After seeing Mexico and Canada kick-off the 2026 World Cup, it’s time for the last of the host nations to take centre stage as the United States take on Paraguay in the early hours on Saturday (UK time).
Since then, the USMNT’s best performance at a World Cup was reaching the quarter-finals in 2002.
Now coached by Mauricio Pochettino, formerly of Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, this is perhaps USA’s best chance to go beyond the last-eight, though they will require a huge slice of luck to do so.
Paraguay, meanwhile, are participating in their first World Cup since losing to eventual winners Spain in a hard-fought quarter-final showdown in 2010.
The days of Roque Santa Cruz, Robert Acuna, Paulo da Silva and Nelson Haedo Valdez are long gone, with new star Julio Enciso’s World Cup dream hanging by a thread after he was stretchered off the field in tears in the final warm-up game.
USA and Paraguay have met once before at a World Cup, all the way back in 1930, and both will be keen to get their 2026 campaigns off to a good start as Turkey and Australia await.
Here’s everything you need to know about where to watch the match…
How to watch USA vs Paraguay FOR FREE
TV channel: In the UK, USA vs Paraguay is being shown live and free-to-air on BBC One, with coverage beginning at 1.30am BST on Sunday morning ahead of a 2am kick-off at the Los Angeles Stadium.
Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online via BBC iPlayer or the BBC website.
