The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in earnest for the co-hosts on Friday night as the United States take on Paraguay at a sold-out SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
WATCH HERE;
Expectations are high around Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who have home advantage, a talented squad and a favourable opening fixture on paper. Paraguay arrive with different ambitions. Gustavo Alfaro’s men are organised, disciplined and difficult to break down, and they will believe they have the tools to frustrate the hosts and make life uncomfortable from the outset.
The United States are appearing in their 12th World Cup and fourth as tournament hosts or co-hosts. Their best World Cup finish remains the semi-finals in 1930, while their most recent home tournament ended with a Round of 16 defeat against Brazil in 1994. Despite regularly qualifying for the competition, the Americans have won only nine of their 37 World Cup matches and have progressed beyond the Round of 16 only once in the modern era.
Pochettino was appointed to elevate a generation many consider the most technically gifted in the country’s history. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun form the spine of a side expected to challenge deeper into the tournament than previous American teams. The build-up has not been entirely convincing though.
The USA enter the tournament having lost three of their four warm-up matches. Belgium recovered from behind to win 5-2 in Atlanta before Portugal claimed a comfortable 2-0 victory. A 3-2 success against Senegal briefly lifted confidence, but a 2-1 defeat to Germany in their final friendly highlighted familiar concerns. Defensive organisation remains a question mark and Pochettino’s side have conceded nine goals across those four matches.
Paraguay return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 after one of the most impressive qualifying campaigns in South America. Their resurgence coincided with the appointment of Gustavo Alfaro following a disastrous Copa America campaign under Daniel Garnero.
Alfaro transformed the mood immediately. Paraguay defeated Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay during qualifying and pieced together an eight-match unbeaten run that ultimately secured automatic qualification. They finished with a 7-7-4 record and arrive in North America carrying momentum and belief.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!