Group D Opener: USA Host Paraguay at SoFi Stadium

In the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D opening match, USA and Paraguay face each other at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The match will start at 04:00 Turkey time on the morning of Saturday, June 13. The match, which will be played at 21:00 ET local time, has the distinction of being the first World Cup match the USA has played on home soil since 1994. Turkey and Australia are also in Group D; making a good start carries critical importance for both teams in terms of advancing to the round of 32.

The World Cup history between the two countries also carries great importance. USA and Paraguay last met at the very first World Cup in 1930; in that match Bert Patenaude scored the tournament's first hat-trick and USA won 3-0. The two teams meeting on the World Cup stage after 96 years also met in their last friendly in November 2025; USA won that match 2-1. Paraguay returned to the World Cup after a 16-year gap; this is their ninth appearance in the tournament.

USA under Mauricio Pochettino's management will put everything forward to use the home advantage. The Argentine head coach has built the team on an attack-oriented structure under Christian Pulisic's leadership. Pulisic has reached 33 goals in 86 international matches. Chris Richards being able to make the opening match after the ankle ligament injury he sustained in mid-May was evaluated as a positive development. According to FotMob, the Crystal Palace centre-back has declared himself fit. A strong attacking quartet is emerging with Folarin Balogun, Malik Tillman and Timothy Weah.

Paraguay under Gustavo Alfaro's management is coming to the tournament with a pragmatic approach. The Argentine head coach built the team on compact defensive blocks. Paraguay surprised everyone in South America by winning against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay during qualifying. La Albirroja have not seen defeat in the last eight matches; they conceded only 14 goals in 18 qualifying matches. Strasbourg's Julio Enciso's fitness situation after the thigh injury he sustained in the Nicaragua warm-up match will remain uncertain until the last moment; Alfaro left the door open for Enciso.

The match will host a contrast between attacking power and defensive discipline. While USA wants to keep possession high and force Paraguay's defensive blocks, Alfaro's team will try to bring Miguel Almiron's counter-attacks to the foreground. Tim Ream's recent form and Tyler Adams' midfield distribution quality stand out as critical parameters for USA.

The most critical threat in Group D is considered to be Turkey; Turkey returned to the World Cup after 22 years by beating Romania 1-0 in the qualifying semi-final and Kosovo 0-1 away in the final match. Vincenzo Montella's team comes to the tournament under the leadership of Hakan Calhanoglu, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz.

USA Probable XI (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Matt Freese
Defence: Alex Freeman - Chris Richards - Tim Ream - Antonee Robinson
Midfield: Malik Tillman - Tyler Adams
Attack line: Timothy Weah - Weston McKennie - Christian Pulisic
Forward: Folarin Balogun

Paraguay Probable XI (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Roberto "Gatito" Fernandez
Defence: Juan Caceres - Gustavo Gomez (C) - Omar Alderete - Junior Alonso
Midfield: Damian Bobadilla - Andres Cubas
Attack line: Diego Gomez - Julio Enciso - Miguel Almiron
Forward: Antonio Sanabria

Kick-off times: 18:00 local (Los Angeles PT), 21:00 US ET, 02:00 BST Saturday, 03:00 CEST Saturday, 04:00 Turkey time (Saturday, June 13).

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