Home advantage

The 2026 World Cup campaign in Group D began with a match between co-hosts USA and South American representative Paraguay. The strength of the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup was demonstrated by the US team when they defeated Paraguay 4-1.

As one of the three co-hosting nations, the US team hopes to make the most of their home advantage. Ranked 16th in the world , the " Stars and Stripes" team is preparing for its 12th World Cup appearance , and they aim to at least replicate their 1994 achievement of reaching the Round of 16 on home soil. Following an impressive 3-2 victory against Senegal, and a 1-2 defeat against Germany in their final friendly last weekend , Coach Pochettino 's squad flew from Chicago to California to begin preparations for a match that could shape the course of their entire campaign. In the group stage, the US is in Group D, which includes Paraguay, Australia , and Turkey . Due to the relatively balanced strength and form of the teams, only a top-two finish will guarantee qualification for the knockout stage. Having avoided the qualifying rounds , coach Mauricio Pochettino had nearly two years to plan and prepare, but from now on, every match is crucial. The opening match of the group stage against Paraguay was even more important for Pochettino 's team, as they needed a win to ensure a successful start. And Pochettino 's players did not disappoint, winning against Paraguay 4-1.

On the Paraguayan side, the South American team is returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, where they achieved their best historical result by reaching the quarter-finals. At the 2026 World Cup, Paraguay hopes to capitalize on their underdog status to surprise their group opponents, including co-hosts the United States. Under the leadership of Gustavo Alfaro, Pochettino's compatriot from Argentina , Paraguay once had a resounding victory against the reigning world champions Argentina with a score of 2-1. Although Alfaro's team was then defeated 2-1 by the US in a friendly match in November 2025, they have since won 3 of their last 4 matches. Under coach Alfaro's guidance, Paraguay has become a pragmatic team, willing to cede possession to their opponents and relying solely on set pieces. Therefore, few expected this South American team to go far in this World Cup. This meant their opponents would likely underestimate them, creating an opportunity for Alfaro's players to spring surprises. However, the surprises did not materialize as Paraguay lost to the USA 1-4.

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The US team demonstrated overwhelming strength against Paraguay in the first half, scoring three goals. The first came in the 28th minute, with Pulisic breaking through on the left wing, then passing the ball into the center for McKennie to play a delicate through ball to Balogun, who beat goalkeeper Orlando Gill . Just three minutes later, the US scored their second goal. Balogun received a cross from Pulisic and comfortably tapped the ball into the far corner with his right foot, putting the US 2-0 ahead. The US ended the first half with a 3-0 lead in the 45th minute. Balogun created a spectacular goal with a left-footed shot that curled into the top corner, leaving Paraguay 's goalkeeper Orlando Gill helpless.

With nothing left to lose after being 3-0 down in the first half, Paraguay went all-out against the USA in the second half, resulting in an extremely exciting back-and-forth game. In the 73rd minute, Paraguay pulled one back to 1-3. Enciso made a delicate pass to substitute Mauricio, who finished with a left-footed shot into the far corner, beating US goalkeeper Matt Freese . Both teams continued to provide the audience with spectacular plays. Before the final whistle, the USA sealed the 4-1 victory with a skillful outside- of-the- foot shot from Giovanni Reyna . This perfect start to the tournament, with an impressive performance against Paraguay, shows the USA will be a dark horse at this year's World Cup .

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