USA vs Paraguay: World Cup 2026 Opening Match Preview

USA open their World Cup 2026 campaign against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with both sides starting from level ground in Group D. The standings show USA and Paraguay ranked first and second respectively, each on zero points and yet to play a group match, so form and momentum must be drawn from past meetings rather than current tournament data.

Recent History

Recent history between these nations leans clearly toward USA. The record shows three straight competitive and friendly wins for the hosts: USA 2-1 Paraguay in a 2025 friendly at Subaru Park, following 1-0 victories in 2018 in Cary, North Carolina, and in the 2016 Copa America group stage in Philadelphia. Across those games, USA have scored four times and conceded just once, underlining a consistent edge in this matchup.

Current Statistics

With no World Cup 2026 fixtures played yet, season statistics for both teams are blank, offering no additional guidance on goals for or against. Overall, the head-to-head trend and de facto home advantage in Los Angeles point to USA as slight favourites to start Group D with a win, though Paraguay will view this as a key opportunity to disrupt the early hierarchy.