FIFA World Cup 2026: US punches ticket to World Cup knockout round after 2-0 win over Australia

The U.S. plays Australia in Seattle on June 19 before finishing Group D play back at SoFi Stadium on June 25 against Türkiye.

ESPN contributed to this report.

Team USA opened its World Cup campaign with a win over Paraguay, setting off celebrations at SoFi Stadium and watch parties across the region.

The U.S. Men's National Team opened its World Cup campaign with a win over Paraguay on Friday, setting off celebrations at SoFi Stadium -- which has temporarily been renamed Los Angeles Stadium -- and watch parties across Southern California.

From the first goal, fans outside the stadium and at gatherings around the region erupted as the U.S. delivered the kind of performance supporters had hoped to see on one of soccer's biggest stages.

"I'm speechless right now. This is the best game I've ever seen in my life," one fan said.

Across the area, chants of "USA! USA! USA!" broke out as supporters reacted to the victory.

"This is the team. I have a feeling that we're going to go really, really far, probably 'till the end," another fan said.

Thousands gathered at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the FIFA Fan Fest on Friday, and hundreds more stopped by the Autry Museum for a watch party. But some of the loudest celebrations came in Inglewood, where fans packed Market Street for a city-sponsored watch party and street festival called Wood Cup.

"We are an international city with an international flavor, and Market Street is activated, and this is my dream!" Inglewood Mayor James Butts Jr. said.

Lucia Ortiz of Inglewood described the scene as a communitywide celebration.

"Oh my goodness, look at all these people. They come from all over. But we're all united. We all come for the joy of watching the game," Ortiz said.

For fans who could not get into Friday's opener, the free Wood Cup event offered another way to be part of the atmosphere.

"This is the biggest thing by far to happen by far in Inglewood. We had the Super Bowl, the Clippers, the Rams, but this is by far the biggest thing," Reginald Shaw said.

Some fans were already looking ahead to a possible title run.

"Who knows? Maybe we'll win. Win it all," Abraham Ortiz of Inglewood said.

Others were more cautious. When asked whether the United States would win the World Cup, one fan replied, "I don't know. That one... I don't know."

Australia is the next match for the USMNT in Seattle next week. The next match at Los Angeles Stadium is set for Monday, when New Zealand will face Iran.

Folarin Balogun scored twice in the Americans' historic three-goal first half, and the U.S. opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with its biggest win in the tournament, a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night.

Christian Pulisic had an assist in a stellar first-half playmaking performance for the Americans, who enthralled their Southern California fans with an aggressive attack while streaking to a 3-0 halftime lead - the team's largest in any World Cup game.

Gio Reyna ripped another goal in the dying moments of second-half injury time, giving the Americans four goals in a World Cup match for the first time.

The U.S. scored only three goals combined in its four matches at the Qatar World Cup four years ago, and it had never scored more than three in a World Cup match. But the Americans were a team transformed while playing in new coach Mauricio Pochettino's more creative system in front of a passionate, star-studded Los Angeles crowd of 70,492.

Maurício scored in the second half for Paraguay, but La Albirroja fell too far behind early in their first World Cup match in 16 years.

After the U.S. went ahead on an early own-goal created by Pulisic's playmaking, Balogun scored in the 31st minute and again in the fifth minute of first-half injury time.

The New York-born, London-raised striker made his World Cup debut with the first multigoal performance from a U.S. player in the tournament since 1930. Balogun chose to represent the U.S. three years ago instead of staying in the English system, where he likely would have struggled to make the Three Lions' roster - and the 24-year-old Monaco professional has swiftly provided the top-level striker play historically lacking on U.S. rosters.

Pulisic was replaced by Sebastian Berhalter at halftime, but the U.S. didn't immediately indicate whether the AC Milan standout was injured. Pulisic appeared to signal to family in the stands that he was fine.

Pulisic created the first two U.S. goals with exceptional runs down the left side. In the seventh minute, he cleverly split two defenders and passed to Weston McKennie, whose centering touch hit Paraguay midfielder Damián Bobadilla's outstretched foot and went in, setting off pandemonium in the SoFi Stadium stands.

The Americans gradually amplified their attack centered around Pulisic's runs - and three minutes after an apparent goal from Balogun was erased by an offside call, Pulisic again drove the left side and got a deflected pass to the trailing Balogun, who banged it home.

With first-half injury time winding down, Malik Tillman weighted a long pass to a streaking Balogun, who held up to create space and fired a brilliant shot into the far top corner.

The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal. The moment was sweet for Reyna, who barely played at the Qatar World Cup amid a messy family dispute with former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter.

Dozens of American celebrities and cultural icons turned out for the match 10 miles south of Hollywood, including Tom Cruise, George Lucas, Bill Gates, Halle Berry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The US Men's National Team says its ready to take on Paraguay in the World Cup and expects to get much further in the tournament this time around.

In the World Cup four our years ago, in Qatar, the United States National Team finished #2 in their group and advanced to the Round of 16. This year's squad, a "Golden Generation" of players, is expected to get to the knockout round once again, with those expectations much higher.

With the tournament in their backyard, the U.S. Men's National Team is expected to have a long stay at the World Cup and looking to set a new benchmark for U.S. soccer.

Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino says his team is ready and it's probably too late for motivational speeches.

"Everyone knows how to be ready. I say now, there's no need for external motivation or inspirational speech. Tomorrow it's late," Pochettino said Thursday at a press conference.

Part of the reason the expectations are so high is because half of the players on this team also played in the 2022 World Cup team. The face of the "Golden Generation" Christian Pulisic says it's that familiarity that has this team ready to take on the world.

"It's like a family, obviously. So many of us have known each other for such a long time and played together for a long time -- you know, a lot of guys at the last World Cup," Pulisic said. "We've just been growing together. Yeah, it's a really good group that we have. We're a really good team. We're able to compete with anyone and we want to be a real force in this tournament. I think that's what we want to show to everyone. I think we know, from the inside, what we're capable of... now it's about showing it."

World Cup co-hosts Mexico and Canada already completed their first match. Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the World Cup opener on Thursday. Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina played to a 1-1 draw earlier Friday, in Toronto.

The U.S. will take the pitch against Paraguay at 6 p.m. Friday.