USMNT 2026 – The U.S. men’s national team opens 2026 World Cup group play with three Group D games—against Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey—at SoFi Stadium and Lumen Field, with FOX and Telemundo carrying the action. The U.S. faces a tough path after being placed in a group
When the U.S. men’s national team walks into group play at the 2026 World Cup on home soil, the pressure won’t just come from the spotlight—it’ll come from the schedule itself.
The Americans are aiming to reach the knockout rounds again after advancing to the round of 16 four years ago. This tournament comes with an expanded format: 48 teams overall, and 32 advancing from the group stage to the single-elimination knockout rounds. On paper, that’s more room for error. In practice, the U.S. was placed in Group D with teams ranked among FIFA’s top 40.
Group games start with a crucial sequencing choice: the U.S. doesn’t open on day one. Instead, it begins group play with its second match of the World Cup, and every result in Group D carries weight.
Game 1: USMNT vs. Paraguay
Date: June 12, 2026
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
TV: FOX, Telemundo
Streaming: FOX One, Fubo, Peacock
Game 2: USMNT vs. Australia
Date: June 19, 2026
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Lumen Field (Seattle)
TV: FOX, Telemundo
Streaming: FOX One, Fubo, Peacock
Game 3: USMNT vs. Turkey
Date: June 25, 2026
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
TV: FOX, Telemundo
Streaming: FOX One, Fubo, Peacock
The math of advancement is clear: two teams from each group move on, along with the next eight-best overall teams based on record and tiebreakers. With Group D built from teams ranked among the FIFA top 40, the U.S. can’t treat any game as routine.
The tournament’s knockout timeline then kicks in immediately after the group stage:
Round of 32: June 28–July 3
Round of 16: July 4–7
Quarterfinals: July 9–11
Semifinals: July 14–15
Third-place game: July 18 (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Final: July 19 (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
For a team trying to translate home advantage into deeper runs, the schedule offers no soft openings. The U.S. has to earn its way through Group D first—game by game—before the knockout rounds even arrive.
USMNT 2026 World Cup schedule Group D Paraguay Australia Turkey SoFi Stadium Lumen Field FOX Telemundo FOX One Fubo Peacock