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Any concerns about Chris Richards's fitness were swiftly put to rest on Friday evening.
The standout center back made his return to the field for the first time in more than three weeks, lining up in defense for the U.S. men's national team's 2026 World Cup opener against Paraguay — a commanding 4–1 victory in front of a raucous, sold-out crowd at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
When Richards stepped onto the pitch just moments before kickoff, however, the question lingered: "Is he ready?"
That question certainly loomed over the entire squad, which has historically struggled on soccer's grandest stage; but Richards, in particular, had torn two ligaments in his ankle the previous month, ruling him out for the remainder of Crystal Palace's Premier League campaign and even the Europa Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano.
He also sat out both of the USMNT's pre-tournament friendlies against Senegal and Germany. It seemed like a daring call from manager Mauricio Pochettino to hand the 26-year-old a starting berth rather than easing him back gradually, perhaps late in the second half.
Richards wasted no time vindicating Pochettino, producing three commanding clearances from the backline within the opening 10 minutes. The 2025 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year went on to deliver a dominant performance across the full 90 minutes, marked by composure and calm that proved vital to the team's attacking build-up play and showed absolutely no signs of his recent injury.
Even more impressively, Richards etched his name into World Cup history, completing all 83 passes he attempted on Friday night — the most passes with a 100% completion rate by any player in a World Cup match since 1966, according to Opta.
Richards had declared on Wednesday that he felt "ready," and Pochettino will be relieved he took him at his word.
A Daring Night, A Decisive Victory
Pochettino's squad wasn't only bold in its decision to start Richards.
The Stars and Stripes could easily have entered their World Cup opener gripped by nerves, opting to let Paraguay dictate the pace before attempting to respond.
History, after all, has not been kind to them — they have been tested, if not outright dominated, in virtually every World Cup opener since returning to the tournament regularly at the 1990 edition in Italy. Most memorably, the USMNT were hammered 5–1 by then-Czechoslovakia in Florence that year, going on to suffer three straight defeats and an early group stage exit. Czechia beat them again, 3–0, in the opening game of the 2006 tournament in Germany, preceding yet another group stage elimination.
The U.S. entered Friday's fixture having won just two of eight World Cup openers since 1990. One was a stunning 3–2 upset over heavily favored Portugal at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan, and the other a 2–1 victory over Ghana at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Yet the team showed no fear in its approach against Paraguay, driven by the electric atmosphere inside the stadium.
The U.S. went straight at the South Americans from the first whistle, pinning them back for the entirety of the match. The hosts were not reckless in their aggression, however. They were organized and methodical in dismantling Paraguay's defensive structure — like hunters stalking their quarry, calmly waiting for the ideal moment to pounce. Every move and every seamless interchange between players was bold yet deliberate. It will be remembered as one of, if not the finest, World Cup performances in the history of the Stars and Stripes.