USA vs Paraguay – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

The USA launch their highly anticipated home World Cup campaign on Saturday, early morning against a stubborn Paraguay side.

Los Angeles provides the spectacular backdrop as Mauricio Pochettino aims for a perfect start in Group D. The co-hosts enter the tournament under immense pressure to secure maximum points at SoFi Stadium.

Facing them are a resilient South American team making their first tournament appearance in 16 years. Both nations understand that a positive result is vital with tricky fixtures against Australia and Turkey ahead. A packed crowd of 70,000 supporters will give the Americans a significant advantage.

USA vs Paraguay – Match preview and team news

Team news

USA

Mauricio Pochettino expects to deploy a flexible back three to secure his defensive line. Veteran captain Tim Ream will anchor the defence for the Stars and Stripes. However, Crystal Palace centre-back Chris Richards is short of match fitness after an ankle injury. Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie are actively competing to replace him in the starting lineup.

Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie will control the midfield engine room alongside Malik Tillman. Christian Pulisic will support forward Folarin Balogun, who scored 19 goals last season. The Milan winger impressed against Germany despite recent domestic struggles.

Paraguay

Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro relies heavily on a deeply organised defensive structure. Central defenders Omar Alderete and Gustavo Gomez will shield the goalkeeper in a solid back four. Meanwhile, key playmaker Julio Enciso faces a late fitness test after a minor quadriceps injury.

The creative star remains a major doubt after limping off against Nicaragua. Miguel Almiron and Diego Gomez will provide crucial attacking energy from the flanks. They look to create opportunities for top scorer Tonny Sanabria up front.

Form

USA

The United States enter the opening match ranking 16th in the global FIFA standings. They have displayed consistent goal-scoring form over the past year by netting multiple goals against top opposition. Pochettino’s men recently secured an encouraging 3-2 victory over Senegal before losing narrowly to Germany.

That said, recent defensive lapses against Belgium and Portugal have caused minor concern. The co-hosts have reached the knockout phase in their last three World Cup appearances. They also defeated Paraguay 2-1 in a competitive friendly match last November.

Paraguay

The visitors sit 24 places below their opponents in the official world rankings. La Albirroja built their successful qualification campaign on a disciplined defensive foundation. They concluded their tournament preparations with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Nicaragua last week.

However, their broader form remains inconsistent after a recent 2-1 defeat against Morocco. Paraguay has historically struggled in tournament openers, winning just one of their previous eight attempts. They have also failed to beat a host nation in World Cup history.

Predicted lineups

USA Predicted XI: Freese; Freeman, M. Robinson, Ream; Dest, McKennie, Adams, A. Robinson; Pulisic, Tillman; Balogun

Paraguay Predicted XI: Gill; Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; Bobadilla, Cubas; D. Gomez, Enciso, Almiron; Sanabria

How to watch USA vs Paraguay?

The opening Group D fixture will be broadcast live across the United Kingdom on BBC One. Football fans can also stream the action online via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.

Read more – USA: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule

See Also- Paraguay: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule

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