The United States and Paraguay have crossed paths surprisingly often over the years, but their World Cup story feels more like a planned Hollywood sequel that kept bumping into production delays. When they meet in Los Angeles on June 12 to open Group D at the 2026 World Cup, it will be their first meeting on football’s biggest stage since the very first World Cup back in 1930.

That’s a gap of almost 96 years.

When did USA first play Paraguay?

The connection began in Montevideo at the inaugural FIFA World Cup, when just 13 teams took part and nobody quite knew what this tournament would eventually become: the greatest show on Earth.

The US made a statement that day, beating Paraguay 3-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Bert Patenaude. Not only did it give the Americans victory, it also entered the history books as the first hat-trick ever scored at a World Cup.

Remarkably, it remains the only World Cup hat-trick scored by a US player.

That win helped the Americans top their group and reach the semifinals, still one of the best World Cup runs in USMNT history. Paraguay, meanwhile, finished second in the group and missed out on the final four. They’ll be delighted if they finish second this time around.

One of the most memorable came at the 2016 Copa América Centenario. With a quarterfinal place on the line, the USMNT defeated Paraguay 1-0 in Philadelphia thanks to a Clint Dempsey goal. Even after DeAndre Yedlin’s early second-half red card, Jurgen Klinsmann’s team held on. The Americans would go all the way to the semifinals, while Paraguay headed home after the group stage.

When Paraguay overcame the US

Paraguay’s biggest competitive victory over the United States was at the 2007 Copa América. Led by stars including Óscar Cardozo and Salvador Cabañas, La Albirroja claimed a convincing 3-1 win and effectively ended the Americans’ tournament.

More recently, the balance has tilted back toward the 2026 hosts. The USMNT won friendlies in 2018 and again in late 2025, the latter a fiery 2-1 victory featuring goals from Giovanni Reyna and Folarin Balogun before tempers boiled over in stoppage time.

Overall, the United States holds the advantage in the series, with five wins from nine meetings. But statistics only tell part of the story.

From the first-ever World Cup hat-trick in Uruguay to a reported sold-out stadium in Los Angeles nearly a century later, few international matchups can claim a history that stretches from the birth of the World Cup all the way to its biggest edition yet.

All games between the USMNT and Paraguay

1. 1930 FIFA World Cup

• Paraguay 0-3 United States
• July 13, 1930 – Montevideo, Uruguay
• Goals: Bert Patenaude (3)

2. Friendly

• United States 0-0 Paraguay
• April 27, 1997

3. Friendly

• United States 2-2 Paraguay
• February 8, 1998

4. Friendly

• United States 2-0 Paraguay
• March 30, 2003
• Goals: Landon Donovan, Earnie Stewart

5. Copa América 2007

• Paraguay 3-1 United States
• July 2, 2007 – Barinas, Venezuela
• Goals: Édgar Barreto, Óscar Cardozo, Salvador Cabañas (PAR); Ricardo Clark (USA)

6. Friendly

• United States 0-1 Paraguay
• March 29, 2011
• Goal: Óscar Cardozo

7. Copa América Centenario 2016

• United States 1-0 Paraguay
• June 11, 2016 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Goal: Clint Dempsey

8. Friendly

• United States 1-0 Paraguay
• March 27, 2018 – Cary, North Carolina
• Goal: Bobby Wood (penalty)

9. Friendly

• United States 2-1 Paraguay
• November 15, 2025
• Goals: Giovanni Reyna, Folarin Balogun (USA); Álex Arce (PAR)

Overall record: United States 5 wins, Paraguay 2 wins, 2 draws.

Goals: United States 12, Paraguay 9.

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