USMNT's World Cup start could change soccer in America

The U.S. men’s team turned its World Cup opener into more than a match: national anthems sung loudly, audacious skill moves and celebrations that felt like a national event. Christian Pulisic’s dribble, Folarin Balogun’s cutback, Gio Reyna’s trivela and the composure of Chris Richards were matched by Sergino Dest’s courage and Malik Tillman’s flair, while Mauricio Pochettino sprinted onto the field to join the celebrations.

The 4-1 win over Paraguay was thorough and, by many measures, historic. Reyna sealed the night with a final goal after 70 seconds and 26 passes; Balogun scored twice and Pulisic’s run helped create the opener. Tillman, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams controlled midfield, and the stadium ended in a full-team huddle led by Mark McKenzie.

Television figures underlined the moment’s reach: FOX averaged 15,986,000 viewers and peaked at nearly 19 million, Telemundo added 8.9 million, and close to 25 million watched across platforms.

United States

usmnt, world cup, christian pulisic, folarin balogun, gio reyna, mauricio pochettino, paraguay, fox viewers, telemundo, 4-1 win