"Next summer's tournament, which will kick off June 11 in Mexico City with Mexico facing South Africa, will be the largest, most complex single-sport competition in history, with 48 teams playing 104 games across three countries before the July 19 final in East Rutherford, N.J. It will also be the first World Cup to be played in the U.S. in 32 years. And for the players, that means everything."
""You can't ask for anything better. It's what we dreamed of as kids," forward Christian Pulisic said. "It's important to go into it with the mentality that we're just going to enjoy it. We're going to try to take in the whole experience. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.""
"The U.S. is ranked 14th in the world; of the six other teams drawn into its group, only Turkey is in the top 25. That would seem to make the path to the knockout stage a bit easier. The Americans will open the tournament against No. 39 Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on June 12, then face Australia in Seattle on June 19 before returning to Inglewood to close out group play against the playoff winner June 25."
The U.S. drew Paraguay, Australia and the winner of a European playoff (Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo) for group-stage play in the 2026 World Cup. Recent wins over Paraguay and Australia provide current familiarity and a base for focused preparation on tactical evolution and overall improvement. The 2026 tournament expands to 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada, opening June 11 and concluding July 19. The U.S. opens June 12 at SoFi Stadium against Paraguay, plays Australia in Seattle on June 19, and finishes group play in Inglewood on June 25 against the playoff winner. Top two teams and select third-place teams advance.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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