Nigerian-heritage striker Folarin Balogun delivered a stellar performance with a brace as the United States launched their FIFA World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating Paraguay 4-1 at the Los Angeles Stadium on Friday.
The World Cup co-hosts produced a dominant display under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, with Balogun emerging as the star of the night in a historic victory that sent the Americans to the top of Group D.
The USA took the lead just seven minutes into the contest after Christian Pulisic burst down the flank and found Weston McKennie, whose dangerous cutback was inadvertently turned into his own net by Paraguayan defender Damian Bobadilla.
The hosts doubled their advantage on 31 minutes when Balogun latched onto another incisive pass from Pulisic and calmly slotted past the goalkeeper.
The former Arsenal forward struck again in first-half stoppage time, curling a superb effort into the net to give the Americans a commanding 3-0 lead at the break and send the home crowd into celebration.
With his two goals, Balogun became only the second United States player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match and the first to achieve the feat since 1930.
Paraguay briefly threatened a comeback when Mauricio pulled one back against the run of play in the second half, but the Americans remained firmly in control.
Substitute Giovanni Reyna put the result beyond doubt in the closing moments, curling a stunning 20-yard effort into the far corner with virtually the final kick of the game to complete a resounding 4-1 victory.
The result matched the USA’s biggest-ever World Cup win and marked the first time the Americans have scored four goals in a World Cup match.
The convincing triumph sees Pochettino’s men move to the summit of Group D, while Paraguay, making their first World Cup appearance in 16 years, finish the opening round of matches rooted to the bottom of the standings.
He also served as Deputy Editor at Sahara Reporters Sports and worked as Content Manager for the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), contributing significantly to sports journalism and digital content development in Nigeria.
Known for his strong storytelling ability and editorial expertise, Olayinka Olawole has covered a wide range of subjects, while also building a reputation in digital storytelling, audience engagement, and content optimisation for online and media platforms.
