The United States will finally get their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign underway when they face Paraguay in Group D at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California. Playing on home soil under Mauricio Pochettino, the Americans will be eager to make a strong start after a mixed build-up to the tournament, while Paraguay arrive determined to frustrate the co-hosts in their first World Cup since 2010.
Pochettino has spent the past year shaping the USMNT into a more aggressive, transition-focused side built around the creativity of Christian Pulisic and the athleticism of players such as Weston McKennie and Antonee Robinson. The challenge for the hosts will be breaking down a Paraguay side that has built its recent success on defensive organisation and discipline under Gustavo Alfaro.
The Americans enter the tournament after a 1-2 defeat to Germany in their final warm-up match, Kai Havertz opened the scoring in the 7th minute before Antonee Robinson equalised for the home team with a stunning left-footed volley. Leroy Sane added a second for Germany just before the hour-mark with USA unable to find another breakthrough.
Paraguay, meanwhile, arrive with momentum after a 4-0 win over Nicaragua in their final pre-World Cup outing. Their preparations though have been clouded by concerns over Julio Enciso, who suffered a thigh injury and remains a doubt for the opener.
Given the contrasting approaches, fans can expect an intriguing tactical battle. The United States are likely to dominate possession and press high up the pitch, while Paraguay will look to stay compact, frustrate the hosts and strike on the counter through the pace and creativity of Miguel Almirón.
The occasion will also be marked by a special opening show at the Los Angeles Stadium before kick-off, with Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla among the headline performers as the United States officially welcomes the world to its first match of the tournament.
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Match Start Time, Venue
The USA vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match is scheduled to be played at the Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium), Inglewood, California, from 6:30 AM IST.
USA vs Paraguay Match Referee
The match will be officiated by Dutch referee Danny Makkelie, a 43-year-old official born in Curaçao. He will be assisted by fellow Dutch officials Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries, while Carlos Del Cerro Grande of Spain will oversee video review duties as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
USA vs Paraguay Head-To-Head
- Matches Played: 9
- USA Wins: 5
- Paraguay Wins: 2
- Draws: 2
The two sides first met at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930, when the United States won 3-0 with Bert Patenaude scoring the first-ever hat-trick in World Cup history. More recently, the Americans defeated Paraguay 2-1 in a friendly in November 2025.
Form Guide
United States: L-W-L-L-W
USA 1-2 Germany
USA 3-2 Senegal
USA 0-2 Portugal
USA 2-5 Belgium
USA 5-1 Uruguay
Paraguay: W-L-W-W-L
Paraguay 4-0 Nicaragua
Morocco 2-1 Paraguay
Greece 0-1 Paraguay
Mexico 1-2 Paraguay
USA 2-1 Paraguay
USA vs Paraguay - Probable Lineups, Substitutes, Coach
United States
- Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Matt Freese; Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson; Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman; Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic; Folarin Balogun.
- Substitutes: Chris Brady, Matt Turner, Max Arfsten, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty, Brenden Aaronson, Sebastian Berhalter, Gio Reyna, Cristian Roldan, Alejandro Zendejas, Ricardo Pepi, Timothy Weah and Haji Wright.
- Coach: Mauricio Pochettino
Paraguay
- Probable XI (4-4-2): Orlando Gill; Juan José Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, Júnior Alonso; Damián Bobadilla, Diego Gómez, Andrés Cubas, Miguel Almirón; Antonio Sanabria, Julio Enciso.
- Substitutes: Gatito Fernández, Gastón Olveira, Fabián Balbuena, José Canale, Alexandro Maidana, Gustavo Caballero, Matías Galarza, Kaku, Mauricio, Braian Ojeda, Ramón Sosa, Álex Arce, Gabriel Ávalos and Isidro Pitta.
- Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Players To Watch
Christian Pulisic (United States)
The captain remains the creative heartbeat of the USMNT. Operating between the lines, Pulisic's ability to unlock compact defences could be decisive against Paraguay's disciplined defensive setup.
Miguel Almirón (Paraguay)
With Julio Enciso struggling for fitness, much of Paraguay's attacking responsibility falls on Almirón. His pace, work rate and experience of playing in the United States make him Paraguay's biggest threat.
How To Watch Live Telecast?
The USA vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match will be televised live in India on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
The USA vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match will be streamed live on the ZEE5 app and website in English, Malayalam, Bangla and Hindi.
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