The USMNT will play Australia and Paraguay in Group D, as well as third opponent from Europe that will be determined in March

The U.S. men’s national team will face Paraguay in their first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 12.

And the requirement of a European team in each group denied the U.S. the chance to have beloved minnow Cape Verde in its group. The U.S. avoided some of the European teams looming as potential threats; Italy, Denmark, and Ukraine would head elsewhere.

On Friday, Dec. 5, soccer's governing body drew lots to determine the opening groups of next summer's World Cup. 48 teams were sorted into twelve groups of four, and with that, the tournament got a whole lot more real for the U. S. Men's National Team.

As a host nation, the Stars and Stripes were pre-drawn into Group D at the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The USMNT waited anxiously to find out its first three opponents in next summer’s tournament and no doubt exhaled a sigh of relief after the draw concluded.

Argentina and Lionel Messi will play Algeria to open its World Cup title defense as part of a group that also includes Austria