USMNT Discovers Their Opening 2026 World Cup Rival

The United States men's national soccer team is set to take on Paraguay in their opening fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 12.

The Stars and Stripes discovered their World Cup destiny on Friday afternoon when the crucial draw took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Mauricio Pochettino's squad was already placed in Group D and subsequently joined by Paraguay, Australia and the victor of Playoff C—Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo.

Among their three group stage adversaries, the USMNT will battle Paraguay in their tournament opener. This encounter, scheduled to begin at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, occurs just seven months following their previous meeting in an international friendly.

The United States secured a 2–1 triumph on Nov. 15 courtesy of strikes from Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun. Christian Pulisic was unavailable for that encounter; the Stars and Stripes' skipper stayed with AC Milan to complete his injury rehabilitation.

The USMNT will welcome the opportunity to face a known opponent on American territory as they launch their World Cup campaign. With Pochettino guiding what many regard as the "golden generation" of American talent, anticipation has reached unprecedented levels.

USMNT Seeking Redemption at the World Cup

The USMNT has endured challenging performances over the past eighteen months. The Stars and Stripes experienced a catastrophic Copa América 2024 campaign where they were eliminated in the group phase before their home supporters.

Subsequently, they missed out on reaching the Concacaf Nations League final and even lost 2–1 to Canada in the third-place playoff. Matters deteriorated further this summer when they finished second in the Gold Cup while their rivals Mexico claimed the championship.

The United States has gradually recovered from their disappointing results, however, and concluded the year with a five-game undefeated streak, securing wins over Japan, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay, despite fielding weakened lineups.

Pochettino will be hoping his team can maintain their positive trajectory in the coming year and finally compensate for their underwhelming performances on football's grandest platform.

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