USMNT vs Paraguay live online: updates, stats, goals and highlights | 2026 World Cup Group D
Pregame festivities, celebrations and opening ceremonies lead us up to the biggest moment in the history of the USMNT as take on Paraguay from LA.
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Enciso with a couple of step overs at the top of the area and he lets a shot loose but that was slowly rolling wide left of the target.
Christian Pulisic was the central piece in the first US goal of this World Cup. I doubt that will be the last time I write that phrase over the course of the next month. McKinnie was the last US player with a touch, but it was Bobadilla who was credited with the own goal.
Paraguay look a little stunned after the early goal and that has allowed the US to possess and push up when they feel inclined.
That was the third quickest goal by the US in a World Cup. Own goal in the 7th minute.
McKinnie started that attack with some great dribbling and found Pulisic who looked like he was posing a threat from his first touch. He won't get an assist for that goal, but he did create it.
GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!
Pulisic's first touch of the game turns to trouble for Paraguay!!! McKinnie found him on the left side and he played back to McKinnie who poked it to Balogun but it hits off a Paraguay defenders foot and rolls into the back of the net!
USA with a dream start to this dream evening in LA.
Enciso sends in a halfhearted cross but Richards makes his first intervention of the night after missing the last few games with the US.
Paraguay seem ok to drop back and put defenders behind the ball when the US are in possession. It could be tight in the attacking third, how will the US find the space to find their players in the box?
Pochettino stressed his team have to be intense and play with enthusiasm from the very start until the final minute. If not they will be in trouble in this tournament. They have come out well, can they sustain that for all 90 minutes?
McKinnie received a ball from the back and nodded it into the path of Balogun whose shot was blocked away by Alderete but both teams coming out on the front foot early in this match.
Early attack from Paraguay and it was Almiron who got in between two defenders, Gomez ended up sending it over Freese from the end line but that attack ended in nothing.
Early sign of life from the visitors and a warning for the US back line.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM LOS ANGELES.
THE USMNT EMBARK ON WHAT COULD BE A HISTORIC CAMPAIGN!!!
The entire stadium here at Los Angeles Stadium counts down to kick off... and
A 4-2-3-1 for Poch
It's Freese in goal, with Robinson at left back, Ream and Richards in the middle and Freeman on the right. In the middle we have Tillman and Adams, with McKinnie the attack at the 10. Pulisic and Dest are out wide with Balogun up top.
The Star Spangled Banner is being sung by Dan + Shay from Los Angeles Stadium. They don't even need to sing into their mics. The fans are doing that for them.
Knicks comeback to inspire USMNT?
Speaking of NBA Finals there are plenty of New York Knick fans on this USMNT side. There was a video that went viral of the squad watching Game 4 of the NBA Finals from their hotel on Wednesday and when OG Anunoby tipped in the game winner to cap a miraculous come back for the Knicks the players from the US side went crazy.
Both teams are coming out of the tunnel now, and the noise and nerves are palpable here from Los Angeles Stadium. This is a special moment for fans, for players and for the rest of the world that is watching along.
World Cup or Finals? More bang for your buck
Have we mentioned things have changed in the 32 years since the United States hosted this event? Fashion has changed. Pop culture has changed. There is social media now. That didn't exist three decades ago. Oh yea. And everything is a lot more expensive now. I’m not sure how bad ticket prices were back in 1994, but going to the World Cup or the NBA Finals was a whole lot more affordable way back then. So I guess the only question is, what is more expensive a ticket to the World Cup or a ticket to the NBA Finals? Our guy Paul Reidy has the answer
Top USMNT World Cup performers
When it comes to a list of the best US soccer players in the World Cup, look no further than Landon Donovan. He has the most goals with 5 in the World Cup. Clint Dempsey and Bert Patenaude scored four goals in the World Cup While Brian McBride had three in his time spent with the US in the World Cup. Donovan made 12 appearance in the World Cup, while DeMarcus Beasley had 11, which was tied with Cobi Jones and Earnie Stewart. For more on the history of USMNT legends in the World Cup, here's a bit more.
Paraguay booed
The flag presentation is happening on the pitch of the Los Angeles Stadium. When Paraguay was announced they got a proper boo, which is to be expected on an evening like tonight.
Countdown to final is on
This is just Day 2 of about 40 days of World Cup action and it's way too early to be thinking about the final. However it is nice to take a look at the future and get our plans sorted out for the World Cup final coming up in the middle of July. Which teams will be there? Who knows? But we have a date and a location. The two finalist will meet from New York/New Jersey Stadium in a match that will determine the World Cup winner on the 19th of July.
Tyla - again (sang SA national anthem)
If you didn't get enough Tyla yesterday at the Estadio Azteca then fear not: the South African singer is back again, this time performing as part of the opening ceremony cast.
The rendition of the South African national anthem in Mexico was spine-tingling, and we’re lucky enough to get to see her once more!
The 24-year-old singer hails from Edenvale, South Africa, and her song “Water” became the first song by a South African solo artist to reach the Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years.
She also became the youngest African artist to win a Grammy, and also boasts three EMAs at MTV's Europe Music Awards, two BET Awards and two VMAs.
The song of the World Cup - Dai Dai
Is it as good as Waka-Waka? No. Is it as good as Wavin' Flag? Get out of here. But it’s still got something to it, I have to say. While it doesn’t win gold in World Cup song history, it might just about sneak onto the podium for some.
Performed by Shakira and Burna Boy, the song was written with help from everyone’s favourite Ipswich Town fan, Ed Sheeran. It even hit the number one spot in Ecuador, Puerto Rico, and Suriname.
The inside scoop on Paraguay
So just how much do we know about this Paraguay team? Me, not so much. Our social media guru William Gittens knows quite a bit, and that is because he spent some time talking to Paraguay soccer expert Ralph Hannah. Check it out.
Who is Future?
We all know who Future is, right? Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn is an American rapper from Atlanta who has played a major role in shaping modern trap music.
Projects like Pluto and DS2 gave him a name in the circles, but it was Mask Off where he really shot to fame. The song became a global hit and is still one of his most recognisable tracks today.
It sparked a relationship with Drake that culminated in a feature with the Canadian, only further boosting his profile. At this point, Future is basically the blueprint for how to be successful in modern trap, and his influence is all over the current wave of rap music across the globe.
Katy Perry - what songs
For those of you dying to know which hits Katy Perry will be performing, look no further. The singer will be showing off all of her biggest hits and even one we've never heard before.
“It's very fitting for the ceremonial song that I get to sing,” she explained of the mystery song while at the Tribeca Festival premiere of her latest concert film, Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour — Live from Paris. “And it's not new. It's off of one of my records, and I'm very excited to perform it.”
What Gianni Infantino said about the LA ceremony
“This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. “The lineup of artists reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and the vibrancy of its many diasporas, highlighting the nation's rich influence on music, entertainment and pop culture, while showcasing the power of music to bring people together across the country.”
Paraguay's philosopher
The best managers are always tactically brilliant, good at managing people, excel at leading a group of players and usually they are pretty good in front of the cameras. Gustavo Alfaro has been around the block before, and he has made a headline or two in his long career as a manager. The Argentine has spent the last three and a half decades as a manger at the club and country level. He took Ecuador to the World Cup in 2022 and now he is back with Paraguay looking to make some noise in Group D before making some noise in the press rooms after the game.
Who is performing?
If Shakira, Bocelli, and *checks notes* Tyla weren't enough, then we’ve got you covered today.
Katy Perry is the headline star of the show. The Hot and Cold singer will likely not make mention of the closed/open roof debate and the striking levels of humidity across the east coast of the USA, but she’ll be set to put on a show for the 70,000 fans in front of her and the millions watching on their screens.
As well as Perry, we’ve got rapper Future, Lisa from K-pop band Blackpink, Nigerian artist Rema and Brazilian singer Anitta. It’s seven artists across 13 minutes, so they’re going to have to get their skates on if we want to kick-off on time.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony is coming up before the players take the field and we have you covered with some brilliant insight from our main man and pop culture know it all, Joe Brennan.
Red card crazy?
To say the 2026 World Cup got off to an interesting start would be an understatement. The game between Mexico and South Africa was fascinating. An early mistake from the Bufana Bufana allowed the home side to take a 1-0 lead before the 10th minute. Then it took a red card for South Africa's last man back in the second half to really change the game around. A second South Africa red card would give Mexico a two man advantage until their captain Cesar Montes was shown a red card right before the end of the 90. Three red cards were handed out in the first match of the World Cup. In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there were four handed out all tournament.
USMNT's reason to believe
The US comes into this competition knowing that winning the Cup is going to be hard, if not impossible. They have stated that they are here to win it, which is what they are supposed to say. While the odds certainly don’t seem to be in their favor, there is reason to hold on to hope. Just as recently as this year’s NFL season there was a massive preseason underdog that went on to win the Super Bowl. Here’s a little more on why you might just have reason to believe.
A blast from the past
It has been 32 years since the World Cup was played on US soil. Tonight marks the return of the World Cup on US soil and things have certainly changed since then. The tournament is bigger and more popular than ever. The sport is massive in this country, which wasn't really the case three decades ago. The players are better than they have ever been and the opening ceremony is certainly different. Here’s our Cal Roche with everything you need to now about the opening ceremony way back when.
World Cup Day 1 results
USA vs Paraguay is game four of 104. We started things off yesterday with a fantastic day full of festivities, celebrations and extraordinary games to kick off the summer's biggest event. Mexico opened things up with the opening ceremonies and won the first game of the tournament with a convincing 2-0 win over South Africa. South Korea went down to Czechia after a scoreless first half, but they would make a heroic comeback and secure a crucial three points in their first match of the group stages.
Pulisic ends goal drought right in time
There were some tense moment for Christian Pulisic over the last few months. He had been on a lengthy goal drought that stretched back to before the turn of the new year. Before his goal against Senegal last week, he last scored on December 28th of 2025 with AC Milan. His goalless drought with the US team stretched back even farther. His goal from Charlotte last week ended a national team drought that started in November of 2024 after scoring against Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League. After his goal, Pulisic reassured fans, "I felt this confidence. I've played really well in recent months too, but all people seem to care about is goals. So hopefully now people can stop talking about it. And I feel good and now obviously just a friendly.”
Weather no problem today
We have already seen weather be a factor in the pre World Cup tune ups. The England-Costa Rica game was delayed for an hour as Orlando was inundated with torrential rain a few hours before kick off. It's usually the lightening that poses the most threat to delay a game. Luckily here at Los Angeles Stadium we have a dome over the pitch so there will be no risk of a weather delay here from LA.
Paraguay XI
Alfaro is going with Sanabria up top with his main guys Alderete and Gomez in the back. No surprises there. Can they handle the US crown and the passion of the fans at Los Angeles Stadium out of the gate?
Pochettino already planning exit?
Even before the the World Cup started, or the squad was even named, there was already speculation about Mauricio Pochettino's future. After stints at Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea he came to the USMNT in 2024 with hopes of leading this side to a never seen before World Cup campaign which will be co-hosted on home soil. What’s to come after the World Cup? That seems to be very much in the air, but there are rumors that AC Milan are lining up a bid for the currently US manager, and no one is really denying those reports. In soccer this is normal that clubs get in contact with players and managers who are currently working with another club or team. While many US fans were puzzled by the timing, it’s actually quite standard in this sport.
USMNT XI
We have Pochettino's first XI of the World Cup. He's going with Chris Richards in the back and Balogun up top. Let's see how this first eleven comes out in this World Cup opener. Nerves, excitement and pressure will all come into effect in the first few minutes. How will they handle it?
Chris Richards update
One of the top defenders on this USMNT squad is Chris Richards but we haven't seen him in the US kit in quite a while. The Crystal Palace center back was hurt in the penultimate match of the Premier League and had to sat out the final weekend of the league and the final of the Conference League. The last time we saw him in the red, white and blue was back in early April when the US lost 2-0 to Portugal. He says he is ready to put it all on the line for his country during this World Cup. Let’s see if that means he will be ready today, and if he will be included in Poch’s first XI of the World Cup.
Group D schedule
The US has been placed in Group D with Paraguay (40th in FIFA), Australia (27th in FIFA) and Türkiye (23rd in FIFA). While the USMNT are ranked the highest of any of the teams according to the Rankings, none of these games are going to be “easy.” The US starts their World Cup campaign with tonight's match against Paraguay, then they are off to Seattle for the game against Australia and end the group stages on June 25th against Türkiye, right back here in LA.
Friday, June 12, 9 p.m. (Fox): United States vs. Paraguay, Los Angeles Stadium (Inglewood, California)
Saturday, June 13, 12 a.m. (FS1): Australia vs. Türkiye, BC Place (Vancouver)
Friday, June 19, 3 p.m. (Fox): United States vs. Australia, Lumen Field (Seattle)
Friday, June 19, 11 p.m. (FS1): Türkiye vs. Paraguay, Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
Thursday, June 25, 10 p.m. (Fox): Türkiye vs. United States, Los Angeles Stadium (Inglewood, California)
Thursday, June 25, 10 p.m. (FS1): Paraguay vs. Australia, Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
Who are the early favorites
Just because a team is at the top of the FIFA Rankings doesn't mean they are considered to be the favorites in the eyes of the odds makers. Spain take the top spot according to the betting markets, but it’s a narrow margin between their chances and Frances chances to win it all. Portugal have a fantastic squad and they are third on the list while England sneak in a spot above Argentina as the fifth favorite. This means very little with so much to play for over the next month and some change, but you wouldn’t be surprised to see those teams all make deep runs into the tournament and be contending for the Cup come mid July.
FIFA World Rankings
Taking a look at the latest edition of FIFA Rankings before the start of the World Cup we see a top five full of heavy hitters. Reigning champs, Argentina, are still top of the list with Spain right behind and last World Cup’s runners up France in third. England and Portugal round out the top five. You have to go all the way down to the 17th spot to find the USMNT. They are four spots below Mexico, and right behind Senegal and Uruguay. Paraguay on the other hand is ranked 40th despite winning three of their last four matches.
New rules, who dis?
It's not just the new format that has given this World Cup a different flavor. The three hosts is obviously new, and more teams and more games are great but that doesn’t really have to do with the game play from the first minute to the 90th. There are however a couple of rule changes that you should have in mind for this edition of the World Cup. With all the updated rule changes here is Andy Hall to break down everything you need to know and need to keep an eye out for.
The marathon has begun
I hope you're ready and you have cleared all your plans for the summer. Once the actions starts it is barely going to stop. From today to the final on July 19th there will be just five days with no soccer. That's 39 days and 34 of them will have something for us to watch. The group stages will run all the way to the the 28th of June. Just because the end of group stages arrives doesn’t mean we get a break. The round of 32 rolls on until the 3rd of July. And that is followed by the Round of 16 which starts on the 4th of July. Our first day with no soccer will be almost four weeks from now when the Round of 16 ends on July 7th. The quarterfinals will run from the 9th to the 11th meaning we will be without soccer for the 12th and 13th before the semis are played on the 14th and 15th. The 16th and 17th of July will get us time to get rested and prepare for the third placed game on the 18th and then the final on the 19th. There you have it. If you didn’t believe me, there’s your proof of just five days off in the next 39 days.
The bigger, better World Cup
If you haven't heard, this years World Cup is bigger than ever. Literally bigger. More teams, more groups, more games, and more fans. We have gone from the 32 team format to a beefed up 48 team field with 12 groups of four teams. There is a Round of 32, which has never been seen before, and that will include the top eight third place teams. After that everything is the same, but the increase in teams, and groups means we have 104 games instead of the 64 we used to have in the 32 team format that the World Cup had from 1998 to 2022.
Paraguay's World Cup history
Paraguay were in the the first edition of the World Cup almost 100 years ago, and as it would happen, they were in the same Group as the United States. They lost 3-0 (we’ll dive deeper into this later), and then made just three World Cups over the next 64 years. They made their return in 1998, and went to four straight tournaments from 1998 to 2010. Their best showing was in South Africa back in 2010 when they went to the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champions, Spain, 1-0.
USMNT's World Cup resume
Belive it or not the US has actually been close to winning the World Cup. It came in the first ever edition of the World Cup before this tournament had the reputation that it has nowadays. Their 3rd placed finish in 1930 is far and wide the best outing ever in this tournament, although all they had to do was get through to the three team group stage to get to the semifinals. They went to the World Cup in 1934 and again in 1950 but then had a 40 year wait until the returned in 1990. In 1994 they hosted the tournament losing to Brazil 1-0 in the Round of 16 and in 2002 they got to the quarterfinals. That is the farthest they have been since 1930. They missed the 2018 edition of the World Cup and lost to the Netherlands in Qatar last World Cup, but they are at home and looking to make history this summer.
Best USMNT team in history
Could this be the best team ever? You look back at teams of World Cup's past and when you start to compare them side by side, there is certainly an advantage that Poch’s guys seem to have. Where as the team from 2002 that went to the quarters, or even the one from 2022 had players that were playing overseas, this team has players that aren’t just playing overseas, they are playing at massive clubs and playing a big role on those teams. The guys who were in Qatar last World Cup now know what it’s like to play on the biggest stage. They will carry that maturity and experience into this campaign and look to impart some wisdom on some of the youngsters who haven’t been here before.
Star watch: Paraguay
The Albirroja are led by their captain Gustavo Gomez. He and Omar Alderete patrol the back line of Paraguay and are one of the main threats off the dead ball. Set pieces are one of the back bones of the Paraguay attack, but in the run of play they will be hoping that Antonio Sanabria will be able to test the back line of the US which has it's vulnerabilities. He has been with top clubs like Betis, Genoa and Torino but the 30 year old has struggled a bit at the club level with just 3 goals over the last two seasons.
USA Star watch
He may not be the biggest star of the World Cup but he is going to have the eyes of the nation on him over the next month and some change. Christian Pulisic is the captain of this squad, and he is the one that everyone is depending on to be the orchestrator of the USMNT's success. He plays in Italy with AC Milan and has been the leader on this team for the last few years. He has a goal and two assists in the last World Cup, but there will be a bit more asked of him for this World Cup. He broke his scoring drought against Senegal, and it might have come at just the right time for him and for the USMNT.
Paraguay squad
Paraguay are back in the World Cup for the first time in a while, and they are in a group that they will believe they can get out of and qualify for the next stage of the tournament. It's going to be up to the 26 players that Gustavo Alfaro has picked for this World Cup campaign. Here is the list of Paraguay players.
Goalkeepers
Roberto Junior Fernández (Cerro Porteño)
Gastón Olveira (Olimpia)
Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo de Almagro)
Defenders
Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras)
Omar Alderete (Getafe / Sunderland)
Fabián Balbuena (Dinamo Moscú)
Junior Alonso (Atlético Mineiro)
Juan José Cáceres (Lanús)
Gustavo Velázquez (Newell’s / Cerro Porteño)
José María Canale (Lanús)
Alexandro Maidana (Talleres)
Midfielders
Diego Gómez (Inter Miami)
Andrés Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Damián Bobadilla (São Paulo)
Braian Ojeda (Real Salt Lake)
Matías Galarza (Talleres)
Alejandro Romero Gamarra (Al-Ain)
Maurício Magalhães Prado (Palmeiras)
Forwards
Julio Enciso (Brighton)
Miguel Almirón (Newcastle)
Ramón Sosa (Nottingham Forest / Palmeiras)
Álex Arce (LDU Quito)
Antonio Sanabria (Torino)
Gabriel Ávalos (Independiente)
Isidro Pitta (Cuiabá)
Gustavo Caballero (Nacional)
USMNT squad
It was the announcement that every soccer fan in the US was waiting for. Mauricio Pochettino named his squad list from a rooftop at Pier 17 under a festive ambience. There is hope surrounding this team, and a lot of pressure put on Poch who was brought here for this moment. Here is his 26 man roster
Goalkeepers
Chris Brady (Chicago Fire)
Matt Freese (New York City)
Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
Defenders
Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew)
Sergiño Dest (PSV)
Alex Freeman (Villarreal)
Mark McKenzie (Toulouse)
Tim Ream (Charlotte FC)
Chris Richards (Crystal Palace)
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati)
Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Auston Trusty (Celtic)
Midfielders
Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth)
Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Weston McKennie (Juventus)
Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)
Attacking midfielders/wingers
Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)
Christian Pulisic (Milan)
Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
Tim Weah (Marseille)
Alejandro Zendejas (Club América)
Strikers
Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco)
Ricardo Pepi (PSV)
Haji Wright (Coventry City)
Last match: Paraguay
Right before entering World Cup mode, Paraguay gave their most convincing performance in the last few years when they beat Nicaragua by a score of 4-0. In their final tune up before tonight'a game, they put in a complete performance, scoring two goals in the first half with what we could only imagine would be their starting XI or at least a good majority of them. Kaku started things off with a penalty in the 17th minute, and then Miguel Almiron doubled the lead in the 42nd minute. A mass of subs out of the break didn’t keep Paraguay from adding to the lead. Matias Galarza scored the 3-0 in the 62nd and then five minutes later Alexandro Maidana scored the fourth and final goal.
VENUES/Los Angeles Stadium
Los Angeles Stadium is just one of the 16 venues that will be hosting World Cup matches in the US and around Canada and Mexico. There are eleven cities and stadiums that will host World Cup matches in the US, three in Mexico and two in Canada. For branding purposes, each of the stadiums have been stripped of their name. Sofi Stadium is no longer SoFi Stadium, it's Los Angeles Stadium just like Estadio Azteca was named Estadio Ciudad de Mexico for the opener between El Tri and South Africa.
Mexico:
Mexico City
Guadalajara
Monterrey
USA:
NY/NJ
Dallas
LA
Kansas City
San Francisco
Houston
Philadelphia
Atlanta
Seattle
Miami
Boston
Last match: USA
The final international break of the club season didn't do a whole lot to settle any nerves for the USMNT and their fans. They were destroyed by Belgium and dominated by Portugal. It served as a bit of a wake up call for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, and they responded in their final two tuned ups before tonight. They beat Senegal by a score of 3-2 but looked better than the scoreline dictated, and then lost to Germany but had the four time champs against the ropes for most of that game. A GOLAZO from Antonee Robinson leveled the game up at 1-1 after Kai Havertz scored the opener but Leroy Sane put the Germans up in the 57th minute and they would hold off the USMNT attack for the rest of the way.
We are live from Inglewood
Hello everyone and welcome to Los Angeles Stadium where the USMNT will be played their first World Cup match on home soil since 1994. Things are different now then they were 32 years ago. The US side from the 90s didn't have any expectations to make a deep run into the tournament. This team does. With a world class manger and a squad full of players who play in the top leagues in the world, they need to put on a show in their home country, and that starts tonight against Paraguay.
USMNT vs. Paraguay Matchday 1
USMNT vs. Paraguay Matchday 1
The moment is finally here. It's been four years since the USMNT has stepped on a World Cup pitch, and 32 years since they have done so on their home soil. Today Mauricio Pochettino’s men start their World Cup campaign looking for a historic run through the tournament. Before they can start dreaming of getting farther than they have even been they have to get through a Paraguay side that had a couple of impressive results in World Cup qualifiers. It’s the red, white and blue taking on the Alibrroja of Paraguay from Los Angeles and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s match to kick off our World Cup campaign.
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