For Mauricio Pochettino and the United States, the wait is over. The co-hosts open their 2026 World Cup against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on Friday, June 12, and because this is each side’s first game in Group D, there are no prior results to lean on — just 90 minutes that could set the tone for the entire group, which also features Australia and Türkiye.
The stakes are simple and heavy. A winning start eases the pressure on a host nation expected to advance, while Paraguay — back at a World Cup for the first time since 2010 — arrives built on the defensive solidity of captain Gustavo Gómez and Omar Alderete under coach Gustavo Alfaro.
Pochettino’s squad has been thinned by injury: Johnny Cardoso and Patrick Agyemang will miss the tournament, though Christian Pulisic has recovered from a hamstring problem. Paraguay, by contrast, are close to full strength — playmaker Julio Enciso picked up a minor quad knock against Nicaragua but is still expected to feature.
Match date, time, and where to watch
Kickoff is set for Friday, June 12, at 6:00 p.m. Pacific at SoFi Stadium. For readers in Chicago and the Central time zone that means an 8:00 p.m. start. In English, the match airs on FOX, with streaming on the FOX Sports app and FOX One; Tubi is expected to carry select World Cup matches free of charge. Spanish-language viewers can turn to Telemundo and the Peacock app. Cord-cutters should confirm their package carries FOX before kickoff.
Stadium
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, in the Los Angeles metro, is the venue. The futuristic indoor-outdoor arena — home to the Rams and Chargers and host of Super Bowl LVI — seats roughly 70,000 and expands past 100,000 for marquee events, making it one of the tournament’s showpiece sites.
Possible lineups
United States (4-3-3): Freese; Dest, Richards, Ream, A. Robinson; Adams, McKennie, Tillman; Weah, Balogun, Pulisic.
Paraguay (4-2-3-1): Gill; Cáceres, G. Gómez, Alderete, Alonso; Bobadilla, Cubas; D. Gómez, Enciso, Almirón; Sanabria.
Cools things to do in Chicago
16 July 2026 10:15 + more dates
25 July 2026 16:30 + more dates
25 October 2026 16:30 + more dates
