The United States men's national soccer team will open its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Paraguay on Friday, June 12, at 9 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California [1, 2, 3]. This match will kick off the Group D stage of the tournament.
The USMNT is expected to start with Matt Freese as goalkeeper and Ricardo Pepi as center forward. Chris Richards, who missed part of the preseason with an ankle injury, is set to return to the starting lineup [1, 2]. Team leaders have focused on internal motivation rather than external pressure. Defender Chris Richards said, "We try not to rely too much on what people are saying on the outside. We know that we have a certain standard that we want, which is to win games" [2]. Forward Tim Weah added that keeping balance is key and the team is focused on starting well and "put[ting] on a show for our supporters" [2].
Paraguay is prepared to play a defensive style and is expected to line up in either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation. Their lineup has some uncertainty due to the injury of midfielder Julio Enciso, who suffered a thigh and ligament injury in a June 5 tuneup match against Nicaragua. His status for the opening match remains unclear [1, 3].
During World Cup qualifying, Paraguay finished sixth in the highly competitive CONMEBOL region with seven wins, seven draws, and four losses. The team conceded only 10 goals, making it one of the best defensive records among their South American rivals [3].
Broadcast options include English coverage on Fox and Spanish coverage on Telemundo, with streaming available on Peacock and Fubo [1, 2].
The match on June 12 at SoFi Stadium will officially mark the start of Group D's 2026 World Cup competition.
