Amid staggering fanfare, wide-reaching controversy and growing hype comes the United States men's national team, the third 2026 World Cup host to make its group-stage debut. The Americans commence tournament play with a Friday night match versus Paraguay, which returns to the Cup for the first time since 2010. Both sides have much to prove in this year's opener. The USMNT takes the pitch with star attacker Christian Pulisic and decorated manager Mauricio Pochettino.