USA vs Paraguay: Can the Hosts Kick Off the 2026 World Cup with a Win?

The US team will play their first match at the SoFi Stadium, and a win would not only boost their morale but also put them in a strong position in Group D before their matches against Australia and Turkey.

Despite losing three of their last four friendly matches, the US showed an impressive performance when they beat Senegal in late May 2026.

Paraguay, on the other hand, is competing in their first World Cup in 16 years, having reached the quarterfinals in 2010. They have been preparing well, putting up a tough fight against the US in a 2-1 friendly loss in November 2025, and recently achieving impressive results against Mexico, Japan, and Greece.

The US team is filled with star players like Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, and Weston McKennie, but Paraguay has the capacity to cause an upset after testing themselves against South American giants during the qualifiers.

Paraguay's lineup is expected to include Fernandez, Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Alonso, Bobadilla, Cubas, D. Gomez, Enciso, Almiron, and Sanabria.