USA wins 4-1 against Paraguay in World Cup 2026 opening match
June 16, 2026 · TaegeukGoal
The U.S. men's national soccer team won its first match of World Cup 2026 4-1, earning praise from legendary players. In this game held at SoFi Stadium, the team showed an overwhelming performance amid enthusiastic cheering from fans.
IRVINE, California — The United States' 4-1 win over Paraguay in the opening game of World Cup 2026 was more than just "the beginning of a dream." Legends of the program heaped praise on the night, saying it would already go down as an iconic night in national team history. The United States beat Paraguay in a big way in front of 70,492 fans at Sofai Stadium, and the play on the field was almost perfect, like Chris Richards' passing. The play during the first 45 minutes was especially impressive. Off the field, the interaction between the team and the fans hasn't been this good in a long time. This is a bond that manager Mauricio Pochettino has been focusing on forming and strengthening. Friday evening was the peak of that bond.
“Friday was one of the greatest nights of my life,” said Alexi Laras, U.S. men's national soccer team legend and senior analyst for Fox Sports. “People ask about 1994, of course the game against Colombia was a great day in my life, but last night was something special. It was a celebration of who we are today and how far we have come.” However, Laras had doubts about the team's progress and did not hesitate to express them. Two weeks ago, he insisted that criticism of his blunt style doesn't really affect him. Relations between the legends of the United States men's national soccer team and their current players have not always been warm, but over the weekend stars of the past lined up to praise the performance against Paraguay. His teammates from the 1994 World Cup team, who laid the foundations of the current program, were impressed with the day's performance. Tony Miola and Marcelo Balboa also visited the stadium. They sat together and watched the game.
“It just brought back memories,” Miola said. “When we played against Colombia in 1994, the stadium was electric. Absolutely electric. But that day we probably had a 50/50 split of American and Colombian fans, but on Friday the Paraguayan fans were completely buried. The crowd that day was really engaged. They deserved everything they got.”
The players recognize the success of the day and know that the summer's work is not yet over. Weston McKennie presented the match as proof to the remaining critics that football was boring. We've long said that players need to entertain their fans, but to perform in that way in their home World Cup opener is truly special.
“The atmosphere was incredible,” said former U.S. men's national soccer team coach Bob Bradley. “When you come in from the outside, you see people from all walks of life, all neighborhoods, families, kids, people wearing USA jerseys. Inside, it definitely felt like that. People came together as true USA fans.”
On the field, there is an argument being made that the performance of the U.S. men's national soccer team in this game was one of the best in history. Former US striker and current Athletic contributor Charlie Davis considered it the team's fourth best win of the World Cup. Laras agreed, calling the first 45 minutes with the U.S. up 3-0 the "best half" in program history.
“It was dominant from start to finish. A style that combines brutality and organization is not something we associate with the U.S. men’s national soccer team.” Christian Pulisic scored two goals in the first half, but was replaced at halftime due to injury concerns. Folarin Balogun scored twice, making him the first American player to score two goals in a World Cup since 1930. Richard never lost a pass. The midfield trio of Tyler Adams, McKennie and Malik Tillman completely dominated the game and tormented Paraguay. Lastly, Gio Reyna came off the bench and scored a great goal after completing 26 passes. American soccer legend Tab Ramos said the play of Adams, McKennie and Tillman was the best midfield performance in program history. His words mean a lot. Because Ramos is one of the program's all-time best midfielders.
“From start to finish, it was holistic, tenacious and, most importantly, amazing for those who haven’t seen that kind of pride and excitement in the way the U.S. men’s national soccer team plays,” Laras added. “Scoring a goal? We’ve scored goals before, but it’s really rare to put pressure on an opponent like that, especially not for such a long time.”
This game is just one game. Both manager Pochettino and his players emphasized after the game that there is a long way to go. But the team is currently living in a dream world. And it will be up to them to maintain this momentum against Australia on Friday. Seattle fans will cheer them on. “It’s not perfect, but it’s unique,” Laras said of American soccer. “This is something worth noting, something to celebrate, something to be proud of. It all came to fruition on and off the field. Let’s not forget that this was a game played in Los Angeles in front of 70,000 passionate American fans.”