USA starting lineup vs Paraguay confirmed for FIFA World Cup 2026 clash

The USA kick off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.

The USA begin their campaign in the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026 with a Group D fixture against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Stars and Stripes are one of the three co-hosts of this year’s quadrennial tournament and will look to begin the campaign on a positive note in front of their supporters.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side won just one of their four warm-up friendlies this year, with Christian Pulisic scoring in a 3-2 victory over Senegal. Their last outing was a 2-1 loss to Germany.

The last time the United States hosted the tournament in 1994, they enjoyed a run into the Round of 16, and they will look to match that result this time around. Placed in a group that also contains Australia and Turkiye, the USMNT will look to get all three points against 41st-ranked Paraguay.

Also Read: Will Christian Pulisic play tonight for USA vs Paraguay in FIFA World Cup 2026?

Let’s look at the USA confirmed lineup for the FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Paraguay:

USA (3-4-2-1): Matt Freese; Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream (c); Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson; Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic; Folarin Balogun.

Substitutes: Chris Brady (gk), Matt Turner (gk), Auston Trusty, Joseph Scully, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Brenden Aaronson, Cristian Roldan, Giovanni Reyna, Max Arfsten, Sebastian Berhalter, Timothy Weah, Alex Zendejas, Haji Wright, Ricardo Pepi.

Thoughts on the lineup

The United States will line up with a three-man defence, with 38-year-old Tim Ream in the middle. The former Fulham man is joined by Villarreal right-back Alex Freeman, who is starting as a right-sided centre-back. Chris Richards was back in training after recovering from an ankle injury and starts tonight.

Sergino Dest starts in the right wing-back position. Antonee Robinson, who scored in the friendly against Germany, starts at left wing-back. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie will anchor the midfield for the hosts, while German-born Malik Tillman accompanies Pulisic on the attack.

Monaco forward Folarin Balogun, who had 24 goal contributions for the French club last season, is the lone striker for the home team. New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese starts between the sticks for the USMNT.

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