Hummels raves about the World Cup participants
“They were the strongest team in the tournament so far”
June 13, 2026 – 12:34 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Mats Hummels will be an expert at the World Cup. He particularly likes one team.
The first four games of the 2026 World Cup have been played and all three hosts have played their opening game. While Canada couldn’t get beyond a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico (2-0 against South Africa) and the USA (4-1 against Paraguay) celebrated victories. The Americans in particular certainly left an impression. At least with Mats Hummels.
“They really deserved it because this first half was outstanding,” enthused the MagentaTV expert after the game. “They’ve been the strongest team in the tournament for me so far. From everything we’ve seen so far, definitely.”
The hosts took the lead after just eight minutes thanks to an own goal from Damian Bobadilla, and a brace from Folarin Balogun (31st, 45th + 5) made things clear at the break. Mauricio then shortened the gap for Paraguay, but Gladbach professional Giovanni Reyna scored the final point with a remarkable goal from the outside of his foot.
In the video | Giovanni Reyna scores late to make the final score 4-1
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Hummels wasn’t the only one who was amazed at the Americans’ performance after the final whistle. Former Leipzig player Tyler Adams, who was on the field for over 90 minutes against Paraguay, also celebrated. “It’s incredible to play a home tournament and start like that,” he said.
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The midfielder also explained how such an exhilarating start was possible: “We went into the tournament with the mindset that we weren’t worried about which opponent we were playing against. The most important thing was how we managed the game in every situation.”
The Americans continue against Australia on Friday evening (from 9 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online). Then Christian Pulisic, who was substituted against Paraguay after a strong first half, should be available again. It was just a precautionary measure, explained coach Mauricio Pochettino after the game. The former Dortmund player suffered a blow during training during the week.