The opening round of fixtures for Group D of the 2026 World Cup got underway in spectacular fashion on home soil. Playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Los Angeles Stadium, the USMNT secured a blunt 4-1 victory over Paraguay to capture an essential three points.
The Stars and Stripes caught their South American opponents off-guard almost immediately. Just seven minutes after the opening whistle, a dangerous cross whipped into the box by Weston McKennie forced an early own goal from Paraguayan midfielder Damián Bobadilla.
Holding onto the early momentum, Mauricio Pochettino’s squad doubled their advantage in the 30th minute when Folarin Balogun collected a precise pass and clinically slotted it home. The tactical masterclass was officially capped off just before the halftime whistle, as Balogun struck again in stoppage time to complete his brace and establish a commanding 3-0 lead.
Paraguay refused to go down without a fight in the second half, mounting a gritty response to test the American defense. Their efforts paid off in the 73rd minute when midfielder Maurício fired home a powerful strike to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Group D standings.
However, the final word belonged to the hosts. Deep into second-half stoppage time, substitute Giovanni Reyna made his mark on the match. In the 90+7′ minute, Reyna capitalized on a brilliant transition sequence, finding space in the area to turn and fire home a lethal trivela finish, sealing the definitive 4-1 victory for the United States before the final whistle.
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This decisive result leaves the United States comfortably sitting in first place in Group D with a +3 goal difference. Paraguay drops straight to the bottom of the group standings after matchday one, holding a -3 goal difference. Because the section’s other two competitors—Australia and Turkiye—have yet to play their opening fixture at Vancouver Stadium, they sit tied for second place with zero points across the board.
What’s next for Group D?
The Group D action continues almost immediately on Saturday, June 13, when Australia and Turkiye make their 2026 World Cup debuts at Vancouver Stadium to close out the group’s opening matchday.
Following that clash, the entire group gets an extended rest period before heading into a crucial Matchday 2 doubleheader on Friday, June 19. The USMNT will travel north to Seattle Stadium to take on Australia in a high-stakes encounter, while Turkiye and Paraguay will look to battle it out at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara.
