- FT Preview
Full Time: USA 4-1 Paraguay
A dream start to the home World Cup. An early Bobadilla own goal, a Folarin Balogun double before the break, and a late Giovanni Reyna strike see the USMNT open with a statement win. Mauricio's 73rd-minute goal was a mere consolation. Top of Group D — next up, Australia in Seattle on June 19.
- 90'+8' Goal
⚽ GOAL! Reyna makes it 4-1
The gloss on a brilliant night. Substitute Giovanni Reyna finishes off a flowing move deep in stoppage time to restore the three-goal cushion.
- 73' Goal
⚽ Paraguay pull one back — 3-1
Substitute Mauricio gets a goal back to deny the clean sheet, but it's no more than a consolation against a U.S. side in full control.
- 45'+5' Goal
⚽ GOAL! Balogun again — 3-0
Brilliant from the U.S. Folarin Balogun grabs his second in first-half stoppage time to all but end the contest before the break.
- 31' Goal
⚽ GOAL! Balogun makes it 2-0
The striker leading the line gets his reward, doubling the lead on the half-hour as the U.S. take command.
- 7' Goal
⚽ GOAL! Dream start — 1-0
Seven minutes in and the USA are ahead. Relentless pressure forces Damián Bobadilla to turn the ball into his own net. SoFi Stadium erupts.
- Kickoff Kickoff
We're underway
The USMNT's home World Cup is officially underway at SoFi Stadium.
- 7:55 PM ET Build-up
Almost there
Sixty-five minutes to kickoff and SoFi Stadium is filling up fast, a sea of red, white and blue. This is the moment American soccer has been building toward for years. Stay with us — confirmed teams should land any minute.
- 7:40 PM ET Lineup
Projected USA XI
Until the official sheet drops, here's the lineup most expect: Freese; Freeman, McKenzie, Ream, A. Robinson; Adams, McKennie, Tillman; Dest, Balogun, Pulisic. A back line reshaped by Chris Richards' injury doubt, with Folarin Balogun leading the line.
- 7:15 PM ET Team News
Team news latest
Two big names in doubt. Chris Richards (ankle ligaments) is unlikely to start for the U.S., with Mark McKenzie set to step in. For Paraguay, Julio Enciso (thigh) is expected to miss out after a scan ruled out a tear but left him highly questionable — the more direct Ramón Sosa is in line to replace him.
- 6:45 PM ET How to Watch
How to watch
Kickoff is 9:00 PM ET. In the U.S. it's on FOX (English) and Telemundo (Spanish), and streaming on Fubo, the Fox Sports App and Peacock. Dutch referee Danny Makkelie is the man in the middle.
- 5:50 PM ET Preview
What the USA needs
Three points to set the tone. The top two in Group D advance automatically, plus the best third-place sides, so a winning start eases the pressure on the games against Australia and Türkiye. The bookmakers still favor the hosts despite a patchy run of friendly form.
- 5:20 PM ET Tactical
The battle to watch
With Enciso a doubt, the key duel may shift to the USA's left, where Antonee Robinson must temper his overlapping instincts against the raw pace of Ramón Sosa. If Robinson bombs forward unchecked, Miguel Almirón will look to spring Sosa into that channel on the counter.
- 4:45 PM ET Scouting
Don't sleep on Paraguay
Gustavo Alfaro's side arrive in form — winners of three of their last four, including a result against fellow host Mexico and a 4-0 send-off rout of Nicaragua. They conceded just 10 goals in 18 CONMEBOL qualifiers. This is a hard-to-beat team built to frustrate.
- 3:30 PM ET Stat
Stat of the day
The only previous World Cup meeting between these nations came at the very first World Cup, in 1930 — a 3-0 USA win in which Bert Patenaude scored what is recognized as the first hat-trick in World Cup history. Ninety-six years later, they meet again.
- 2:00 PM ET Quote
Pochettino and Ream set the tone
Mauricio Pochettino has been blunt about the standard: "Successful is to win." Captain Tim Ream struck a different note, urging the group to savor a home World Cup they'll "never get to do again." The mood out of the Irvine base camp has been buoyant, with 5,500 fans turning up just to watch training.
- Earlier today Build-up
Welcome to our USA vs Paraguay live blog
It's here. The United States open their home World Cup tonight at SoFi Stadium, and we'll bring you team news, build-up, and every key moment once the ball rolls at 9:00 PM ET. Pull up a chair.