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USA
CONCACAF · Co-host · D1 · Host
Group favouritesGroup D fixtures
Key players to watch
Christian Pulisic
FW · AC Milan · C
The talisman and most-capped man in the squad; carries the creative and goal burden from the left and takes the set pieces.
Talisman · pens & free kicks
Weston McKennie
MF · Juventus
Box-to-box energy and big-game experience; arrives from a 2022 returnee core that makes up half the squad.
Midfield runner
Tyler Adams
MF · Bournemouth
The defensive-midfield anchor and 2022 captain; his fitness is one of the team's biggest swing factors.
Screening anchor · fitness watch
Folarin Balogun
FW · Monaco
A genuine centre-forward who stretches defences; his link play with Pulisic and Weah is central to the attack.
Lead striker
Antonee Robinson
LB · Fulham
Flying, overlapping left-back and one of the Premier League's best in the role; key to the width.
Attacking full-back
Gio Reyna
AM · Mönchengladbach
The most debated pick — limited minutes but rare creativity. Pochettino is betting his ceiling can change a knockout game; takes corners.
Wildcard creator · corners
Goals & output
Pulisic leads the threat, with Balogun a focal point at centre-forward (a prolific club season) and depth from Tillman, Haji Wright and Pepi. The questions are consistency and goalkeeping, not attacking talent.
Set-piece duties
Penalties
Christian Pulisic
Free kicks
Christian Pulisic
Corners
Giovanni Reyna
Pulisic takes penalties and the main free kicks; Reyna is the designated corner taker. With Pochettino's high press generating turnovers, transition moments matter as much as dead balls for the USA.
Discipline read
▲Pochettino's high, aggressive press produces fouls in midfield, and Adams and McKennie are committed tacklers who can collect cards. A pressing-team bookings profile rather than a dirty one.
Recent form
Hosts, with a young, energetic squad and half the group back from the 2022 round of 16. Form under Pochettino has been mixed, though — a 2025 Nations League semi-final exit and a 2025 Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico drew criticism. This is the USA's first home World Cup match in 32 years, with Pulisic and Adams' fitness the swing factors.
Head-to-head history
v Paraguay (13 Jun)
USA won the last meeting
The USA beat Paraguay 2-1 in a November 2025 friendly — recent and relevant form as they open at SoFi.
v Australia (19 Jun)
USA won the last meeting
The USA won a 2-1 friendly in October 2025; another useful recent marker, in Seattle.
v Türkiye (26 Jun)
Met in 2025
The sides met in a June 2025 friendly. Potentially a group-decider at SoFi against the group's most dangerous outsider.
Underdog & betting read
The verdict
Group favourites on ranking and home advantage and expected to reach the top two, but patchy form and goalkeeping doubts make short outright prices risky. Value in USA to qualify rather than to win outright; Pulisic and Balogun scorer markets appeal.