The USA’s World Cup 2026 will be kicked off in spectacular fashion following performances from Katy Perry and Future as the tournament co-hosts play Paraguay in their opening match of the tournament in Los Angeles.
Pop star Perry will be headlined the opening show in California, bringing down the curtain on the festivities after Shakira performance in Mexico City and Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette took to the stage before Canada’s first match.
The USA, managed by former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, will be expected to advance from a group that features tonight’s opponents Paraguay as well as Australia and Turkey, with an eye on progressing further too.
President Donald Trump will be notable by his absence at the SoFi Stadium, ahead of his 80th birthday celebrations in Washington this weekend, while empty seats and the World Cup’s mandatory drinks breaks have been controversial aspects of the tournament so far.
Follow live updates from the USA’s opening ceremony and the Paraguay match, below
USA vs Paraguay LIVE: Latest World Cup updates
- USA plays Paraguay in their opening match of World Cup | Live from 2am BST, 6pm PT
- World Cup co-host's opening match shown live on BBC in UK, Fox and Tubi in US
- World Cup task force CEO confirms Donald Trump will not attend opening game
- Katy Perry and Future to perform in kick-off show | Live from 12:30am BST, 4:30pm PT
Is Donald Trump running scared from his own World Cup?
23:01 , Lawrence Ostlere in Los Angeles
Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but Donald Trump was loudly booed in his hometown this week when he appeared at the NBA Finals in New York’s Madison Square Garden. He then decided against travelling to Los Angeles for the USA’s first game of the World Cup due to a “tight schedule”, according to the executive director of the White House, Andrew Giuliani.
One can imagine how the LA crowd would have reacted to images of Trump on the monstrous screen that hangs down over the SoFi Stadium. California is Democratic heartland and the noise would have been so undeniably, unavoidably hostile that even Trump would have had trouble denying the truth. The White House will instead send a party from Washington led by secretary of state Mark Rubio.
It is unusual for Trump, who doesn’t usually let a tight schedule get in the way of sports events. He has appeared at the Super Bowl, UFC fights, the Ryder Cup, the Fifa Club World Cup final and the men’s US Open final. Reactions have been mixed: he was booed at a World Series baseball game in 2019 and hit with chants of “Lock him up!”; there was a far warmer reception at the Ryder Cup, where the crowd of American golf fans looked not unlike an NRA convention.
Is Donald Trump running scared from his own World Cup?
Last night: Mexico send Fifa a telling reminder of what the World Cup must never lose
22:51 , Ed Malyon in Mexico City
The World Cup got underway in frantic fashion last night as Mexico City beat South Africa at the Azteca - here’s Ed Malyon’s report:
If we are honest, as football fans, we needed this.
We needed an end to the gouging and the politicking and the shambles, to the power games and the bad faith actions of those who run the show.
What we needed was the show.
Thankfully that show has now begun and with the arrival of football the conversations can change a little.
Are Mexico contenders to win it all? No, not on this performance. And yet we can confidently say they will have the greatest home advantage of any team playing at this World Cup, not just because they have easily the most fervent support of the three co-hosts, but also the altitude and potentially the heat, which could benefit them against visitors to this beautifully chaotic, football-mad country.
Mexico send Fifa a telling reminder of what the World Cup must never lose
Predicted line-ups
22:41 , Will Castle
USA XI: Freese, Freeman, M. Robinson, Ream, A. Robinson, Dest, Adams, McKennie, Tillman, Pulisic, Balogun
Paraguay XI: Gill, Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Alonso, D. Gomez, Bobadilla, Cubas, Almiron, D. Gonzalez, Sanabria
Team news
22:31 , Will Castle
Chris Richards is the main concern for Pochettino, with the Crystal Palace defender having only recently returned to training following an ankle injury.
Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun are expected to headline the attack.
Paraguay’s Julio Enciso picked up a quad issue in a 4-0 friendly win over Nicaragua but is expected to recover in time to feature.
When is USA vs Paraguay?
22:21 , Will Castle
We’ll of course be bringing you all the action from the United States’ World Cup opener after the opening ceremony.
The US begin their campaign against Paraguay, with kick-off at 9pm ET and 6pm PT on Friday 12 June (2am BST on Saturday 13) at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Why won't Donald Trump be at the game?
22:11 , Lawrence Ostlere
Donald Trump will be absent from the Los Angeles Stadium when USA begin their 2026 World Cup against Paraguay tonight, it has been confirmed.
State figureheads usually appear at their country’s first match of the tournament and Trump was expected to be in the stands. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended Qatar’s opening game against Ecuador in 2022, and Vladimir Putin watched Russia’s first game of the 2018 World Cup against Saudi Arabia in Moscow.
But the US president will not attend instead leaving secretary of state Mark Rubio to travel from Washington with transport secretary Sean Duffy and secretary of homeland security Markwayne Mullin.
Andrew Giuliani, the World Cup task force’s CEO, has confirmed Trump’s plans. “He’s not going to end up attending the opening game,” Giuliani told TalkSport. “As we’ve said, his scheduling is tight. But I know he’s going to be engaged throughout this World Cup.
“But the one thing, having known President Trump for now 30 years, what I can tell you is: expect the unexpected. Always expect a cliffhanger with him. Throughout the course of this tournament, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see him engage more and more with the World Cup.”
Full story:
Why Trump will snub USA’s World Cup game – and the one sporting event he will attend
Canada get World Cup lift-off after late Larin equaliser
22:09 , Will Castle
With the US still to come, Canada are off the mark!
Co-hosts Canada have World Cup 2026 lift-off after hitting back against Bosnia and Herzogovina in a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Toronto.
Following a star-studded opening ceremony, including Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette, Jesse Marsch’s side fell behind thanks to a first-half header from Jovo Lukic.
But Cyle Larin came off the bench to equalise with a fantastic half-volley in the latter stages before late pressure almost forced a famous comeback victory.
After decades trying to win the World Cup, shouldn’t the USA be better at football by now?
22:01 , Lawrence Ostlere in Los Angeles
Before the 1994 World Cup, the American columnist Tom Weir wrote a withering assessment of the sport his country was about to host. “Hating soccer,” he said in USA Today, “is more American than mom’s apple pie, driving a pick-up or spending Saturday afternoon channel-surfing with the remote control.”
Not everyone shared Weir’s disdain, given record attendances at USA ‘94. But even today there remains a lingering perspective, mainly among conservative men of a certain age, that soccer is a sport for girls and sissy boys who dive to the floor on first contact, whereas real American sports involve tough guys running, jumping or, in Nascar’s case, driving into one another.
It is a tired old trope that you don’t tend to find around the rest of the world, and it begins to explain America’s challenge in building a men’s team to match their women and win the World Cup.
After decades trying to win the World Cup, why aren’t USA any better at football?
Will we get another Diana Ross moment?
21:51 , Will Castle
The US has a history of memorable moments when it comes to World Cup opening ceremonies, with Diana Ross's missed penalty ahead of the 1994 World Cup in Chicago going down in hilarious infamy.
Will Katy Perry top this, maybe by leathering one into the back of a steward? Probably not, but a man can dream.
🇺🇸 #OnThisDay in 1994: Diana Ross kicked off the 1994 World Cup in Chicago.
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) June 17, 2024
Shocking run-up for the penalty, to be fair. 🤦♂️pic.twitter.com/ny9IFWHOp6
Who is performing?
21:41 , Will Castle
International pop star Katy Perry will headline in her home state, joined by rapper Future.
Tyla will also appear at her second ceremony having performed across the border in Mexico, along with Thai-born star Lisa from K-pop band Blackpink, Nigerian artist Rema and Brazilian singer Anitta.
How can I watch the opening ceremony and USA vs Paraguay?
21:36 , Will Castle
Viewers in the UK can watch the game for free on BBC One or stream it live on BBC iPlayer.
Viewers in the US can watch the game on FOX and Tubi, while a Spanish-language broadcast will be available on Telemundo.
When is the USA's opening ceremony?
21:31 , Will Castle
The United States will put on the third and final World Cup opening ceremony tonight, hoping to upstage Canada and Mexico by saving the best ‘til last.
It will get starts 12:30am BST on Saturday 13 June (i.e. tonight) at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles - the newest stadium being used at this summer’s tournament.
World Cup 2026 USA opening ceremony LIVE!
21:26 , Will Castle
The USA’s World Cup 2026 will be kicked off in spectacular fashion following performances from Katy Perry and Future as the tournament co-hosts play Paraguay in their opening match of the tournament in Los Angeles.
Pop star Perry will be headlined the opening show in California, bringing down the curtain on the festivities after Shakira performance in Mexico City and Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette took to the stage before Canada’s first match.
The USA, managed by former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, will be expected to advance from a group that features tonight’s opponents Paraguay as well as Australia and Turkey, with an eye on progressing further too.
President Donald Trump will be notable by his absence at the SoFi Stadium, ahead of his 80th birthday celebrations in Washington this weekend, while empty seats and the World Cup’s mandatory drinks breaks have been controversial aspects of the tournament so far.
Good evening!
20:20 , Will Castle
Hello there and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the United States’ World Cup opening ceremony ahead of the host nation’s curtain-raiser with Paraguay!
We’ll bring you all the latest from the extravaganza at SoFi Stadium, which will be headlined by Future and Katy Perry, before sinking our teeth into some proper World Cup action.
Stay tuned!
