LINEUP NOTES
USMNT vs. Paraguay
2026 FIFA World Cup Match No. 1
June 12, 2026
Los Angeles Stadium; Inglewood, Calif.
Kickoff: 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET on FOX, Telemundo and Peacock
Radio: Fútbol de Primera
Fans can follow the USMNT on X (@USMNT), Instagram (@USMNT), Facebook and the official U.S. Soccer App.
Today’s USMNT Starting XI vs. Paraguay: 24-Matt Freese, 2-Sergiño Dest, 3-Chris Richards 4-Tyler Adams, 5-Antonee Robinson, 8-Weston McKennie, 10-Christian Pulisic, 13-Tim Ream (Capt.), 16-Alex Freeman, 17-Malik Tillman, 20-Folarin Balogun
Substitutes: 1-Matt Turner, 25-Chris Brady, 6-Auston Trusty, 7-Gio Reyna, 9-Ricardo Pepi, 11-Brenden Aaronson, 12-Miles Robinson, 14-Sebastian Berhalter, 15-Cristian Roldan, 18-Max Arfsten, 19-Haji Wright, 21-Tim Weah, 22-Mark McKenzie, 23-Joe Scally, 26-Alex Zendejas
ROSTER NOTES
- USMNT Starting XI Caps (including this match): Christian Pulisic (87), Tim Ream (83), Weston McKennie (67), Tyler Adams (55), Antonee Robinson (55), Sergiño Dest (40), Chris Richards (37) Malik Tillman (31), Folarin Balogun (28), Alex Freeman (18) and Matt Freese (16).
- USMNT Starting XI World Cup Caps (including this match): Tyler Adams (5), Sergiño Dest (5), Weston McKennie (5), Christian Pulisic (5), Tim Ream (5), Antonee Robinson (5), Folarin Balogun (1), Alex Freeman (1), Matt Freese (1), Chris Richards (1), Malik Tillman (1).
- The Starting XI averages 46 caps overall and 26 caps in official competition.
- Four years after playing four of the five youngest lineups at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, tonight’s Starting XI has an average age 27 years, 127 days, the 13th youngest lineup in the 38 matches the USMNT has played at the FIFA World Cup, ranking behind the XI that began the team’s 1994 World Cup opener against Switzerland (27 years, 65 days).
- Mauricio Pochettino makes just one change to the Starting XI from last week’s match against Germany, inserting defender Chris Richards back into the side after he has sufficiently recovered from an injury.
- Richards is one of five starters that will make their World Cup debut, joining Folarin Balogun, Alex Freeman, Matt Freese and Malik Tillman.
- The six players with World Cup experience are starting their fifth straight match at the tournament. They also take the total number of players to appear in multiple World Cups for the USMNT to 40.
- Five starters appeared in the team’s last meeting with Paraguay, a 2-1 win on Nov. 15, 2025, in Chester Pa. Folarin Balogun scored the winner and joined Sergiño Dest, Matt Freese and Tim Ream in starting the match, while Alex Freeman came off the bench.
- At 38 years, 250 days, Tim Ream becomes the oldest player to appear for the USMNT in a World Cup match. The previous mark was set by the late Fernando Clavijo who was 37 years, 162 days when he appeared in the Round of 16 match against Brazil at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
- Ream captains the USMNT for the 30th time today, tying John Harkes for sixth on the USMNT’s all-time captains list. Ream is also the 14th different player since 1930 to captain the USMNT in a World Cup match.
- Matt Freese will become the ninth different goalkeeper to appear for the USMNT in a World Cup match, joining Jimmy Douglas (1930), Julius Hjulian (1934), Frank Borghi (1950), Tony Meola (1990, 1994), Kasey Keller (1998, 2006), Brad Friedel (1998, 2002), Tim Howard (2010, 2014) and Matt Turner (2022).
- Alex Freeman becomes the ninth youngest player to start a World Cup match for the USMNT. Freeman will also appear in his 17th consecutive match, a run that dates back to June 15, 2025, against Trinidad and Tobago in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
- With today’s start, Christian Pulisic moves into a tie with Steve Cherundolo for 21st all-time in total appearances for the USMNT with 87 caps. Pulisic (33 goals) enters the match one goal away from tying Eric Wynalda (34 goals) for fourth on the USMNT’s all-time scoring chart.
- Mauricio Pochettino becomes the 11th different coach to guide the USMNT in a World Cup match.
- The USMNT holds a 5W-2L-2D advantage in the all-time series with Paraguay. The series between the countries dates all the way back to the USA’s second match of the inaugural FIFA World Cup, when U.S. striker Bert Patenaude scored the first hat trick in World Cup history in a 3-0 win on July 17, 1930, in Montevideo, Uruguay.
- The USA has won each of its last three matches against Paraguay, a streak that dates back to the 1-0 win at Copa America Centenario on June 11, 2016, in Philadelphia.
- The official for tonight’s match is Danny Makkelie of the Netherlands. He has previously officiated one USMNT game, the team’s 2-1 win against then-reigning World Cup champions Germany on June 10, 2015, in Cologne.
