The team's first face-off is against Paraguay on June 12
Credit: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11, leading to the final on July 19
- The U.S. Men’s National Team’s first game is on June 12 in Los Angeles
- Fox will be broadcasting all 104 matches across networks and the Fox One streaming service
The 2026 World Cup is kicking off — and the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team is hitting the field.
The highly anticipated tournament starts on June 11, going all the way through the final on July 19. The tournament begins in Mexico City on June 11, but the U.S. Men's National Team — commonly referred to as the USMNT — will play their first game the next day on June 12, when they go up against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
The 48 teams are divided into groups, with the top teams advancing to the knockout rounds and final.
Here's everything to know about the schedule for the USMNT's first games and where soccer fans can watch.
When is the USMNT playing in the World Cup?
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The USMNT will play its first game in the 2026 World Cup on June 12. The USMNT's tournament matches in the group stage are:
- June 12: U.S. vs. Paraguay, at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
- June 19: U.S. vs. Australia, at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
- June 25: U.S. vs. Turkey, at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
What group is the USMNT in at the World Cup?
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The USMNT was drawn into Group D for the World Cup. The team will face off against the other countries in the group: Australia, Paraguay and Turkey.
For 2026, the tournament is bigger than ever, with the World Cup expanding from 32 to 48 teams. Following the group stages — which end on June 27 — 32 teams will play against each other in the knockout round. The USMNT will advance to the knockout round if they are the winner or in second place in their group.
Eight third-place teams will also make the cut. Per ESPN, those determinations will be based on the following criteria:
- Points
- Goal difference
- Goals scored
- Team conduct score
- FIFA world ranking
If the USMNT finishes in fourth in the group stages they would not advance, and their time in the World Cup will come to an end — until 2030.
When are the World Cup knockout rounds and final?
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If the USMNT makes it out of the group stages, they will advance to the knockout rounds. Ultimately, the field will whittle down to the final two teams, who will face off at the New York New Jersey Stadium — known as MetLife Stadium outside of the tournament — in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 19.
The schedule for the knockout rounds and final is:
- Round of 32: June 28 through July 3
- Round of 16: July 4 through July 7
- Quarterfinals: July 9 through July 11
- Semifinals: July 14 and July 15
- Bronze final: July 18
- World Cup final: July 19
Where can I watch the USMNT World Cup games?
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Fox networks will air all of the World Cup — 104 matches in total — in the U.S., including the USMNT games.
According to The Athletic, 72 of the games will air on the Fox broadcast TV channel, and 32 will be on FS1. All of the games will be available on Fox's streaming service, Fox One. The USMNT's first game on June 12 will also stream on Tubi.
Telemundo is the home for Spanish-language broadcasts of the World Cup matches. The network will air 92 games, and another 12 will be available on Universo. All matches will be available on the Telemundo app, and the Spanish-language matches can also be streamed in the U.S. on Peacock.
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