He was, at his core, the perfect person to summon the right word to describe the USA’s opening game in the World Cup.

The U.S. has opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay. Folarin Balogun scored twice in the Americans’ historic three-goal first half.

USA soccer crushed Paraguay in their 2026 World Cup opener. Folarin Balogun scored back-to-back goals to lead the USMNT to victory.