By Juan Samuel Santana Chávez

The United States national team marked a historic debut in the 2026 FIFA World Cups by defeating Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. With goals from Folarin Balogun (2), an own goal by Damián Bobadilla, and a strike from Gio Reyna, the team coached by Mauricio Pochettino achieved the biggest victory in its World Cup history and took the lead in Group D.

Although the United States had previously started a World Cup with a dominant win, they had never done so with four goals in their favor. In the first World Cup in 1930, the Americans defeated Belgium 3-0 in their opening match and later beat Paraguay 3-0, results that stood for 96 years as their widest margins of victory in the premier international football tournament.

Therefore, the 4-1 victory over Paraguay in 2026 represents a new record for the Stars and Stripes. In addition to being the first time they scored four goals in a World Cup match, they also surpassed the marks set by that historic 1930 generation. The triumph reaffirms the great start for the host country and is now recorded as the United States' highest-scoring debut in World Cup history.