The USMNT opened its 2026 World Cup campaign with a convincing 4-1 victory over Paraguay as Folarin Balogun’s first-half brace put the game beyond doubt. An early own goal in the 7th minute gave the U.S. the lead, and sustained pressure produced Balogun’s first: a tidy finish from Christian Pulisic’s pass into the bottom-right corner in the 31st minute. Balogun then doubled his tally just before halftime with a composed cut and strike into the top-left to make it 3-0. Paraguay’s Maurício pulled one back in the second half, but Giovanni Reyna sealed the result in stoppage time with a fine finish from inside the box.
Earlier in Group B action, Canada earned its first-ever World Cup point with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia took the lead through Jovo Lukic after a series of headers from a corner, but Canada fought back and levelled in the 78th minute when Cyle Larin’s powerful shot, aided by a favorable deflection, found the net. The draw keeps both teams competitive alongside Switzerland and Qatar in Group B.
