USA v Paraguay, 12 June 2026

Score4-1 to USA
RefereeDanny Makkelie
CompetitionFIFA World Cup Group D
VenueSoFi Stadium, Inglewood CA
Attendance70,492
Kick-off: 6.00pm local . Head to Head Played: 10 USA won: 6 Drawn: 2 Paraguay won: 2 USA scored: 16 Paraguay scored: 8 . FIFA World Ranking: USA 17th, Paraguay 41st . Due to a new ruling, the yellow card shown to USA's Tim Ream then rescinded and shown to Miguel Almiron of Paraguay, became the first-ever VAR intervention for mistaken identity in a FIFA World Cup game.

4  USA

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino

1  Paraguay

Manager: Gustavo Alfaro

Goals:

Damián Bobadilla own goal 7 OG
Folarin Balogun 31 G
Folarin Balogun 45+5 G
Gio Reyna 90+8 G

Goals:

Mauricio 73 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Matt Freese
Defender Tim Ream (captain)
Defender/Midfielder Tyler Adams
Defender/Midfielder Sergiño Dest
Defender/Midfielder Alex Freeman
Defender/Midfielder Chris Richards
Defender/Midfielder Antonee Robinson
Midfielder Weston McKennie
Midfielder/Forward Christian Pulisic
Midfielder/Forward Malik Tillman
Forward Folarin Balogun

Starting lineup:

Orlando Gill Goalkeeper
Omar Alderete Defender
Júnior Alonso Defender
Gustavo Gómez Defender (captain)
Juan Cáceres Defender/Midfielder
Damián Bobadilla Midfielder
Andrés Cubas Midfielder
Diego Gómez Midfielder
Miguel Almirón Midfielder/Forward
Julio Enciso Midfielder/Forward

Substitutions:

Sebastian Berhalter for Christian Pulisic 46
Ricardo Pepi for Folarin Balogun 72
Tim Weah for Sergiño Dest 72
Gio Reyna for Malik Tillman 82

Substitutions:

Mauricio for Damián Bobadilla 46
Alex Arce for Antonio Sanabria 62
Alejandro Gamarra for Diego Gómez 79
Ramón Sosa for Miguel Almirón 79
Gustavo Velázquez for Juan Cáceres 79

Cards:

Tyler Adams 59 Y

Cards:

Juan Cáceres 9 Y
Miguel Almirón 53 Y
Diego Gómez 79 Y
Alex Arce 88 Y
Júnior Alonso 90+3 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Chris Brady
Goalkeeper Matt Turner
Defender Mark McKenzie
Defender Miles Robinson
Defender Joe Scally
Defender Auston Trusty
Defender/Midfielder Max Arfsten
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter
Midfielder Cristian Roldan
Midfielder/Forward Gio Reyna
Midfielder/Forward Haji Wright
Midfielder/Forward Alejandro Zendejas
Forward Ricardo Pepi
Forward Tim Weah

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Gatito Fernández
Goalkeeper Gastón Oliveira
Defender Fabián Balbuena
Defender José Canale
Midfielder Matías Galarza
Midfielder Alejandro Gamarra
Midfielder Braian Ojeda
Midfielder/Forward Gustavo Caballero
Midfielder/Forward Mauricio
Midfielder/Forward Ramón Sosa
Forward Alex Arce
Forward Gabriel Avalos
Forward Isidro Pitta

Comments:

This result became USA's biggest-ever win at FIFA World Cup tournament: previously 3-0 versus Paraguay and Belgium, both in 1930. . Folarin Balogun became the second player to score more than one goal at a FIFA World Cup finals for USA: previously a hat-trick by Bert Patenaude against Paraguay in Montevideo on 17 July 1930. . They had now won four and lost five of their 12 opening games at FIFA World Cup tournaments. . Folarin Balogun scored in the 28th minute but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review due to an offside decision. . Tim Ream was shown a yellow card in the 50th minute but was rescinded following a VAR review.

Comments:

This was Paraguay's heaviest defeat since a 4-1 loss against Brazil in Las Vegas in the Copa America on 28 June 2024. . La Albirroja conceded only ten goals in their 18 qualifying games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. . Damián Bobadilla had now conceded the earliest own goal in a game at a FIFA World Cup finals since Sead Kolašinac of Bosnia and Herzegovina against Argentina on 15 June 2014 (3rd minute). . Miguel Almirón was shown a yellow card in the 53rd minute following a VAR review.

4  USA

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino

Goals:

Damián Bobadilla own goal 7 OG
Folarin Balogun 31 G
Folarin Balogun 45+5 G
Gio Reyna 90+8 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Matt Freese
Defender Tim Ream (captain)
Defender/Midfielder Tyler Adams
Defender/Midfielder Sergiño Dest
Defender/Midfielder Alex Freeman
Defender/Midfielder Chris Richards
Defender/Midfielder Antonee Robinson
Midfielder Weston McKennie
Midfielder/Forward Christian Pulisic
Midfielder/Forward Malik Tillman
Forward Folarin Balogun

Substitutions:

Sebastian Berhalter for Christian Pulisic 46
Ricardo Pepi for Folarin Balogun 72
Tim Weah for Sergiño Dest 72
Gio Reyna for Malik Tillman 82

Cards:

Tyler Adams 59 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Chris Brady
Goalkeeper Matt Turner
Defender Mark McKenzie
Defender Miles Robinson
Defender Joe Scally
Defender Auston Trusty
Defender/Midfielder Max Arfsten
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter
Midfielder Cristian Roldan
Midfielder/Forward Gio Reyna
Midfielder/Forward Haji Wright
Midfielder/Forward Alejandro Zendejas
Forward Ricardo Pepi
Forward Tim Weah

Comments:

This result became USA's biggest-ever win at FIFA World Cup tournament: previously 3-0 versus Paraguay and Belgium, both in 1930. . Folarin Balogun became the second player to score more than one goal at a FIFA World Cup finals for USA: previously a hat-trick by Bert Patenaude against Paraguay in Montevideo on 17 July 1930. . They had now won four and lost five of their 12 opening games at FIFA World Cup tournaments. . Folarin Balogun scored in the 28th minute but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review due to an offside decision. . Tim Ream was shown a yellow card in the 50th minute but was rescinded following a VAR review.

1  Paraguay

Manager: Gustavo Alfaro

Goals:

Mauricio 73 G

Starting lineup:

Orlando Gill Goalkeeper
Omar Alderete Defender
Júnior Alonso Defender
Gustavo Gómez Defender (captain)
Juan Cáceres Defender/Midfielder
Damián Bobadilla Midfielder
Andrés Cubas Midfielder
Diego Gómez Midfielder
Miguel Almirón Midfielder/Forward
Julio Enciso Midfielder/Forward

Substitutions:

Mauricio for Damián Bobadilla 46
Alex Arce for Antonio Sanabria 62
Alejandro Gamarra for Diego Gómez 79
Ramón Sosa for Miguel Almirón 79
Gustavo Velázquez for Juan Cáceres 79

Cards:

Juan Cáceres 9 Y
Miguel Almirón 53 Y
Diego Gómez 79 Y
Alex Arce 88 Y
Júnior Alonso 90+3 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Gatito Fernández
Goalkeeper Gastón Oliveira
Defender Fabián Balbuena
Defender José Canale
Midfielder Matías Galarza
Midfielder Alejandro Gamarra
Midfielder Braian Ojeda
Midfielder/Forward Gustavo Caballero
Midfielder/Forward Mauricio
Midfielder/Forward Ramón Sosa
Forward Alex Arce
Forward Gabriel Avalos
Forward Isidro Pitta

Comments:

This was Paraguay's heaviest defeat since a 4-1 loss against Brazil in Las Vegas in the Copa America on 28 June 2024. . La Albirroja conceded only ten goals in their 18 qualifying games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. . Damián Bobadilla had now conceded the earliest own goal in a game at a FIFA World Cup finals since Sead Kolašinac of Bosnia and Herzegovina against Argentina on 15 June 2014 (3rd minute). . Miguel Almirón was shown a yellow card in the 53rd minute following a VAR review.