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History was made when the United States dropped a four-bomb bomb on Paraguay.
For the first time in history, the United States scored at least four goals in a World Cup match.
Additionally, 24-year-old Folarin Balogun became the first American player since 1930 to score multiple goals in a World Cup match. The 4-1 victory over Paraguay also marked the first time the United States won a World Cup match by three goals since 1930, when they also beat Paraguay. Team USA secured the historic victory in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Southern California on Friday night.
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Folarin Balogun scored two goals in his first World Cup game for the United States. (Getty Images)
Balogun’s big night marked a historic moment in one of the most fascinating American soccer stories in USMNT history.
The United States took a 3-0 lead, scored its first goal in the first seven minutes and was one goal away from matching the largest World Cup victory in program history. Even with a three-goal lead, the Americans continued to push for the fourth goal. But after American captain Christian Pulisic went down injured, 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 ensure the United States earned three points in the World Cup standings.
The American scoring barrage began when Paraguayan Damián Bobadilla scored an own goal in the sixth minute, giving the Americans an early lead in the long-awaited group stage showdown.
The packed American fans at SoFi Stadium roared as the USMNT took an early lead.
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Folarin Balogun of the USA celebrates scoring the second goal with his teammates in Inglewood, California, on June 12, 2026, during the FIFA World Cup Group D match against Paraguay. (Gary Vásquez/Imagn Images)
Then, in the 30th minute, Balogun, a New York native, scored his first World Cup goal, extending the lead to two.
Balogun’s goal gave the United States a two-goal lead in the 30th minute, the third-fastest goal the Americans have reached that mark in a World Cup match. The only time the US team managed to put the ball in the net before was in 2002 against Portugal (29th minute) and in a 1930 match against Paraguay (15th minute).
Balogun’s special night continued just before half-time when he scored again, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Balogun ran onto a pinpoint pass from teammate Malik Tillman before firing a shot into the top left corner for a highlight goal.
Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents, but raised in London, Balogun came through Arsenal’s prestigious 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 the most important professional clubs in England.
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Christian Pulisic of the USA celebrates with his teammates after an own goal by Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D match in Inglewood, California, on June 12, 2026. (Kiyoshi Mio/Image Images)
He had the option to play for the United States or England, and when deciding which national team to commit to, he took a vacation to the United States in 2023. He felt such overwhelming support from American fans on social media that it greatly influenced his decision to pledge international allegiance to the United States.
Now, he is the new star for the United States in a strong start to a World Cup that will be played at home for the first time in three decades.
