United States Ready for SoFi Stadium Home Opener Against Paraguay

The United States men's national team open their World Cup campaign on Friday, 12 June, against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. PT, with parking lots opening at 1:00 p.m. and gates at 2:00 p.m. ahead of a 4:30 p.m. opening ceremony featuring Katy Perry, Future, Lisa, Anitta, Rema, and Tyla.

The fixture is only the second World Cup meeting between the two nations — the United States won 3–0 at the inaugural tournament in 1930, with Bert Patenaude scoring the first hat-trick in World Cup history. Mauricio Pochettino's side will hope home support in front of a West Coast crowd provides the platform for a strong start in Group D, which also features Australia and Türkiye.

Paraguay arrive with tournament experience and a reputation for defensive organisation, but the USMNT will be favoured on home soil. A win would set the tone for a group in which the Americans play all three matches in the United States — at SoFi Stadium, Seattle's Lumen Field, and Los Angeles again — as co-hosts seek to match the energy of Mexico's opener 24 hours earlier.