USMNT Powers Past Paraguay 4-1 in World Soccer Rankings

The USMNT turned its world soccer rankings opener into a 4-1 win over Paraguay, matching the largest margin of victory in team World Cup history. Mauricio Pochettino’s side also gave the United States an early edge in Group D and a clear path toward at least second place with a result over Australia.

Pochettino’s USMNT Breaks Early

Four years ago, Qatar became the only host nation to lose its first World Cup match, falling to Ecuador. The first two days of the 2026 World Cup told a different story for the hosts: the United States, Canada and Mexico all avoided defeat in their openers.

The USMNT’s 4-1 result stood out even inside that clean start. It was the kind of scoreline that did more than collect three points; it matched the program’s biggest World Cup winning margin and put immediate pressure on the rest of Group D.

Mexico and Canada Hold Up

Mexico added its own marker with a 2-0 win over South Africa, ending seven previous failures in World Cup opening matches. Canada took a different route to a point, drawing Bosnia & Herzegovina after trailing early.

Cyle Larin scored in the 78th minute to rescue that point for Canada, and Jesse Marsch’s team now moves on to Qatar before a scheduled match against Switzerland. Alphonso Davies is expected to return for Canada, which gives Marsch another option for the stretch that follows.

Australia Awaits the USMNT

The next assignment for the United States is Australia, a team it beat 2-1 in October. Three points there would likely guarantee at least a second-place finish in Group D before the final match against Türkiye.

For Pochettino, the opening win changed the tone immediately. The USMNT has already matched its best World Cup margin, and the group table now puts the tournament hosts in position to control their own path after one game.