The U.S. men’s national team opened its 2026 World Cup with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay and sits atop a competitive Group D with a plus-3 goal differential. The four goals were the most the U.S. has scored in a World Cup match.
The result reflected clear statistical dominance. The Americans held 65% of possession to Paraguay’s 35%, attempted 598 passes to 319, created 12 chances to Paraguay’s seven and registered 16 shots to nine.
According to ESPN, Sam Borden called Paraguay “one of the best defenses” in South American qualifying, noting the side beat Argentina and Brazil during that cycle. Borden credited Mauricio Pochettino’s tactics and the players’ execution, singling out Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman and Folarin Balogun for praise and quoting Weston McKennie saying the U.S. was “playing pickup.”
According to ESPN, Cesar Hernandez said the performance was significant even if it did not massively exceed expectations. Hernandez highlighted that the U.S. did not ease off after taking an early lead, pointed to immediate chemistry among the lineup and gave substantial credit to Pochettino for the proactive approach, particularly in the first half.
According to ESPN, Jeff Carlisle said the Americans vastly exceeded expectations, noting the margin of victory equaled the largest in program history, a mark that dates to 1930. Carlisle also pointed to the night’s finishing: the U.S. produced four goals despite an expected goals (xG) of 1.42, a figure he called unsustainable, while defending that the pressing and attacking style shown is more likely to be repeatable and bodes well for a deep tournament run.
The performance drew high praise and debate among the ESPN analysts, who varied in degree but generally agreed the victory was notable for its manner and the early chemistry displayed by Pochettino’s side.
