The World Cup 2026 Group D opener pitches co host United States against Paraguay on 13 June at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, with both sides playing their first match of an expanded 48 team tournament and the USA carrying the added weight of home soil expectations in a group that also includes Australia and Turkiye. Paraguay earned points against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in qualifying and arrive having conceded the fewest goals in their qualifying group.
Pochettino and Alfaro have never faced each other as managers, which makes this a first meeting between two Argentine coaches who have reached it by very different routes: Pochettino via elite club football in Europe, Alfaro through international management in South America. Pochettino was appointed in late 2024 and has steered the USMNT toward possession based attacking football, while Alfaro, brought in around the same time, has made Paraguay considerably harder to beat.
Paraguay come in unbeaten across eight matches under Alfaro, having taken points off Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in qualifying, winning and drawing through low blocks and set piece moments rather than sustained attacking play. The USA have spent their build up on friendlies against Senegal and Germany, where Pochettino has drilled intensity and precision into a squad that knows the weight of hosting a home World Cup.
Chris Richards is the main concern for the USA after an ankle ligament sprain in May, though he has declared himself fit after returning to full training and looks set to start if cleared, with Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie available at centre back if needed. Paraguay are largely healthy: Julio Enciso remains out with a thigh problem but Damian Bobadilla has returned from a knee issue, leaving Alfaro with most of his options intact.
The USA under Pochettino likely line up with Matt Freese in goal behind a back four of Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson, with Tyler Adams anchoring midfield alongside Weston McKennie or Malik Tillman and Sergino Dest, Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi in contention for the front line. Paraguay should set up in a compact 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 built around captain Gustavo Gomez, with Bobadilla restored to the engine room.
Pochettino looks to Antonee Robinson's overlapping runs down the left as the primary mechanism for unlocking defensive blocks, with Pulisic carrying the ball at Paraguay's right sided defence as the main creative threat in the final third. Alfaro will look to hit the USA on the break when they lose the ball in advanced positions and Gomez is the set piece danger at both ends. The Adams vs. Bobadilla contest in central midfield is the duel most likely to determine how much space either attack is given to operate.
These teams have not met often in the modern era and the most recent game, a 2-1 friendly win for the USA in late 2025, came with Pulisic, Richards and Adams all absent, making the historical record too thin to be useful. Referee Danny Makkelie takes charge with VAR support.
1-1. The USA are likely to spend large stretches in Paraguay's half and create chances through Pulisic and Balogun but the real test is whether Pochettino's system can break down a side that conceded the fewest goals in their qualifying group, making 1-1 the most likely outcome if Paraguay convert from a dead ball.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
