WORLD Cup co-hosts the United States and Canada enjoyed encouraging starts to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns on Friday, with the Americans producing a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay while Canada fought back to secure a historic 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In Los Angeles, former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun delivered a masterclass, scoring twice as the United States opened their Group D campaign with an emphatic win over Paraguay before a passionate home crowd.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, substitute Cyle Larin emerged as Canada’s hero, coming off the bench to score a crucial equaliser that earned the co-hosts their first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup finals.
The United States made a dream start, needing only seven minutes to break the deadlock through an own goal by Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla.
The move was created by captain Christian Pulisic, who burst between two defenders before finding Weston McKennie. The midfielder’s cutback was inadvertently turned into his own net by Bobadilla, giving the hosts an early advantage.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men thought they had doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Balogun found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The disappointment lasted only three minutes.
Balogun soon got his reward, powering home from a Pulisic pass to make it 2-0 before adding a second shortly afterward. The Monaco striker latched onto a precise through ball from Malik Tillman, shrugged off Sunderland defender Omar Alderete and curled a superb finish beyond goalkeeper Orlando Gill into the top corner.
The brace placed Balogun in elite company, making him only the second American player to score more than once in a World Cup match after Bert Patenaude, who registered the tournament’s first-ever hat-trick during the inaugural World Cup in 1930, also against Paraguay.
The victory also equalled the United States’ biggest-ever World Cup win, matching their 3-0 triumphs over Paraguay and Belgium in 1930 when they finished third.
Despite dominating proceedings, the Americans briefly saw their lead reduced after the break when Brazilian-born Mauricio finished calmly past Matt Freese following an assist from former Brighton forward Julio Enciso.
However, any hopes of a Paraguay comeback were extinguished with the final kick of the match.
Substitute Giovanni Reyna produced arguably the goal of the night, curling a stunning 20-yard strike into the net with the outside of his right foot to complete a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
While the United States celebrated a commanding victory, fellow co-hosts Canada were forced to dig deep before earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto.
The visitors, who qualified through dramatic penalty shootout victories over Wales and Italy in the play-offs, looked on course for a famous win after taking the lead in the 21st minute.
Jovo Lukic scored his first international goal when he headed home after former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac flicked on an Ivan Basic corner.
Canada responded strongly and came close to equalising early in the second half.
Richie Laryea appeared certain to score, only for Kolasinac to produce a remarkable goal-line intervention, diverting the ball onto the crossbar and away from danger.
The pressure continued to mount as the hosts searched for a breakthrough. Tani Oluwaseyi then saw a goal-bound header cleared off the line by Nikola Katic in another dramatic moment.
Canada’s persistence finally paid off in the 78th minute.
Just over two minutes after coming off the bench, Southampton striker Larin showed his class, spinning brilliantly away from Tarik Muharemovic before firing beyond goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. A slight deflection helped the ball find the net, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.
The equaliser secured a deserved point for Canada and ensured a place in the history books.
It marked the first time the Canadians had avoided defeat at a FIFA World Cup finals after losing all three matches in 1986 and suffering three more defeats during their return to the tournament in 2022.
The opening round of matches provided plenty of encouragement for the North American co-hosts.
The United States sent a strong message to their rivals with an attacking display spearheaded by Balogun, while Canada demonstrated resilience and determination to recover from behind and claim a valuable point.
As the tournament gathers momentum, both teams will take confidence from their opening performances as they continue their quest for a place in the knockout stages of the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026.