Maybe it was all about home-field advantage. Maybe that's all Team USA needed.
In their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Team USA absolutely dominated Paraguay, surging forward to a 4-1 victory.
Christian Pulisic looked incredible in the first half, dicing up Paraguay's back line to help Team USA get the ball in the box time and time again. He was subbed off at halftime for precautionary measures after getting kicked in the calf.
OWN GOAL. 1-0 USA! ๐บ๐ธ
โ FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026
THE @USMNT SCORES FIRST AND LOS ANGELES IS ABSOLUTELY ELECTRIC! pic.twitter.com/tEbJU8E9PX
A Paraguay own goal opened up the scoring in the seventh minute before Folarin Balogun took the reins. He scored two first-half goals, including a tidy, top-corner finish in the final minute of first-half extra time.
FLO BALOGUN. FOR AMERICA! ๐บ๐ธ
โ FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026
His first career FIFA World Cup goal doubles the @USMNT advantage over Paraguay pic.twitter.com/b5jXJgNdu7
FOLARIN BALOGUN BRACE TO MAKE IT 3-0 @USMNT! ๐บ๐ธ
โ FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026
A truly stellar FIFA World Cup debut for Flo. pic.twitter.com/yfjrSEtKcz
Heading into halftime, a 3-0 lead meant all the momentum was on Team USA's side. And though Paraguay vanquished the USA's clean sheet in the 73rd minute, Giovanni Reyna put the final bow on the contest in the 98th.
Gio Reyna's first-ever FIFA World Cup goal was a trivela to seal it for the @USMNT ๐คฏ
โ FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026
It's the first four-goal outing for the US men's squad in a FIFA World Cup pic.twitter.com/5DSMGj9wNq
He scored with the outside of his boot from just inside the box to close out the match, finalizing the 4-1 win.
Tim Ream kept things clean at the back, and Chris Richards' 83/83 completed passes were the most with 100% accuracy in a World Cup game since 1966.
It was an absolutely electric start to what should be a very winnable group stage for Team USA.
After its win over Paraguay, Team USA now sits 15th in FIFA's world rankings. For context, Paraguay is now 42nd. The other two teams in the United States' group are Turkey (ranked 23rd) and Australia (ranked 27th).
If Team USA can keep up the level of play it showed in its opener, the group stage should be theirs to win. From that point on, however, it would be a gauntlet.
As for the local scene, the city of Boston is absolutely littered with World Cup energy. And one nation has taken over: Scotland.
Everywhere you look, you see a kilt. A Scottish fan, ready to party. A chant will break out: "No Scotland, No Party!"
They've taken over bars, they've taken over the streets, and they've taken over the city. And honestly? It's awesome.
Almost every single Scottish fan will smile, say hello, and cheer on Team USA with you (when they're not cheering for Scotland).
The city is absolutely dripping in World Cup fever.