The United States face Paraguay in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D fixture at SoFi Stadium, with both nations arriving at this contest having shown contrasting preparations in their recent friendlies.

USA's road to the group stage

The hosts head into the tournament on mixed form. Their most eye-catching warm-up result came in a 5-1 demolition of Uruguay in November 2025, followed by a 2-1 win over Paraguay in that same window — a result that will offer confidence heading into this rematch. However, more recent outings told a different story: a 2-5 defeat to Belgium and a 0-2 loss to Portugal in the spring dampened expectations, before a 3-2 victory over Senegal on 31 May 2026 steadied the ship. Their final pre-tournament test, a 1-2 defeat to Germany on 6 June 2026, served as a sharp reminder of the level required at this World Cup.

Paraguay's recent run

Paraguay arrive on the back of a morale-boosting 4-0 hammering of Nicaragua on 6 June 2026. Before that, their record showed a mixed blend of results: wins over Greece (1-0 away) and Mexico (2-1 away) were offset by losses to Morocco (1-2 away) and USA (1-2 away) in November 2025, as well as a defeat to Korea Rep (0-2 away) in October 2025.

What's at stake

This Group D encounter at SoFi Stadium carries enormous weight for both sides. For the United States, playing on home soil in front of their own fans, victory in the opening match could set the tone for a deep tournament run. Paraguay, meanwhile, will be eager to avenge November's defeat and announce themselves as genuine contenders in the group.

The two sides have met recently in competitive preparation, with the United States edging Paraguay 2-1 in November 2025 — making this fixture a direct rematch with World Cup stakes raising the intensity to another level entirely.