United States open home World Cup campaign against Paraguay in Los Angeles

The United States start their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, marking their first World Cup match on home soil since 1994. Al Jazeera reported that the Group D opener carries early weight for the cohosts, who are aiming to improve on their last home-tournament run to the round of 16.

The match is scheduled for 6pm local time in California, 9pm ET and 01:00 GMT on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera. In Paraguay, kickoff is set for 10pm local time.

US President Donald Trump’s attendance has not been confirmed, Al Jazeera reported. Paraguay’s president, Santiago Pena, has said he will travel to Los Angeles for the match, according to the report.

US attack faces Paraguay defence

Christian Pulisic leads the American attack after ending a scoring drought in a pre-tournament friendly against Senegal, Al Jazeera reported. The AC Milan forward has 33 goals in 88 appearances for the national team and also assisted in that warm-up match.

Al Jazeera described Pulisic as central to the US threat, with Weston McKennie, Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman also highlighted among the players who could trouble Paraguay. The US enter the group as the highest-ranked team in Group D at No. 17, according to Al Jazeera.

The concern for Mauricio Pochettino’s side is at the other end of the field. Al Jazeera reported that the US have kept one clean sheet in their past 13 games and have allowed 11 goals across their past four matches, putting added pressure on goalkeeper Matt Freese.

Paraguay, ranked 41st, arrive with a different profile. Al Jazeera reported that Gustavo Alfaro’s team have relied on a strong defensive line but have had problems producing goals, scoring 14 times in 18 World Cup qualifying matches.

Paraguay will also be without Julio Enciso for the opener after he sustained a thigh injury in a friendly win over Nicaragua, according to Al Jazeera. The report said Diego Gomez could take on more creative responsibility in Enciso’s absence, while Miguel Almiron remains a key figure in the attack.

Group format and recent form

Group D also includes Australia and Turkiye. Al Jazeera reported that the top two teams from each of the 12 groups will advance, along with the eight best third-placed teams, into a new round of 32.

Paraguay returned to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 after qualifying through South America, Al Jazeera reported. The US qualified automatically as a cohost.

Recent form gives Paraguay some encouragement. Al Jazeera listed Paraguay’s past five results as W-L-W-W-L, while the US have gone L-W-L-L-W. Paraguay beat Nicaragua in a warm-up, defeated Greece in March and beat Mexico last November, while the US beat Senegal but lost to Germany, Portugal and Belgium during the buildup, according to Al Jazeera.

Head-to-head and odds

Friday’s match will be the 10th meeting between the teams, according to Al Jazeera. The US have won five of the previous meetings, Paraguay have won two and two have ended in draws.

The US have won the past three matches between the sides, including a 2-1 friendly victory last November, Al Jazeera reported. The teams also met at the first World Cup in 1930, when the US won.

Opta Analyst gives the US a 40.1% chance of winning, compared with 33.3% for Paraguay and 26.6% for a draw, according to Al Jazeera. No confirmed starting lineups have been announced; Al Jazeera reported that Pochettino has no injury concerns, while Paraguay must adjust without Enciso.

Al Jazeera reported that viewers in the US can watch on Universo, the Telemundo App, Fox One, Fox, Tubi, Telemundo Network, Telexitos and Peacock. In Paraguay, TyC International B.V. and Nacion Media hold rights, while BBC One and BBC iPlayer will carry the match in the United Kingdom.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.