World Cup – Balogun scores twice as the USA easily defeats Paraguay 4-1 to temporarily top the standings.

In the first round of Group D matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States hosted Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. They ultimately defeated their opponents 4-1 to temporarily take the top spot in the group and achieve their tenth victory in World Cup history.

As the host nation of this World Cup, the United States dominated from the start. In the 7th minute, Christian Pulisic broke through on the left and crossed the ball, Weston McKennie's cross caused Paraguayan midfielder Damian Bobadilla to score an own goal. In the 28th minute, Pulisic's cross from the left connected with McKennie, who then assisted Balogun to slot the ball into the bottom right corner. Although the goal was disallowed for offside by Pulisic, the United States extended their lead in the 31st minute: Pulisic cut inside from the right into the penalty area and cut the ball back, Balogun finished with a close-range shot.

With a two-goal lead, the United States became increasingly comfortable. In the 37th minute, Malik Tillman delivered a corner kick from the left, and Chris Richards' header inside the penalty area went just wide of the post. In the 5th minute of first-half stoppage time, Tillman sent a low pass from midfield, and Balogun dribbled past two players before curling a shot into the net to score again.

In the second half, the two sides switched ends, and the United States' attacking threat decreased significantly after Pulisic was substituted. Paraguay seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack and pulled one back in the 73rd minute: Orlando Gil's free kick from the backfield caused chaos in the Paraguayan defense, and Julio Enciso then played a through ball to Mauricio in the penalty area, who fired a low shot into the net. However, the United States still managed to score in the 8th minute of second-half stoppage time through a long-range shot from substitute midfielder Giovanni Reina, making the final score 4-1.

Image source: Internet