Sport
The win and emphatic scoreline puts the US in the driver's seat to progress from Group D, which also contains Australia and Turkey.
US forward Folarin Balogun celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between the US and Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on Jun 12, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Patrick T Fallon)
13 Jun 2026 11:15AM
(Updated: 13 Jun 2026 12:19PM)
LOS ANGELES: The United States could scarcely have scripted a better start to their World Cup as a Folarin Balogun brace and Gio Reyna curler fired the co-hosts to a 4-1 drubbing of Paraguay in front of Hollywood royalty in Los Angeles on Friday (Jun 12).
The hosts took the lead in the tournament's first game on US soil within seven minutes thanks to an own goal, and by the end of an utterly dominant half the home fans were in dreamland, their side up by three.
Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton were among a sold-out 70,492 crowd as the US - co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada - piled wave after wave of attacks on the South Americans, with Reyna polishing off the win late in stoppage time after Mauricio had pulled one back.
The win and emphatic scoreline puts the US in a favourable position already to progress from Group D, which also contains Australia and Turkey.
Actor Tom Cruise and former footballers David Beckham and Robbie Keane in the stands. (Photo: REUTERS/Matthew Childs)
The night's only potential sour note was the half-time withdrawal of Christian Pulisic, the US attacking talisman who is carrying the hopes of the nation as they attempt a deep run into the World Cup knockouts for the first time since their quarter-final appearance in 2002.
Paraguay could not have been more obliging guests from kick-off. In the seventh minute, Weston McKennie picked up the ball in the centre circle and drove upfield, finding Pulisic.
Pulisic darted between two defenders and returned the ball to McKennie, whose pass to striker Balogun was bundled into his own net by a hapless Damian Bobadilla.
The stadium erupted, and a US onslaught began.
The hosts oozed confidence. Both McKennie and Tillman played backheel through balls into the area, while captain Tim Ream sprayed out passes from the heart of defence.
Balogun had a goal ruled out in the 28th minute. He had strayed offside, as had Pulisic in the buildup.
Paraguay's defender Gustavo Gomez and US forward Folarin Balogun fight for the ball during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between the US and Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on Jun 12, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Patrick T Fallon)
But the Monaco striker had the ball in the net again three minutes later, thanks to a superb ball down the left flank by Antonee Robinson to Pulisic, whose cross to Balogun took a slight fortuitous deflection.
The US added a third on the cusp of half-time. Tillman found Balogun down the right, who evaded Omar Alderete's challenge, skipped inside Gustavo Gomez and curled his shot perfectly into the top left corner.
It could have been four or five, with Chris Richards - returning from injury - flashing a header barely an inch wide. The US had 75 per cent possession in the first half.
Now without the dangerous Pulisic, the hosts sat back slightly in the second half.
Paraguay finally offered a threat. Their dangerous forward Julio Enciso, who started despite a hamstring injury, picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fed in Brazil-born substitute Mauricio, who pulled one back.
Reyna scored a superb fourth with the outside of his right foot that curled just inside the far post.
Giovanni Reyna of the United States shoots to score his team's fourth goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between the US and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on Jun 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Getty Images via AFP/Stu Forster)
The game had been preceded by a Tinseltown-style opening ceremony. Katy Perry delivered the headline performance, accompanied by singers Future, Tyla, Anitta and K-pop star Lisa.
Performers danced around a giant World Cup trophy beneath enormous "FIFA" letters in the gold favoured by US President Donald Trump - who did not attend, instead wishing the team luck via phone before kick-off.
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Read the full article at Channel NewsAsia (CNA) →📄Source document: Fusion Sim Analysis→8 reports
Koha.netIndependentCenter2 days agoThe United States and Australia have both started strongly in the World Cup, with the US winning 4-1 against Paraguay and Australia defeating Turkey 2-0. The two teams will face off again on Thursday at 21:00 in Seattle as part of Group D.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on sports results without any political commentary, framing, or biased language. It focuses purely on the outcomes of matches and upcoming fixtures.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA)Party-alignedCenter3 days agoParaguay and Turkey face challenges in World Cup Group D following their initial losses. Turkey lost 2-0 to Australia, while Paraguay fell 4-1 to the United States. Both teams now have limited room for error ahead of their upcoming match. The outcome of this game, along with the U.S.-Australia match, will clarify the group standings. A second loss for either team could jeopardize their chances of advancing.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a neutral summary of sports events without taking a stance on any political issue. It focuses solely on the outcomes and implications of football matches in the World Cup, using standard sports journalism language.
NewsweekIndependentCenter6 days agoThe U.S. Men's National Team defeated Paraguay 4-1 in their World Cup opener, improving their chances of advancing from the group stage. With changes to the tournament format allowing third-place teams to qualify for the knockout rounds, the U.S. now has a strong probability of progressing. According to Fusion Sim, the U.S. has a 93.9% chance of advancing from the group stage after this victory.
Bias read (Center): The article provides factual information about the U.S. national soccer team's performance and uses statistical models to assess their chances of advancement. There is no evident ideological framing, biased language, or selective sourcing. The content remains purely analytical and focused on sports.
France 24 (English)State / PublicCenter8 days agoOn day two of the World Cup, Team USA defeated Paraguay 4-1, marking a strong start to their campaign. Canada earned their first point with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The article highlights these results without providing additional context or commentary.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual results from the World Cup matches without any apparent bias, loaded language, or selective sourcing. It remains neutral in tone and focus.
RTP NotíciasState / PublicCenter8 days agoThe United States defeated Paraguay 4-1 in the opening match of Group D. The U.S. scored through an own goal by Damian Bobadilla, a brace by Folarin Balogun, and a goal by Giovanni Reyna. Mauricio Prado scored a goal for Paraguay. The first round of Group D concludes today in Vancouver, Canada, with a match between Turkey, returning to the World Cup after finishing third in 2002, and Australia, which has been present consecutively since 2006.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a factual summary of the match results and context about the teams involved. There is no evident bias in language, framing, or omission of context. The reporting is neutral and straightforward.
RTKState / PublicCenter8 days agoThe United States national team defeated Paraguay 4-1 in the opening match of Group D at the 2026 World Cup.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports event with no political commentary or framing. The content is purely factual and does not take a stance or emphasize any particular perspective.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA)Party-alignedCenter8 days ago US beat Paraguay 4-1 in dream start for World Cup co-hostsThe United States defeated Paraguay 4-1 in their opening match of the World Cup, putting them in a strong position to advance from Group D, which also includes Australia and Turkey.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports match result without any political commentary, framing, or biased language. The focus is purely on the game outcome and implications for the tournament.
France 24 (Français)State / PublicCenter8 days ago World Cup 2026: US defeats Paraguay for its entry into the competitionThe United States defeated Paraguay 4-1 in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, which they are co-hosting. The game took place in Los Angeles, and the U.S. team now leads Group D ahead of Turkey's match against Australia in Vancouver.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports match without any political commentary, framing, or biased language. It focuses solely on the outcome of the game and the implications for the tournament standings.
