USA vs Paraguay live: World Cup 2026

Rarely has a sporting event been so intrinsically tied to politics, and the USA coach and team has received a pep talk from President Donald Trump ahead of their opening game against Paraguay.

Trump, who was the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl last year, has confirmed he will not be attending the USA’s opening game.

He did tell an AFP reporter earlier this week that he will attend the World Cup in some capacity.

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has previously said he expects Trump to present the trophy to the winning team at the final on July 19.

Last night, we received a message of support from POTUS ahead of our World Cup journey. pic.twitter.com/MVPITGldtS

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 12, 2026

Several roads are closed around SoFi Stadium that will host the USA vs Paraguay match later.

Vendors and food trucks are starting to set up for the days, and small but steady bands of fans in the USA’s red-and-white stripes are heading towards the venue.

Closer to the stadium, there is a heavy security presence with hundreds of law enforcement agents, staff and volunteers putting the final touches on the logistics and directing fans.

The tournament cohosts record their first point at a World Cup in their 2026 opener.

Qatar and Switzerland, who complete Group B, play on Saturday.

Location: Inglewood, California, US
Capacity: 70,000
Built: 2020
Fixtures:

⚽ 12/06: USA vs Paraguay (9 pm ET/01:00 GMT next day)
⚽ 15/06: Iran vs New Zealand (9 pm ET/01:00 GMT next day)
⚽ 18/06: Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (3 pm ET/19:00 GMT)
⚽ 21/06: Belgium vs Iran (3 pm ET/19:00 GMT)
⚽ 25/06: Turkiye vs USA (10 pm ET/02:00 GMT next day)
⚽ 28/06: Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up (3 pm ET/19:00 GMT)
⚽ 02/07: Group H winners v Group J runners-up (3 pm ET/19:00 GMT)
⚽ 10/07: Quarterfinal (3 pm ET/19:00 GMT)

Opened only six years ago, the Los Angeles Stadium is the newest venue among the 16 World Cup venues.

Cohosts USA will play two of their three group games at the stadium, which is home to the NFL’s LA Rams and LA Chargers.

Los Angeles Stadium, also called SoFi Stadium for sponsorship reasons, will be involved during the 2028 LA Olympics, hosting the opening ceremony of the Summer Games.

The Canadians have levelled their tournament opener at 1-1 with 12 minutes to play.

Bosnia and Herzegovina are taking on Canada in their 2026 World Cup opener, and many eyes will be on Esmir Bajraktarevic.

Born in the US to a family affected by the Srebrenica genocide, his journey is about far more than just football.

Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson has more:

There are just more than 20 minutes to play in Canada’s opening game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They are just taking a hydration break, and Bosnia still lead through Lukic’s first-half goal.

The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees agencies that have led President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration crackdown has released a video celebrating the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) in the run-up to tonight’s match.

Three players on the USMNT are immigrants, and more than a third of the squad have immigrant parents.

One Nation.
One Homeland.
One Team. pic.twitter.com/ly9ktci7XC

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 12, 2026

Below is the opening day schedule in Los Angeles, of which we’ll bring you comprehensive text, video and photo coverage:

Opening day schedule in the US

14:00 (21:30 GMT): Stadium gates open
16:30 (23:30 GMT): Opening ceremony begins
17:10 (00:10 GMT): Team warm-ups
18:00 (01:00 GMT June 13): UAS vs Paraguay kicks off

Hello, welcome and thanks for joining our live coverage of the 23rd FIFA World Cup.

Tournament co-hosts USA enter the fray on day two of the 2026 event with a challenging encounter against Paraguay.

Anticipation is high in both camps, but the eyes of the world are on the USA side, and their hosting of the event, given the global climate.

Two opening ceremonies for the three-nation hosted World Cup, with Mexico kicking matters off with a 2-0 win against South Africa, while Canada are just kicking off in the second half of their first match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I’m Kevin Hand and I’ll bring you the live coverage of the third and final ceremony, as USA take their turn, as part of our build-up to kickoff.

We also have Hafsa Adil and Ali Harb adding to our page with all the news surrounding the USA’s entry to the competition, and how the political and business elements are blending with the sporting action.

Rohan Sharma will join the coverage to bring you the team news as it drops, before bringing you our full text commentary stream of the game.

Stick with us over the coming hours for your complete service of the day.