Historic Night: U.S. Men’s National Team Nets Four in World Cup

On Friday, June 12, 2026, the United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) achieved a historic milestone by scoring four goals in a World Cup match for the first time ever. In front of an enthusiastic home crowd of 70,492 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the USMNT secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay, marking a record-breaking and explosive opening match for their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. This remarkable scoring display showcased the innovative and aggressive attacking strategy of new manager Mauricio Pochettino:7th Minute (1-0): The U.S. made an early breakthrough when a dangerous cross from Weston McKennie deflected off Paraguayan midfielder Damián Bobadilla, resulting in an own goal. 31st Minute (2-0): Striker Folarin Balogun netted his first World Cup goal with a precise finish following a well-placed pass from captain Christian Pulisic.45+5 Minute (3-0): Just before halftime, Balogun struck again, evading two defenders to curl a stunning shot into the top-left corner of the net. 98th Minute (4-1): After Paraguay managed to score in the 73rd minute through Mauricio, midfielder Gio Reyna concluded a sequence of over 20 passes deep into stoppage time with a spectacular 'trivela' strike using the outside of his right foot, sealing the historic scoreline.The four goals exceeded the team's previous World Cup single-game record of three goals, which had only been accomplished in 1930 (against Belgium and Paraguay) and 2002 (against Portugal). Folarin Balogun also became the first American player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match since Bert Patenaude recorded a hat-trick in 1930.Late-Game Drama: Gio Reyna's goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time is now the latest regulation goal ever scored by the U.S. in World Cup history.