USMNT Dominates Paraguay 4-1 with Balogun's Arrival, McKennie & Pulisic Shine

The United States men's national team are off to a flying start at the 2026 World Cup, beating Paraguay 4-1 in the opener at SoFi Stadium. The four goals are the most the USMNT have ever scored in a World Cup game.

Three goals in the first half blew the game wide open, with the Americans holding on comfortably in a second half that lacked some intensity after Christian Pulisic was subbed off , but not chances.

With the win, the U.S. are already well placed to advance to the knockout stages. With the 48-team format, eight of the 12 teams that finish in third in their groups will move on, and the U.S. are likely to finish no lower than third with this result. Just one more point will likely guarantee them a spot in the last 32.

But how did the players play? Check out our player ratings below:

USMNT Player Ratings

Matt Freese USA • GK • #24

Minutes 90 Rating 7

A quiet night at the office. Really didn't have anything to do until the goal. Did well enough on the risk-free tasks. Defense let him down on the goal. Faced one shot on target, and it was an unsaveable goal.

Alex Freeman USA • D • #16

Minutes 90 Rating 7.5

The moment was not too big for the youngster. He took the second most touches on the team with 96 and was confident in most of his passes. He played with caution but did it smartly. Had one poor pass, but his defense bailed him out. A strong showing from the 21-year-old.

Tim Ream USA • D • #13

Minutes 90 Rating 7.5

Honestly, he had almost nothing to do in the first half. Could have done better on Paraguay's goal and was a bit out of position, leaving Alex Freeman on an island. Took care of business elsewhere.

Chris Richards USA • D • #3

Minutes 90 Rating 7

A little slow to react early. Had an ugly head-to-head collision but was fine. Almost scored late in the first half with a fine header. Would have liked to have done better on the lone goal from Paraguay. Not bad for a player who missed both warmup friendlies.

Antonee Robinson USA • D • #5

Minutes 90 Rating 6.5

The attack didn't require him as often as usual, but that meant others were taking care of business. His positioning was largely good. Was more involved in attack as the game went on.

Tyler Adams USA • M • #4

Minutes 90 Rating 7

Aggressive and attentive. Got in front of Julio Enciso well, but struggled a bit with his flair early on. Looked sharp and aware when he was called upon. Won numerous fouls, but some were true fouls and others he acted a bit. Fitting for LA.

Weston McKennie USA • M • #8

Minutes 90 Rating 8

Was on another level. Fancy and decisive. Helped create the first goal with a lovely run and put the ball in front of goal that ended up in the back of the net off of a Paraguay defender. As good as any player on the pitch.

Malik Tillman USA • M • #17

Minutes 82 Rating 8

Brought the flair. Fancy flicks, well-timed passes and was awarded with a great assist on the third goal, playing a fine ball deep to Folarin Balogun . Should have scored with a golden chance later on though. He's fitting into this side really well.

Sergino Dest USA • D • #2

Minutes 72 Rating 6

Sometimes has a first touch that leaves a lot to be desired. Final product wasn't great. Not his best display. Had his fancy moments, but was far from an impact player.

Christian Pulisic USA • M • #10

Minutes 45 Rating 8

Really sharp in the opening moments. Helped create the first two goals, delivering a great assist to Balogun on the half-hour mark. Every time he touched the ball, it felt like something dangerous was coming. His best game in several months. Hopefully the halftime substitution was just a precaution, as he said after the match.

Folarin Balogun USA • F • #20

Minutes 72 Rating 9

Alert early and had a good, quick chance and did well to set up Sergino Dest for another. Took his first goal with class, finishing low and with pace on a great ball from Christian Pulisic. His second was even better. Absolute golazo to close out the first half. The USMNT have a striker, finally.

Subs

Sebastian Berhalter USA • M • #14

Minutes 45 Rating 6

Had some positive moments and some negative ones. The drop-off was clear after he came on for Pulisic, but he did fine. Passing could have been better.

Timothy Weah USA • F • #21

Minutes 18 Rating 7

Nearly scored with a great shot from inside the box. His energy worked well against a tiring Paraguay defense. That may just be his role.

Ricardo Pepi USA • F • #9

Minutes 18 Rating 7

Was unselfish when I expected him to be selfish. Should have recorded an assist on a smart pass to Tillman.

Giovanni Reyna USA • M • #7

Minutes 8 Rating 8

Eight minutes plus stoppage and got a goal. An impact sub, and what a goal it was, taken with the outside of his right boot to finish a lengthy passing move. That might be the confidence booster he needs to truly take off.

Coach: Mauricio Pochettino

Rating: 9

Maurio Pochettino got it right. His team was ready, came out with great energy and delivered one of the most memorable nights in U.S. Soccer history. Taking Christian Pulisic off made a ton of sense in terms of giving him extra rest, Gio Reyna gave him a goal off the bench, and it was a fantastic display overall. The best USMNT performance at the World Cup since beating Mexico in the round of 16 in 2002?

Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/usmnt-player-ratings-folarin-balogun-weston-mckennie-christian-pulisic-paraguay/)._