USMNT vs. Paraguay: 2026 World Cup Thriller—As it Happened

The Stars and Stripes dominated in their 2026 World Cup opener in front of an electric crowd.

Toby Cudworth

The USMNT got its World Cup campaign off to a dream start. / Sebastian Frej/Getty Images

Welcome to Sports Illustrated’s coverage of the U.S. men’s national team’s first game at the 2026 World Cup, played against Group D rivals Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Toby Cudworth

Toby Cudworth is Lead Editor for SI FC. A Premier League, EFL and UEFA accredited journalist, Cudworth is a graduate of the University of Gloucestershire, where he studied Broadcast Journalism. He previously worked for 90min as a writer, academy manager, editor and eventually content lead, before joining Sports Illustrated in May 2025. A lifelong supporter of West Ham United, he still can’t quite believe they won a European trophy and feels nature is healing now that results have slipped back into the yo-yo patterns of the last 30 years.