The United States men’s national soccer team kicked off its FIFA World Cup campaign in impressive fashion on Friday night, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in its opening Group D match.

The convincing victory provides an early boost for the Americans as they seek to improve on their Round of 16 finish at the 2022 World Cup and make a deeper run in this year’s tournament.

Playing on home soil as one of the tournament’s co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, the U.S. entered the competition with high expectations and delivered a strong opening performance to energize supporters.

The result puts the Americans in a favorable position in Group D, where they will also face Australia and Turkey in the race for a place in the knockout rounds.

Advancing from the group stage would set up more difficult challenges against some of the world’s elite teams as the tournament progresses.

Among the leading contenders for the title are defending champions Argentina, led by superstar Lionel Messi, who are seeking to repeat their dramatic World Cup triumph from 2022. Traditional powerhouses Spain, Portugal, France and England are also widely viewed as strong contenders for the championship.

The United States entered the tournament ranked 17th in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings and is looking to capitalize on home-field advantage during the expanded competition.

Friday’s victory marks a positive first step for the U.S. squad as it pursues its goal of making one of the deepest World Cup runs in the nation’s history.

With momentum on their side, the Americans now turn their attention to their remaining group-stage fixtures as they continue their quest for World Cup success.