30 AM IST June 21 in a must-win encounter for both sides after losing their opening matches.
USA Vs Paraguay: Fifa World Cup 2026 Match Report
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