USA vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 Preview: Everything you need to know

USA vs Paraguay will kick off on 13 June 2026 at 02:00 GMT and 21:00 EST in Los Angeles. The opening match at the state-of-the-art Los Angeles Stadium pits Mauricio Pochettino’s high-pressing, vertical attack against Gustavo Alfaro’s organised, defence-first Paraguay, with tournament heavyweights Turkey and energetic Australia waiting in Group D.

As co-hosts with Mexico and Canada, the United States bypassed CONCACAF qualifying and instead built its tournament squad through friendlies and continental matches, a process that helped prompt the appointment of Pochettino. Paraguay, by contrast, earned their place via the gruelling CONMEBOL round-robin, conceding just ten goals in 18 matches after Alfaro’s August 2024 arrival and a nine-match unbeaten run that included wins over Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

Pochettino named a 26-man US roster blending eight MLS players with a European core.

United States, Los Angeles

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