Read 6 minutesUpdated: June 13, 2026 09:55 AM IST
When the final whistle blew, there was a blizzard of miniature US flags flying across the beautiful Los Angeles stadium.
The stands enjoyed a blockbuster evening to the fullest, the most official display of World Cup co-hosts. 4-1 scoreline, with Giovanni Reina splashing the icing on the cake in the final minute, fully capturing their dominance over an unusually flustered Paraguay.
Such was the joyous occasion that the festivities brought bedlam. They piled on each other near the corner flag, some crying, some shouting, before crashing into the middle of the pitch, joined by the support staff. In the Broadcasters Box, Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave an assessment. “We were talking about belief before the game. My message to the Americans is, if you don’t believe before the game, the performance in the first half – believe. This American team can do something big.” It is a wave that can sweep and capture the entire nation in a football frenzy.
As happened | USA vs Paraguay, FIFA World Cup 2026
The first half was ripped from a Hollywood thriller with its sheer intensity. Kind of like Mad Max where the movie moves at a frantic pace, leaving the audience holding their breath and adrenaline shooting through the roof.
At the center of the destruction were Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun, creator and destroyer. Pulisic was in the same inspired mood as his Chelsea spring, playing without friction and finding space wherever he went. The early goals came from his delightful passing; The other was Bolagun, the former Arsenal striker, who doubled the lead by beating the goalkeeper. A minute earlier, he had a goal disallowed for offside after another move initiated by Pulisic.
Folarin Balogun celebrates scoring his team’s third goal against Paraguay during the World Cup Group D match. (AP Photo)
In a 15-minute spell, a flustered America could have scored half a dozen goals. His moves were crisp and precise, no energy wasted, no pass missed. Bolagun scored the second goal in the last minute of half time. He picked up a pass in his box, then feigned a stumble and fired the ball into the left-hand corner before a defender got to him, before he got behind him and went off in celebration.
The USMNT’s desire to land Balogun was proven. He was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents, but grew up in London. His eligibility to play for the US was accidental. His mother Florence had come for a holiday in America where her sister lived. She was seven months pregnant then. The airline therefore denied her entry on the return flight, as she could not produce her doctor’s letter from London. She stayed behind and gave birth to Balogun. So, when her son was confused about choosing between nationalities — he had played for the US at the U-17 level but for England U-21 and was getting a lot of interest from Nigeria — she persuaded her to choose the US. “When he wasn’t even thinking about making an international decision, I had already decided he was going to play for America,” Florence told ESPN television. She was in the stands, tears streaming down her face, as her son fulfilled a strange destiny.
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The USMNT were aggressive in their pursuit, a nimble-footed center forward with pace to burn, a right-footed hammer and nurtured by exposure in Europe. Mauricio Pochettino would call him the missing piece of his puzzle, as they were sorely lacking goal-scoring forwards. The follow-up was intense and public, and the player would say that American fans would bombard his Instagram account with American flag emojis.
Football keeps them hooked. The enthusiastic crowd at Los Angeles Stadium witnessed the sport’s growing appeal in the country. Such nights help raise the profile. No sooner had the crowd settled in their seats than they jumped out of it. Roughly seven minutes had passed when the hosts scored their first goal, causing panic among a stingy backline.
Paraguay had conceded just 10 goals in their last 18 games, but Pulisic threw their organization into disarray with a scathing pass to Weston McKenney. Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla’s attempt to clear ended in an accidental poke towards his own goal, similar to the US’s 1994 World Cup opener against Colombia, in which the hapless Andre Escobar inadvertently deflected a ball into his own net. He was shot dead shortly after returning home.
If the goal was the reward for a composed start, the hosts didn’t withdraw into their half and defended. They put Paraguay further on the back foot, their men panicked and caught in a rush for an equaliser. Rarely has their backline been probed as relentlessly as America’s. Pulisic was the creator, driving the tempo of the game with his creativity and courage. Paraguay tried to suffocate him with men, but he moved through the muscle chamber with pocket shrewdness. Paraguay grew physical but only conceded fouls and free-kicks. They looked confused, and at their wits’ end. Their false defense failed.
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It was the perfect night to remember Americanism from the opening ceremony. The famous Chicago Bulls song played in Sirius Stadium, the packed stands singing passionately as they waved the miniatures. The players erupted in applause, the intensity of which stirred them to their most memorable World Cup hour. Too bad the president wasn’t in the stands to watch the show. It was pure Hollywood, in the city of Hollywood, and made for America’s ultimate showman.