US ready for co-hosts' final World Cup opener against Paraguay before a raucous SoCal crowd

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A United States fan cheers prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

United States fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) — A United States fan cheers prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

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7:55 PM on Friday, June 12

By GREG BEACHAM

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. is ready to face Paraguay on Friday night to open its first home World Cup in 32 years.

A jubilant Southern California crowd arrived early to cheer on an American team with high hopes heading into the final home opener for this tournament's three co-hosting nations. Led by midfielder Christian Pulisic and a core of his experienced contemporaries, the U.S. has reached No. 17 in FIFA's rankings with realistic ambitions of winning its group and then advancing from a knockout match for just the second time in its World Cup history.

The Americans’ first World Cup match under coach Mauricio Pochettino is at SoFi Stadium, the multibillion-dollar edifice opened in 2020 as the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. The avant-garde arena normally has an artificial turf field that is not well-liked by American football players, but real grass has been installed for the world's summer soccer showcase.

Fans began to fill up the stadium and its surrounding campus several hours before kickoff. Amid thousands of supporters wearing U.S. shirts and chanting their players' names, many more fans wore elaborate costumes, dressing as everything from the Statue of Liberty to the Founding Fathers.

The U.S. last hosted the men's World Cup in 1994, when the Americans won just one of their four matches in a tournament won by Brazil. Soccer has steadily proliferated in popularity stateside since then, with youth participation booming while the domestic Major League Soccer, which began play in 1996, grew into a solid professional circuit.

The largest World Cup in tournament history kicked off Thursday with a 2-0 victory for co-host Mexico over South Africa. Co-host Canada rallied for a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in its opener earlier Friday in Toronto.

The Americans will play two of their three group-stage matches in Inglewood, with a trip to Seattle next week sandwiched in between.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup