USA vs Paraguay World Cup 2026 Opener

USA open their World Cup 2026 campaign against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with both Group D sides starting level on zero points and eyeing early control in the section. The table lists USA first and Paraguay second, but with no games played yet, this is a clean slate for both teams on the biggest stage.

Recent history between these nations leans strongly towards USA. The record shows three straight competitive and friendly wins for the hosts, all with clean sheets after the break. USA beat Paraguay 2-1 at Subaru Park in November 2025, following 1-0 victories in Cary in 2018 and at Lincoln Financial Field in the 2016 Copa America group stage. Across those three meetings, USA have scored four times and conceded just once.

With no established World Cup form or seasonal statistics to separate them, the psychological edge from that head-to-head run could be significant, especially with USA again designated as the home side on American soil.