Two goals against Paraguay changed everything and handed bettors a very profitable night.
Folarin Balogun’s breakout performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is changing more than the outlook for the U.S. men’s national team. It is also reshaping the betting landscape.
The striker scored twice Friday night as the United States cruised to a 4-1 victory over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, delivering one of the most memorable World Cup wins in team history and creating a profitable evening for many bettors who backed the Americans.
The victory marked the first time the United States scored four goals in a men’s World Cup match. It was also a dramatic improvement from the team’s 2022 tournament, when the Americans scored just two goals across three group stage matches.
Balogun matched that total in a single half.
Balogun rockets into Golden Boot race
Before the tournament began, Balogun was not considered among the leading contenders for the Golden Boot, the award given to the World Cup’s top scorer.
That changed quickly.
Balogun opened his account in the 31st minute, helping the United States build an early advantage.
He struck again during first-half stoppage time, giving the Americans a commanding 3-0 lead and cementing his status as one of the night’s breakout stars.
Sportsbooks reacted almost immediately. After entering the tournament outside many bookmakers’ lists of favorites, Balogun suddenly found himself among the leading candidates to finish as the competition’s top scorer.
His odds shortened dramatically, placing him alongside some of the world’s biggest stars.
Only a handful of players now sit ahead of him, including France’s Kylian Mbappé, England’s Harry Kane, Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal and Norway’s Erling Haaland.
The rapid rise reflects both Balogun’s strong start and growing confidence in the U.S. attack after Friday’s convincing performance.
USA delivers historic scoring explosion
The Americans had never scored four goals in a World Cup match before Friday.
Their previous high was three goals, a feat accomplished only three times in tournament history. The United States defeated Belgium 3-0 at the inaugural 1930 World Cup. The Americans followed with another 3-0 victory over Paraguay in the same tournament, the team later earned a memorable 3-2 win over Portugal at the 2002 World Cup. Friday’s victory surpassed all of those performances.
The offensive outburst thrilled the home crowd at SoFi Stadium and gave supporters reason to believe the U.S. could make a deep run in the tournament.
The attack appeared fluid and confident from the opening whistle, with Balogun leading the charge. Paraguay entered the match with a reputation for defensive discipline after navigating South American qualifying, but the Americans repeatedly found space and capitalized on their opportunities.
By halftime, the outcome was all but decided.
The 4-1 final score underscored how far the U.S. offense has come in recent years and highlighted the growing confidence surrounding the squad as the tournament continues.
Bettors celebrate a profitable night
The result was not nearly as enjoyable for sportsbooks.
Across the United States, bettors overwhelmingly backed the Americans before kickoff. Wagers poured in on the U.S. moneyline and on alternate markets tied to a comfortable victory.
Many customers also backed the United States to win by multiple goals, while others combined the team with additional selections in parlays.
As the goals piled up, sportsbooks watched one popular bet after another cash.
The U.S. moneyline hit comfortably. Bets on the Americans to win by at least two goals paid out. Markets predicting both teams would score also connected after Paraguay found the net.
The heavy public support meant sportsbooks faced a difficult outcome.
Betting operators reported that the United States attracted a large majority of both tickets and money before the match, leaving bookmakers exposed once the Americans dominated.
The combination of a decisive U.S. victory and Balogun’s twogoal performance produced one of the most bettor friendly results of the tournament so far.
For fans of the national team, Friday offered a glimpse of a more dangerous and dynamic squad.
For bettors, it proved even more rewarding.
And for Balogun, the performance may have marked the beginning of something much bigger as the 2026 World Cup moves forward.