Official lineups for USA-Paraguay:
United States: Matt Freese, Sergino Dest, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Alex Freeman, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun
Paraguay: Orlando Gill, Omar Alderete, Juan Jose Caceres, Junior Alonso, Gustavo Gomez, Diego Gomez, Miguel Almiron, Andres Cubas, Damian Bobadilla, Antonio Sanabria, Julio Enciso
- Trump called US World Cup team before first match
- A galaxy of global stars takes the stage
- Goooooooooall for team USA!
- GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLL
- Tillman's effort blocked
- Paraguay finally breaks through!
- Goooooal
See you tomorrow
That's all from the Group D opener. Thank you for following along with FRANCE 24's live coverage.
Read our full match report here to catch all the details of USA's dominant performance.
Goooooal
In the closing moments of added time, Giovanni Reyna caps off USA's dominant performance with a late goal to extend their lead further.
7 minutes of added time
Double change for Paraguay
Gustavo Alfaro rings the changes. Kaku replaces Diego Gomez and Gustavo Velazquez comes on for Juan Caceres. The manager is searching for inspiration with fresh legs.
Weah misses a sitter
Timothy Weah has a golden opportunity but fires straight at the Paraguay keeper.
Paraguay finally breaks through!
Mauricio takes advantage of a moment's lapse in concentration from the USA defence. Completely unmarked on the left, he slots past the goalkeeper to give Paraguay a lifeline.
Weah replaces Dest
Timothy Weah comes on for Sergino Dest. The son of Ballon d'Or winner George Weah brings fresh energy for USA.
Time for another cooling break
Antonio Sanabria is replaced by Alex Arce.
Yellow for Adams
USA's Tyler Adams is cautioned for an infringement on Mauricio.
Tillman's effort blocked
Malik Tillman receives a pass in the box and strikes a first-time volley but a Paraguay defender throws himself in front and blocks it.
Yellow card for diving
Late VAR intervention. Miguel Almiron is shown yellow for simulation.
Paraguay finally shows some bite
Diego Gomez fires from inside the box, but the shot is well blocked by the USA defence. Paraguay have won a corner, and there's a newfound intensity as they return from the break.
Back for the second half
Half-time
The co-hosts are in complete control. Balogun's brace and complete dominance have set the tone. Paraguay need a miraculous second-half turnaround to get anything from this.
And its threeeeee!!!!
A through ball finds Balogun in behind, and he rounds the Paraguay goalkeeper with ease before slotting into the empty net. The USA striker is having a field day.
5 minutes of added time
So close to a third!
Chris Richards rises to a corner and thumps a header that grazes the post. So close to making it 3-0.
For the first time since 1994, the United States hosts the World Cup. On Friday at 9:30pm ET, Team USA takes on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for their Group D opener.
The USMNT and Paraguay have faced each other three times in competitive matches, with the US holding a 2-1 record. Their most recent encounter came during World Cup qualifying in 2021, when the Americans won 3-0 in Columbus. Paraguay, ranked 69th in the world, will be looking to pull off an upset on American soil.
The US enters the tournament with growing momentum, having won their last four friendlies and boasting a squad that blends experienced European-based talent with emerging MLS stars. Coach Gregg Berhalter has overseen a team seeking to prove that American soccer belongs on the world stage. More than 70,000 supporters are expected to fill SoFi Stadium for what promises to be a charged atmosphere – a test of whether international football can capture the nation's imagination.
The match will be preceded by a 15-minute opening ceremony featuring American pop icon Katy Perry and performances celebrating the host nation's diversity and football culture.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
