Co-hosts USA are all set to kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a match against Paraguay in Los Angeles early Saturday morning.
USA are carrying heavy expectations of a host nation after making it to the knockout stages in their last three appearances in the competition. Their Round of 16 exit in the 1994 World Cup remains their best ever performance thus far.
They highlight Group D alongside Turkey, Australia and their opponents for the opening game Paraguay. The South American side is making their first appearance in the tournament since the 2010 South Africa edition.
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Paraguay qualified from CONMEBOL in top form as they finished level on points with heavyweights Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay. They also boasted the second-best defensive record in qualifying.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USA have not lost an opening group stage match since 2010, winning once and drawing twice. However, their current form in the calendar year has been far from impressive, with three defeats in four games.
The entire nation will be hoping they can turn their fortunes around and get their tournament off to a winning start here. We have a look at all key stats and offer our predicted outcome.
Betway
What time does USA vs Paraguay start?
The game kicks off at 4AM E.A.T at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
USA vs Paraguay team news
Chris Richards and Fulham’s Antonee Robinson are being assessed ahead of kick off after suffering minor injuries. Those are the only concerns for Pochettino’s side.
The Americans have been boosted by the return of Cristian Pulisic to full fitness. The AC Milan attacking midfielder will start in a key role for the hosts, as he was involved in all of USA’s goals at the 2022 World Cup.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Malik Tillman will also retain his spot in the starting XI, supporting Folarin Balogun in his sole striker position.
For Paraguay, they will rely heavily on Miguel Almiron for attacking potent attacking threat. He will partner with Antonio Sanabria in an effort to get some goals and make their mark early in the tournament.
There are no injury concerns for Gustavo Alfaro’s side, and he will field his strongest available XI with veterans Andre Cubas, Gustavo Gomez and Omar Alderete all in the starting lineup.
USA vs Paraguay head-to-head and current form
The hosts come into the game on a poorer run of form than their opponents, losing three times and winning two of their last five matches. Their most recent outing resulted in a 2-1 defeat to tournament favorites Germany.
Paraguay have won three of their last five games, most recently a 4-0 thumping of Nicaragua in their last pre-tournament friendly. A 2-1 defeat to USA last November and a loss to Morocco by a similar scoreline are the stains on the Paraguayan form sheet.
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However, USA have the advantage in recent head-to-head matches, winning the last three matches they have played against Paraguay. The last time they lost to them was in 2011.
Current form:
USA – LWLLW
Paraguay – WLWWL
Betway
USA vs Paraguay previous games
- USA 2-1 Paraguay (November 16, 2025)
- USA 1-0 Paraguay (March 28, 2018)
- USA 1-0 Paraguay (June 12, 2016)
- USA 0-1 Paraguay (March 30, 2011)
- USA 1-3 Paraguay (July 3, 2007)
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USA vs Paraguay prediction
This match-up is never particularly decided by large margins and this is expected to be closely fought encounter as well. USA are under pressure as hosts to deliver in their opening match and they will definitely be the most attacking side in the contest.
Paraguay are in commendable form and will pose a threat to the Americans. They are both tipped to find the back of the net.
Prediction – Both teams to score
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