The USMNT Draws Paraguay, Australia & Either Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Türkiye in Group D for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
USA Opens Against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles, Faces Australia in Second Match on June 19 in Seattle & Closes Group Stage with Winner of UEFA Playoff C on June 25 in Los Angeles; FIFA Will Announce Match Times & Full Schedule Saturday at Noon ET
As reported on ussoccer.com:
ATLANTA (December 5, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s National Team was drawn into Group D along with Paraguay, Australia and the winner of UEFA Playoff C — either Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Türkiye — at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Draw held today in Washington, D.C.
Appearing in its 12th World Cup and second time as a host nation, the USMNT opens group play against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles, Calif. The second group stage match will take place on June 19 in Seattle against Australia and the USA will finish back in Los Angeles on June 25 against the UEFA Playoff C winner. The full tournament schedule, which includes venues and kickoff times, will be confirmed by FIFA Saturday at noon ET.
All 2026 FIFA World Cup matches will be shown live on FOX Sports and Telemundo broadcast networks.
2026 FIFA World Cup Groups:
CONCACAF teams in bold red.
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, UEFA Playoff D (Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, Republic of Ireland)
Group B: Canada, UEFA Playoff A (Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland), Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Playoff C (Slovakia, Kosovo, Türkiye, Romania)
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, UEFA Playoff B (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania), Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, IR Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, FIFA Playoff 2 (Bolivia, Suriname, Iraq), Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, FIFA Playoff 1 (New Caledonia, Jamaica, DR Congo), Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
OUR GROUP FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP! 🇺🇸 @Visa | #NeverChaseReality pic.twitter.com/YwIM9puGEK
— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) December 5, 2025
USA’s Group D Schedule at 2026 FIFA World Cup (all times TBD):
Match 1: USA vs. Paraguay (June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium; Inglewood, Calif.)
Match 2: Australia vs. USA (June 19 at Seattle Stadium; Seattle, Wash.)
Match 3: USA vs. Winner of UEFA Playoff C (June 25 at Los Angeles Stadium; Inglewood, Calif.)
USA’s Potential Round of 32 Path:
- Should the USA finish top of Group D, it will face a third-place team from either Group B, Group F, Group I, or Group J.
- Should the USA finish second in Group D, it would face the second-place team from Group G.
- Should the USA finish third in Group D and be among the top eight third-place finishers, the USMNT would face the winner from either Group E, Group I or Group K.
Utilizing a significant player pool, a total of 56 players earned at least one cap in 2025 under head coach Mauricio Pochettino. By bringing larger camps and rotating more players through key match windows, Pochettino has prioritized building a roster capable of playing multiple styles, adjusting to diverse opponents, and sustaining peak performance over the length of a home World Cup. The approach reflects a long-term plan to maximize depth, sharpen internal competition, and raise the overall ceiling of the program ahead of 2026.
The USA is gearing up for its ninth FIFA World Cup since 1990 and 12th overall appearance in the tournament. The USMNT heads into 2026 unbeaten in its last five matches, with four victories against teams that were already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
USA’s All-Time Record against Group D Opponents and Potential Opponents:
- Paraguay: 5-2-2 (12 GF, 7 GA)
- Australia: 2-1-1 (5 GF, 3 GA)
- Kosovo: 0-0-0 (0 GF, 0 GA)
- Romania: 1-2-1 (4 GF, 4 GA)
- Slovakia: 0-1-0 (0 GF, 1 GA)
- Türkiye: 2-2-1 (7 GF, 7 GA)
For Group D Opponent and Potential Opponent profiles, please visit the original post of this story on ussoccer.com here.
