Chris Richards is ready to play for the United States men's national team (USMNT) in their World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12, 2026, after recovering from an ankle injury sustained in May [1, 2].
Richards injured his ankle on May 17 while playing for Crystal Palace. The injury forced him to miss Palace's last two matches, including the UEFA Conference League final on May 27 [2]. He also missed USMNT matches against Senegal on May 31 and Germany on June 6 due to the injury [2].
Richards resumed full training with the USMNT on June 8 as the team prepared for their opening World Cup game [1, 2]. Despite some lingering swelling, he said, "I'm ready. I mean, it's a World Cup, so I was going to make myself ready regardless. I'm feeling good. Maybe a little swelling, but nothing tape can't help" [1, 2]. He described his recovery as tense but said, "Once I got the diagnosis, I was like, all right, cool. Whatever it takes, I have to make it for this first game" [1].
Teammate Mark McKenzie praised Richards' dedication during the recovery process. "To see the amount of work he's put in, whether it's on the field and working with a lot of the performance coaches... He was doing everything possible to make sure he was in the best shape possible coming into this week," McKenzie said [2].
Richards is expected to start at center back for the USMNT in the Group D opener against Paraguay on June 12 [1, 2].
