2026 World Cup: The United States kicks off its campaign against a southern neighbor

The 2026 World Cup kicks off for the United States tonight, June 12-13 (1:00 AM GMT), with their opening match against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Playing in front of their home crowd, Mauricio Pochettino's men cannot afford any mistakes in this opening Group D encounter against a Paraguayan side experiencing a resurgence under the guidance of Gustavo Alfaro.

As one of the host countries for the competition, the United States national team enters this tournament under significant pressure. After an encouraging end to 2025 marked by victories against Paraguay and Uruguay, the US experienced a more challenging period in the spring, with losses to Belgium and Portugal. However, recent performances have allowed them to regain some confidence.

The victory against Senegal (3-2) notably saw Christian Pulisic find the back of the net again, while the narrow defeat against Germany (2-1) showed a combative and reassuring face.

Mauricio Pochettino now seems to have found his ideal starting eleven. Antonee Robinson's performance against Germany and the consistency shown in the coach's choices during the last warm-up match suggest that the Americans are ready to take on the challenge of this opening match.

Facing them, Paraguay arrives with the status of an outsider capable of causing an upset. Absent from the last three World Cups, the Albirroja have returned to the top thanks to the work of Gustavo Alfaro. Taking over the national team in August 2024, the Argentinian coach transformed a struggling squad, leading them to qualification through a series of impressive results, including prestigious victories against Argentina and Brazil.

The South Americans also showed great promise during their preparation, notably with a convincing 4-0 victory against Nicaragua. However, Julio Enciso's injury significantly dampened their hopes. A key attacking player for the team, the striker is expected to miss the first few matches of the tournament after suffering a muscle injury in the last friendly.

This match promises to be a close contest between an American team buoyed by the enthusiasm of the host nation and a Paraguayan side invigorated by its recent progress. While the United States appears to have a slight advantage thanks to its roster and the support of the home crowd, Paraguay's tactical discipline and defensive solidity could make the task far more difficult than expected.

In the first hour, at 7pm Gmt, Canada, one of the host countries, starts its tournament against Bosnia-Herzegovina.