Chris Richards ‘Feels Good’ Ahead of USMNT’s Group Stage Opener vs. Paraguay | OneFootball

IRVINE, Calif. – The U.S. has only hosted one FIFA World Cup on home soil before this summer, and so, the 26 players on head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s roster for the 2026 edition of the tournament don’t need to be told they are part of something special.

Some call it history, some call it special.

Others call it legacy-building.

The U.S. squad from the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the last one hosted on American soil, played a historical significance in the sport and skyrocketed the trajectory of soccer in the United States. Similarly, the 2026 group is aware of what this summer could mean for the generation coming up behind them, put very eloquently by USMNT defender Mark McKenzie on Wednesday before training at Orange County Great Park:

“We want it to be where the next generation of kids and young players from various communities across the country have the exposure to the game at the highest level – to see the enjoyment that we have playing it, to see that just because you come from a small city doesn't mean that you can't play on the world’s biggest stage.”

One player who that resonates with is McKenzie’s teammate on the backline, Chris Richards. The center back grew up just outside of Birmingham, Ala., in college football country. Richards played both basketball and soccer growing up and is the son of a Black father and a white mother in the South, which he delves into more in “U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team,” an HBO Original documentary produced by Park Stories, in association with U.S. Soccer and the U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association.

Once Richards decided to focus on soccer, he rose up the ranks rapidly. He moved from Birmingham to FC Dallas then on to German Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich on a one-year loan – all within the span of about two years. Beginning in 2022, Richards made a home for himself in the English Premier League with his current club Crystal Palace, a team that weeks ago won the UEFA Conference League, the club’s first-ever major European trophy.

“I kind of like the standard of winning trophies now,” Richards said.

With the National Team, Richards came close to lifting a different trophy last summer.  The 26-year-old played a key role in the United States’ gritty run to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Final. Richards scored the game-winner and lone goal in the group stage match versus Saudi Arabia. The 6-foot-3 defender also opened the scoring in the Final against Mexico with an epic header to send NRG Stadium into a frenzy in just the third minute of action.

Behind one of the most inexperienced rosters in USMNT history, the team advanced out of the group stage, conceding only one goal. This young up-and-coming group came just one result shy of lifting the country’s eighth Gold Cup trophy.

“It just shows if you go into the summer with confidence, you can end up in the Finals,” Richards said. “That’s exactly what I want to bring to this team, and hopefully by the end of the summer, we’re lifting another trophy.”

Richards notably missed the USMNT’s most recent send-off matches against Senegal and Germany while recovering from an ankle injury. Earlier this week, the defender was part of a full participation training session – all 26 players available for the first time since camp began in May. He confirmed Wednesday that he is feeling good and is fit to play ahead of USA’s group stage opener against Paraguay on Friday, June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium.

Though he hopes to play Friday, Richards acknowledged that it’s up Pochettino whether or not he sees minutes. The center back has earned 36 caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team and scored three goals since his senior team debut in 2020.

McKenzie and Richards are good friends, illustrated in USMNT’s original content series “Camp Stories” on YouTube. Their connection goes back all the way to their days together in the youth National Team program. The pair were members of the U-20 squad that represented the United States at the 2019 U-20 World Cup.

Now, the two find themselves in a different World Cup, part of a center back group competing for a chance to defend the crest and kick off the team’s summer campaign with a win against feisty Paraguay.

“The competition that we have within this team is going to be the key to our success,” McKenzie said. “Going out each and every day and fighting for an opportunity to represent our national team is something that none of us take for granted.”