When and Where the USA Play at the 2026 World Cup — Full Schedule, Fixtures and Knockout Path

The United States are less than 75 days away from their opening match at a home World Cup — and for a nation that has been building toward this moment for years, the anticipation is unlike anything American soccer has experienced before. Here is everything you need to know about when, where and who the USMNT will play.

The Group Stage Draw

The USA have been placed in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye. All three opponents rank below the United States in the current FIFA world rankings — a draw that, on paper, gives the hosts a genuine opportunity to advance comfortably and potentially top the group.

Each team plays the other three once. The top two sides qualify automatically for the knockout rounds, with the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups also advancing to the new Round of 32.

USA's Group Stage Fixtures

All three of the USA's group matches take place on the West Coast — two at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and one at Lumen Field in Seattle:

• June 12 — USA vs Paraguay | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood | 9pm ET / 6pm PT
• June 19 — USA vs Australia | Lumen Field, Seattle | 3pm ET / 12pm PT
• June 25 — Türkiye vs USA | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood | 10pm ET / 7pm PT

The opener against Paraguay is already being flagged as a potential flashpoint. The two sides met in a recent friendly that the USMNT won 2-1 — but the match turned heated late on, with players from both sides getting involved in an on-field confrontation. In a World Cup setting, on home soil, expect the atmosphere to be even more intense.

The final group game against Türkiye — who qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2002 — rounds off what should be a competitive but navigable group window for the Americans.

The Knockout Path

If the USA top Group D, they face a third-placed team from one of Groups B, E, F, I or J in the Round of 32 — the most straightforward possible route into the knockout bracket.

Finishing second means a Round of 32 tie against the runners-up of Group G, which could include Belgium, Egypt, Iran or New Zealand — a step up in difficulty but still very much a winnable match.

From there, the road to the final runs through the Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the possibility of facing some of the tournament's biggest names as the competition progresses. The final takes place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium just outside New York City.

The Bigger Picture

The 2026 World Cup is the largest in history — 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico. For the USA, it is also the most significant footballing moment the country has ever hosted, coming 32 years after the 1994 tournament that helped ignite the sport's growth in North America.

The tournament opens on June 11 in Mexico City, with host nation Mexico taking on South Africa at the Estadio Azteca. The USA's campaign begins the following day in Los Angeles. With a home crowd, a favourable group and a generation of players more technically equipped than any that came before them, the Americans have every reason to believe this summer could be something special.

Key Tournament Dates

The 2026 World Cup begins with the group stage running from June 11 to June 27. The Round of 32 follows from June 28 to July 3, before the Round of 16 takes place between July 4 and July 7. Quarter-finals are scheduled for July 9 to 11, with the semi-finals on July 14 and 15. The third-place play-off will be held on July 18, and the final is set for July 19.