What to know about the USMNT ahead of their 1st game of the 2026 World Cup
The U.S. men's national soccer team will play their first game of the 2026 World Cup on Friday night when they face Paraguay in the group stage.
After a Round of 16 exit in 2022, the team is hoping to advance further this year -- and on home turf -- with the United States co-hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico. To succeed, the U.S. squad will have to best the other Group D members -- Paraguay, Australia and Turkey -- before taking on more formidable foes in the knockout stage.
Lionel Messi and Argentina will look to repeat their hard-won victory from 2022. Spain, Portugal, France and England are also expected to make strong showings this year.
The U.S. team is currently 17 in the FIFA men's world rankings.
Here's what to know about the USMNT ahead of their first match.
What time is the game?
The U.S.-Paraguay match will begin at 9 p.m. ET. The game is being played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The USMNT will then play Australia on Friday, June 19, in Seattle, before facing Turkey on Thursday, June 25, in Inglewood.
The full World Cup schedule can be seen here. A tournament bracket for the knockout stages can be found here.
Who is on the team?
All eyes are on superstar forward Christian Pulisic as he marks his second World Cup appearance with the U.S. squad. Pulisic, who plays professionally for Italian club AC Milan, has scored 33 total goals for the U.S. over the course of his career, the fifth most of any American male player.
Forward Tim Weah, midfielder Gio Reyna, defender Tim Ream, goalkeeper Matt Turner and midfielder Cristian Roldan are among the players also returning from the 2022 squad.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino will make his first World Cup appearance with the U.S. team this year after he took the helm of the squad in 2024.
What should fans expect?
Former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter recently told ABC News that he's proud of how the members of the U.S. squad have grown "personally and professionally" and has high hopes for their success in the tournament.
"We're American, we want to see winners," Berhalter said. "Why not go all the way?"
Former USMNT player Landon Donovan believes Pulisic, in particular, has a defining opportunity at the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
"It's almost everything," Donovan told SportsBoom when asked about Pulisic's legacy being on the line.
-ABC News' Kelly McCarthy contributed to this report.
