United States player Christian Pulisic (10) dribbles past Paraguayan player Juan Jose Cáceres. (AP photo)
Christian Pulisic’s impact on the United States’ dream start to the 2026 World Cup extends far beyond the scoreline on Friday night, as the captain edged out Cristiano Ronaldo in one of the tournament’s most notable statistical categories.The 27-year-old recorded his third World Cup assist during the USA’s 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay in Los Angeles, bettering Ronaldo’s tally of two goals despite playing far fewer games.
In fact, since the start of the 2022 tournament, no player in the world has assisted more World Cup goals than Pulisic. His three assists are equal to those of Lionel Messi and Harry Kane, and no one has scored more in the last two editions.Pulisic’s final contribution came in the 31st minute when a perfect pass found Folarin Balogun, who made no mistake to double the lead for the hosts. The assist also underscored the importance of the Milan star to Mauricio Pochettino’s side and sparked excitement among American fans dreaming of a deep run on home soil.
Pulisic pulls the strings before precautionary exit
Playing in front of 70,492 fans at SoFi Arena, Pulisic was at the heart of almost every dangerous American attack in the first half.
His brilliant run and pass to Weston McKennie forced Paraguayan midfielder Damian Bobadilla into an own goal in the seventh minute before Balogun set up the second. Balogun scored again in first half stoppage time to give the home team a 3-0 lead.However, Pulisic’s night was over after just 45 minutes. The American captain was withdrawn at half-time after receiving a kick to his left calf.“We didn’t want to take any risks,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the match.According to The Athletic, the Argentine coach revealed that Pulisic began to feel upset after the challenge, which prompted the United States to replace him with Sebastian Berhalter as a precaution.Pulisic later allayed concerns about his condition.“Staying positive. I don’t think it’s anything,” the winger said.
Balogun shines while Rina adds the finishing touch
While Pulisic orchestrated the attack, Balogun stole the headlines with a historic brace, becoming the first American since 1930 to score twice in a World Cup match.Mauricio Magalhaes briefly gave Paraguay hope in the second half, but the visitors never threatened to equalize.Gio Reyna then capped off an unforgettable evening in stoppage time with a stunning shot into the top corner as the USA posted its first four-goal performance ever in a World Cup and announced itself as a true contender on home turf.
