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Folarin Balogun has done something no other USMNT player has done since 1930
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- Folarin Balogun has done something no other USMNT player has done since 1930
Photo by Sarah Stier - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Folarin Balogun did more than score twice for the United States against Paraguay, he reached a World Cup mark no USMNT player had touched for 96 years.
The striker led the line in a 4-1 win at SoFi Stadium, giving Mauricio Pochettino's side a dream start to its home World Cup campaign.
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For a team that has often waited for a true tournament No. 9 to take over, Balogun's night felt bigger than one scoreline.
Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images
Folarin Balogun ends USMNT World Cup wait since 1930
As ESPN Insights posted, Balogun delivered the first multi-goal World Cup game by a USMNT player since 1930.
That is the stat that explains why his brace immediately became history. The last American man to score multiple goals in a World Cup match was Bert Patenaude, who scored three times against Paraguay at the inaugural tournament in Uruguay.
Patenaude's 1930 hat-trick is recognized as the first hat-trick in World Cup history, which makes Balogun's link to that record even sharper.
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Plenty of major U.S. names have played World Cups since then, including Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Christian Pulisic. None had managed two goals in the same men's World Cup match until Balogun.
His first goal came in the 30th minute, showing the kind of penalty-box sharpness the United States needed. His second arrived in first-half stoppage time, pushing USA to a 3-0 halftime lead and effectively breaking Paraguay's resistance.
USA rout Paraguay as Balogun takes center stage
The match started perfectly for the hosts when Damián Bobadilla turned the ball into his own net after six minutes.
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Balogun then became the central figure of the night, finishing chances, occupying defenders, and giving the U.S. attack a ruthless edge.
Paraguay pulled one back through Maurício in the second half, but Gio Reyna added a stoppage-time fourth to seal a 4-1 win.
The result put USA top of Group D with three points and a plus-three goal difference, while Paraguay opened with no points and immediate pressure.
USA now face Australia on June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle, where another win would put them close to the knockouts. Paraguay meet Türkiye on June 20 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, needing a response after being overwhelmed in Los Angeles.
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