USA vs Paraguay: World Cup 2026 Group D Preview
Short overview
Co-hosts USA face Paraguay in their Group D opener at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12. The match marks the second World Cup on American soil and a historic reunion of teams that met in the 1930 tournament.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 continues on 12 June as co-hosts USA welcome Paraguay to Los Angeles Stadium for their Group D showdown. The match kicks off at 18:00 local time (22:00 in Asuncion) and represents one of the most eagerly anticipated games in American soccer history.
Match Details
Friday, 12 June | Los Angeles Stadium
18:00 (Los Angeles) | 22:00 (Asuncion)
USA, under manager Mauricio Pochettino, will usher in the second World Cup on home soil with this Group D opener. The two sides are familiar foes, having met in November when the Americans secured a 2-1 victory in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Team News and Form
Paraguay are making their first World Cup appearance since South Africa 2010. They qualified for the global finals with a sixth-place finish in CONMEBOL qualifying, recording several eye-catching victories along the way.
USA projected lineup: Freese; Freeman, M. Robinson, Ream, A. Robinson; Dest, Adams, McKennie, Tillman, Pulisic; Balogun
Paraguay projected lineup: Gill; Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; D. Gomez, Bobadilla, Cubas, Almiron; D. Gonzalez, Sanabria
Historical Context
History was made when USA and Paraguay locked horns at the inaugural global showpiece in 1930, the sole occasion the two sides have met in the World Cup. During that group stage match in Uruguay, the Stars and Stripes ran out 3-0 winners thanks to a remarkable hat-trick from Bert Patenaude. Not only was it the first and only treble by an American player in a World Cup match, but it was also the first hat-trick scored in tournament history.
How to Watch and Follow
For where to watch information on USA v Paraguay dedicated to your location, visit our World Cup scores and fixtures page, which displays all available broadcaster details. Fans can also follow all the action via the FIFA Match Centre with team news, live blogs and in-depth statistics on every fixture.
Tickets and Venue
Visit our dedicated tickets and hospitality page to find more information on available tickets and hospitality packages for USA v Paraguay and all FIFA World Cup games.
Los Angeles Stadium is the newest venue chosen to host FIFA World Cup 2026, having opened in September 2020. It is situated just a 30-minute drive from Pasadena's famous Rose Bowl, which hosted the 1994 World Cup final. Both the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers play their National Football League fixtures at the venue, which has already hosted a number of concerts under its iconic and unique roof, including Taylor Swift, BTS and Ed Sheeran.
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