Match night on June 12 is the day when two of the three hosts of the 2026 World Cup step onto the pitch for the first time. The headline event is the USA's debut against Paraguay in Los Angeles — a match Americans have been waiting eight years for since winning the right to host the tournament. Missing it means missing the biggest kickoff of the week.
Schedule for the Day
- 10:00 PM Kyiv time. Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B, Matchday 1) — Toronto Stadium, Toronto
- 4:00 AM Kyiv time (June 13). USA vs Paraguay (Group D, Matchday 1) — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (Los Angeles)
USA vs Paraguay: A Debut Under National Pressure
The United States open their home World Cup at 4:00 AM Kyiv time at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. This is the first meeting between the two sides at a World Cup since 1930 — when American Bert Patenaude scored the first hat-trick in World Cup history. The stakes are entirely different now: the USA are in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey, and starting with a win is a matter not just of points, but of fan confidence.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to field his anticipated 4-2-3-1 lineup: Matt Freese in goal, Tim Ream and Chris Richards — who has returned to full training after an ankle injury — in central defense. In attack, Christian Pulisic on the left flank and Folarin Balogun as the center forward; Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are expected in the holding midfield. Giovanni Reyna is an option off the bench. For Paraguay, key attacking midfielder Julio Enciso is a doubt: the 22-year-old picked up a muscle injury in a friendly against Nicaragua on June 6 and may miss the match. Without him, the main attacking burden will fall on Miguel Almirón and Ramón Sosa.
The main duel of the evening is Pulisic against Paraguay's defensive captain Gustavo Gómez. The American talisman tends to drift into half-spaces from the left flank, while Gómez — a physically imposing stopper from Palmeiras — specializes in shutting down exactly those kinds of runs. Paraguay arrive at the tournament on the back of eight unbeaten matches in qualifying, including wins over Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay — a team that knows how to grind and wait for its moment on the counter.
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: The First Step Toward a Dream
At 10:00 PM Kyiv time, Canada open their home tournament at Toronto Stadium against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B. For the Maple Leafs, this is a chance to claim their first-ever win at a World Cup: at their two previous appearances — 1986 and 2022 — the team lost all six matches. Coach Jesse Marsch leads the side in a group that also includes Switzerland and Qatar, and getting off to a three-point start will make the road ahead considerably easier. Bosnia and Herzegovina return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014 and are eager to make a statement in the very first round.
Results and What's Next
Results from both matches will be available in the evening edition of Night Mundial late at night and in the morning digest on June 13 — along with a first look at Saturday's schedule: Qatar vs Switzerland, Brazil vs Morocco, and Haiti vs Scotland.
