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History was made when the US dropped a 4-bomb on Paraguay.
For the first time in history, the USA scored at least four goals in a World Cup game.
On top of that, Folarin Balogun, 24, became the first American player since 1930 to score multiple goals in a World Cup game. The 4-1 win over Paraguay also marked the first time the United States won a World Cup match by three goals since 1930, when it also beat Paraguay. Team USA secured the historic victory in its 2026 FIFA World Cup opener in Southern California on Friday night.
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Folarin Balogun scored two goals in his first World Cup game for the USA. (Getty Images)
Balogun’s big night marked a historic moment in one of the more fascinating American soccer stories in USMNT history.
The USA raced out to a 3-0 lead, scored its first goal within the first seven minutes, and came within one goal of matching the biggest World Cup victory in program history. Even with the three-goal advantage, the Americans continued to push for a fourth goal. But after American captain Christian Pulisic went down with an injury, Paraguay found the back of the net in the 73rd minute.
But then, in the final seconds, 23-year-old Gio Reyna scored the historic fourth goal to secure the USA three points in the World Cup standings.
The American scoring barrage started when Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla scored an own goal in the sixth minute to give the Americans an early lead in the highly anticipated group stage match.
American fans packed into SoFi Stadium roared as the USMNT grabbed an early advantage.
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Folarin Balogun of the United States celebrates the second goal with teammates in Inglewood, Calif., on June 12, 2026, during the FIFA World Cup Group D match against Paraguay. (Gary Vasquez/Imagn Images)
Then in the 30th minute, New York native Balogun scored his first ever World Cup goal to push the lead to two.
Balogun’s strike gave the USA a two-goal cushion in the 30th minute, the third-fastest the Americans have reached that mark in a World Cup match. The only time Team USA managed to put the ball in the net faster was in 2002 against Portugal (29th minute) and in a 1930 meeting with Paraguay (15th minute).
Balogun’s special night continued just before the break when he scored again, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Balogun pounced on a pinpoint pass from teammate Malik Tillman before curling a shot into the top left corner for a one-of-a-kind goal.
Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents but raised in London, Balogun came through the prestigious Arsenal academy. He was discovered at the age of eight playing in a local “Sunday League” in London and joined the youth academy of Arsenal, one of England’s biggest professional clubs.
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Christian Pulisic of the United States celebrates with teammates after an own goal by Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match in Inglewood, California, on June 12, 2026. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
He had the choice of playing for the USA or England, and when he decided which national team to commit to, he took a vacation to the USA in 2023. He felt so much overwhelming support from American fans on social media that it greatly influenced his decision to pledge his international allegiance to the USA.
Now he is the USA’s newest star in a strong start to a World Cup that will be played on home soil for the first time in three decades.
