The US team opens the 2026 World Cup with Paraguay: Predictions, odds and information to know

Finally, the US team begins its 2026 World Cup journey at home, opening the tournament against Paraguay near Los Angeles on Friday, June 12. The US, Mexico and Canada have been awarded the hosting rights since 2018, and many expectations for this generation have been placed on the 2026 time frame. Even the US team advancing to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup is seen as a stepping stone to the moment. hey. Now, the wait is over. In the largest World Cup in history with the participation of 48 teams, the expanded format offers an easier roadmap for the group stage. However, that does not diminish the importance of the opening match. With valuable points and starting momentum, the Americans have a chance to make their mark on the tournament — and solidify their position in Group D from the start.

Group D: Team USA (FIFA 17 rating) vs Paraguay (FIFA 41 rating) Location: Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium), Inglewood, California. Date: Friday, June 12. Opening time: 9pm ET/6pm PT USA roadmap: Automatically enters the qualifying round as the host country. Withdraw from Pot 1. Paraguay's roadmap: Finished sixth in CONMEBOL, South American soccer's governing body. Record: 7 wins, 7 draws, 4 losses. Withdraw from Pot 3.

Experts' predictions

• Paul Tenorio: USA 1, Paraguay 0 – Paraguay is a very good defensive team, I think they will make the game difficult for the USA. In the end, I thought a goal would have made the difference: 1-0 to the US to boost the momentum going into the group stage.
• Henry Bushnell: USA 2, Paraguay 1 - Team USA is very confident. All are healthy. The pre-tournament friendlies provided encouragement. Of course, an early goal from Paraguay on Friday could change everything, but I think the Americans will be up to this challenge.
• Tom Bogert: USA 2, Paraguay 0 – Penetrating passes from midfield to Christian Pulisic were the key to unlocking this match. The full-backs are also important, especially in those moments where they have space to attack.
• Felipe Cardenas: USA 2, Paraguay 2 – USA may not keep a clean sheet but I think they will find a way to score. Paraguay will be forced into a transition position and will come away with a valuable point.

Odds Team USA is the favorite going into Friday's match. At both FanDuel and DraftKings, the American team has -110 odds to win (bet $11 to win $10). While this is enough to put the American team as favourites, it also implies that they win the match just over 50 percent of the time. A draw is considered the next most likely at +240 at FanDuel and +245 at DraftKings. Paraguay wins with odds of +320 at DK and +330 at FD. In other words, the odds suggest this is a roughly 50/30/20 split between an American win, a draw or a Paraguayan win. The Athletic's prediction tool shows the Americans have a 39 percent chance of winning Group D. It also says the Americans have a 97 percent chance of advancing to the knockouts with a win. This drops to 81 percent with a draw and 64 percent with a defeat.

If the Americans beat Paraguay, it will be because… The Americans converted possession and possession of the field into quality chances, or at least recoveries in non-vulnerable positions. Paraguay are not interested in holding the ball and controlling the game. They want to close the space for their opponents, defend deep and then accelerate in the transition moments. This team is full of strong defenders, using their athleticism and positioning to eliminate as much fluidity and opportunity as possible. So the onus is on the US team to turn possession into opportunities. Star player Pulisic as well as the full-backs will be key to that. When possession was lost, it could not happen in the moments that easily created opportunities for Paraguay. Slow, horizontal passes or a corner/cross kick that is not strong enough can create dangerous opportunities for Paraguay. Sequences that end in corners or loss of control in Paraguay's corners can lead to opportunities for the U.S. team to recover and gain control in dangerous areas.