U.S. vs. Paraguay World Cup 2026: TV, streaming, and everything else to know

The United States men’s national soccer team kicks off their 2026 World Cup schedule Friday night against Paraguay (9 p.m., Fox 29) in a rebranded SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Here are our predictions for the game.

The U.S. got a lucky draw by landing in Group D, avoiding the European powerhouses and South American superpowers. And the U.S. has faced all three of their opponents — Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey — in matches over the past year.

Whether that’s a good thing or not remains to be seen. The U.S. defeated Paraguay 2-1 during a friendly meeting at Subaru Park in Chester back in November and enter the World Cup with a talented roster filled with Philly connections.

» READ MORE: Complete coverage of the 2026 World Cup

Fox is broadcasting the World Cup for the third time, but it could be the network’s last. TV rights in the U.S. for the 2030 World Cup in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain (plus three opening matches in South America) have yet to be sold, and Fox might not be able to afford keeping the tournament if the NFL is successful in squeezing the network for more money.

The network’s going all out, with a roster of studio talent that includes NBC’s Rebecca Lowe and CBS soccer analyst (and ex-French star) Thierry Henry. Fox also took a big swing by adding former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimović (better know as Zlatan) to its top World Cup studio team that will also include the polarizing Alexi Lalas.

“The other ones follow a script, and I’m there just to be myself,” Ibrahimović said on Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday night. “They want Zlatan. I’m going to bring them Zlatan.”

In a first, FIFA has introduced mandatory three-minute water breaks in the middle of soccer’s famous uninterrupted play, due to the heat. They will take place midway through each 45-minute half, and Fox took full advantage Thursday to cut away for a two-minute commercial break during Mexico’s 2-0 victory over South Africa, cutting back after play resumed.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream U.S. vs. Paraguay Friday:

Tonight’s World Cup matchup between the U.S. and Paraguay will air on Fox, which once again has American TV rights to the tournament.

U.S. vs. Paraguay is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Philly time.

Calling the game will be Fox’s lead play-by-play announcer, John Strong. He’ll be joined in the booth for the third-straight World Cup by former U.S. midfielder Stu Holden.

Jenny Taft will report live from SoFi Stadium (which has been rebranded Los Angeles Stadium for the tournament).

Telemundo will broadcast the Spanish-language telecast, with Andrés Cantor and Omar Zerón calling the game.

FIFA World Cup Today, Fox’s studio show, will air beginning at 6 p.m.

While Fox has its own subscription streaming service in FOX One, all Team USA World Cup matches will stream for free on Tubi. All that’s required is a free account.

If you live in or near Philadelphia, you can also stream any match airing on Fox 29 for free using a digital antenna.

Fans looking to stream a Spanish-language telecast will need to turn to Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service. You can also stream the game on the Telemundo app, but it’ll require a cable subscription.

Friday is Day 2 of the 2026 World Cup. Here’s a complete schedule of all the matches Friday:

The U.S. will play three games during the group stage of the tournament. Here is their full schedule:

Philly will host at least nine teams and six World Cup games, beginning with Sunday’s match between Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

It’s highly unlikely the U.S. will end up in Philly during the Round of 16 on July 4, but it’s not impossible. Here’s what would need to happen.

Here’s Philly’s full World Cup schedule: