This is the night South Florida has circled for months. The United States open their home World Cup match against Paraguay in a Group D clash that doubles as a statement of intent — and a first real test of Mauricio Pochettino’s project. Both teams arrive on zero points, with the U.S. facing Paraguay in Inglewood, California as their tournament opener. Three points would set the hosts’ tone; a result would reframe Paraguay’s whole group.
There are no prior group results yet, but recent history is fresh: the last meeting, on November 15, 2025, ended 2-1 to the United States, albeit with several U.S. starters missing. Paraguay are back at a World Cup for the first time since 2010, having finished sixth in CONMEBOL qualifying and beaten both Brazil and Argentina along the way — proof Gustavo Alfaro’s side can hurt anyone.
The big team-news swing favors the hosts. Paraguay’s Julio Enciso is a doubt after a thigh and minor ligament injury in a warm-up against Nicaragua, while the U.S. attack is healthy, with Christian Pulisic fit to start and Folarin Balogun arriving in sharp Ligue 1 form. Aside from long-term absentee Cameron Carter-Vickers, Pochettino’s XI is intact.
Match date, time, and where to watch on TV
The match kicks off on Friday, June 12, 2026. For viewers in Miami and across the East Coast, that means a 9 p.m. ET start — prime time on a Friday night. The English-language broadcast home for the tournament is FOX, which carries this opener live. Streaming is available through the FOX Sports app / FOX One, where a subscription or pay-TV login unlocks the feed. For South Florida’s bilingual audience, Telemundo and its streaming partner Peacock offer full Spanish-language coverage — a natural choice for households following both teams in Miami.
Stadium
The game is staged at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, in the Greater Los Angeles area, a venue with a capacity of roughly 70,000 that expands toward 100,000 for marquee events. Opened in 2020 as the home of the Rams and Chargers, its translucent, sweeping roof and 4K oval videoboard make it one of the most spectacular indoor-outdoor arenas in world sport — a fittingly cinematic setting for the host nation’s first step.
Possible lineups
United States (4-2-3-1): Freese; Freeman, Richards, Ream, A. Robinson; Adams, McKennie; Dest, Tillman, Pulisic; Balogun.
Paraguay (4-2-3-1): Fernández; Cáceres, G. Gómez, Alderete, Alonso; Cubas, Bobadilla; Sosa, Almirón, D. Gómez; Sanabria.
Interesting things to do in Miami:
18 July 2026 20:30 + more dates
12 September 2026 16:00 + more dates
