USA vs Paraguay USA vs Paraguay

World Cup Group D arrives at Round 1 with the USA and Paraguay meeting at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on 2026-06-13, a fixture that will draw close attention in Oman as both sides begin on equal footing in the table. The USA enter in 4th place, Paraguay in 2nd, and the numbers attached to both teams are starkly similar: 0 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, 0 goals for, 0 goals against, and 0 league points. That symmetry gives the match a rare pre-match clarity, because the opening whistle will not only start a group campaign but also separate two sides that arrive with identical records on paper and very different positions beside their names.

Mauricio Pochettino will lead the USA, while Gustavo Alfaro will guide Paraguay, and the coaching match-up adds another layer to a game already defined by its table context. The USA's 4th-place position will invite scrutiny because it sits below Paraguay's 2nd-place marker, even though both teams stand level on points, goal difference, and every basic attacking and defensive measure listed here. For readers in Oman, that contrast will matter because it frames a simple question: whether the side placed lower can use the neutral first game at SoFi Stadium to challenge the team carrying the higher rank. The competitive edge will come from organization, shape, and the ability to turn a blank statistical slate into early control.

• The USA will arrive under Mauricio Pochettino with 0 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, 0 goals for, and 0 goals against, a profile that leaves Round 1 open but demanding.
• Paraguay, coached by Gustavo Alfaro, will come in 2nd in the standings with the same 0 points and 0 goal difference, which will make their ranking the clearest distinction between the teams.
• SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will host the opener on 2026-06-13, and that venue will give both teams a high-profile stage at the start of World Cup Group D.
• Australia lead the group on 0 points, while Paraguay sit 0 points behind and 0 points ahead of anyone else in the gap listed, a reminder that the table can still move quickly from the first round.

The strongest pre-match detail from the standings is Paraguay's 2nd place, because that placement will sit above the USA's 4th and therefore gives Alfaro's side a small but meaningful positional advantage before a ball is kicked. Yet the gap to Australia is 0 points, so the early picture will remain completely fluid, and the same will be true for the USA because they also stand on 0 league points and 0 goal difference. In practical terms, this means the opening game at SoFi Stadium will be less about protecting a lead in the table and more about claiming the first useful rhythm of Group D. Oman-based readers will recognise the value of that first statement, because a Round 1 match often sets the tone for everything that follows.

At SoFi Stadium, the early margin will be measured in details rather than numbers, and the result in Inglewood will shape how both teams are viewed in Oman and across World Cup Group D after Round 1.