The United States opened their World Cup campaign with an impressive 4-1 victory against Paraguay as former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun struck twice to inspire the co-hosts to an assured start in Los Angeles.

Balogun became just the second US player to score more than once in a World Cup match, after Bert Patenaude - who netted the tournament's first-ever hat-trick in the inaugural 1930 edition, also against Paraguay.

It is also the US' joint-biggest win at a World Cup - matching the 3-0 victories against Paraguay and Belgium in 1930, when they finished third.

It took the home side just seven minutes to open the scoring in the Group D opener in front of their vocal supporters, courtesy of an own goal from Paraguay's Damian Bobadilla.

Christian Pulisic, however, was the architect, squeezing between two defenders with a quick burst of pace before feeding Weston McKennie, whose cutback was inadvertently turned into his own net by Bobadilla.

Mauricio Pochettino's side thought they had a second in the 28th minute only for Balogun to be flagged offside, but they were not to be denied three minutes later as the Monaco striker thumped home from winger Pulisic's pass.

Balogun then pulled the US further ahead, pouncing on a through ball from Malik Tillman and escaping a challenge from Sunderland defender Omar Alderete before curling past goalkeeper Orlando Gill to find the top corner.

They continued to apply the pressure after restart but it was Paraguay who struck next against the run of play through Brazilian-born Mauricio, who was slipped in by former Brighton forward Julio Enciso and slotted past Matt Freese.

The US victory was capped off with the goal of the night from substitute Giovanni Reyna, who curled a 20-yard shot home with the outside of his right foot with the final kick of the game.

From England prospect to US hero

Balogun, 24, announced himself on the biggest stage with a performance that etched his name into the US football history.

Born in New York, he moved to London with his family when he was a child and came through the ranks at Arsenal's academy.

Promoted to the first team in 2020, Balogun found opportunities hard to come by with the Gunners.

And after making just two Premier League appearances, he was sent on loan to Middlesbrough and then Reims, where he finally broke through.

Balogun's 21-goal haul in Ligue 1 during the 2022-23 season earned him a £35m move to Monaco in the summer of 2023.

That same year, he also switched international allegiance to the US despite playing for England age group sides all the way through to under-21s, earning 13 caps at that level.

Balogun has carried his club form into the World Cup after finishing the 2025-26 season with nine goals in 13 league matches for Monaco and, with this display, showed he has the quality to lead the US attack in the tournament.

Pochettino's USA rise to the occasion

The World Cup finally arrived in the US with much fanfare as a vibrant opening ceremony headlined by Katy Perry, the presence of stars including David Beckham and Tom Cruise and a 70,000-plus crowd set the tone for kick-off.

Conspicuous by his absence in LA was Donald Trump as the US president gave the first of 78 matches to be played in the country a miss.

But once the action moved to the pitch, the US players rose to the occasion and produced a composed and professional display that lived up to the pre-match anticipation.

They were on the front foot from the start, with AC Milan's Pulisic setting the tempo through sharp movement down the left wing.

The former Chelsea attacker, dubbed 'Captain America', had a leading role in his side's first two goals - although his half-time substitution could be a cause of concern for Pochettino.

The US, who finished with 16 attempts, could have easily added more goals to their tally against the South Americans, with Chris Richards and Tillman among those going close - the latter denied only by a sharp save from Gill.

Football has grown steadily in popularity since the country last staged the World Cup in 1994 - 32 years ago now.

And Pochettino's side will hope this opening display provides the platform for a deep run that could further accelerate the sport's rise across the US.

What's next for these teams?

The US will now face Australia on Friday, 19 June (20:00 BST) while Paraguay meet 2002 semi-finalists Turkey on Saturday, 20 June (04:00).