Day: June 11, 2026

The first day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup did not disappoint. Curses were broken in Mexico City, as were the hearts of the Bafana Bafana faithful. Here is everything you might have missed from Day 1 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Mexico vs. South Africa South Africa vs. Czechia BEST OF THE DAY Assist Of The Day Raúl Jiménez waited 12 years for his first World Cup goal, and his Mexico teammate Roberto Alvarado made sure he didn’t have to work too hard for it. The 27-year-old Chivas winger saw Jiménez calling for the ball at the far post and delivered a perfectly-weighted cross with his favored left foot, and Jiménez just had to place the ball outside the reach of South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. Save Of The Day South Korea walked away with all three points against Czechia thanks to some late-match heroics from Kim Seung-gyu. After conceding two goals — one of which was disallowed — Seung-gyu picked himself back up and made this save from point-blank range that kept South Korea out in front through the final whistle. Goal Of The Day When Lee Kang-in played Hwang In-beom through, he had three defenders closing in on him. By the time he controlled the ball, he had the whole right side of the goal open. How? A fake shot that fooled Czechia’s entire back line. That bit of skill was the difference between one and three points for South Korea on Thursday. Moment Of The Day Raúl Jiménez was overcome with emotion after giving Mexico a 2-0 lead over South Africa. Not only was it Jiménez’s first-ever World Cup goal, but it was in tribute to his late father Raúl Jiménez Vega. It’s a moment he and El Tri fans will surely never forget.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

If the United States men’s national team is to make a long run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a lot will have to go right. That starts with the team’s key players, many of whom will be playing in their second World Cup. Of course, all 26 players who step onto the field for any team at the World Cup are important, but with this U.S. team, there are a few players who are essential to head coach Mauricio Pochettino. There are simply no replacements for any of these players. Should any of them not be able to go, Pochettino will either completely change how the team plays or they’ll struggle with replacements who are limited in their ability to fill the roles. Let’s identify five who’ll be indispensable. Age: 27Club: AFC Bournemouth (English Premier League) All throughout the cycle leading to the 2022 World Cup, many questions surrounding the U.S. team involved midfielder Tyler Adams. Who was his backup, and how could the team play without him? Four years later, the same questions persist. Many were hoping Johnny Cardoso would be that pick, but he is injured and never comfortably fit into the role even when healthy. Pochettino controversially elected not to bring Tanner Tessmann or Aidan Morris, who were potential options. Adams has struggled with injuries over the years and the team has never looked comfortable when he is not on the field. His absence was particularly noticeable in March when the U.S. team struggled to contain Belgium and Portugal. While Adams is no longer the team’s captain, as he was at the 2022 World Cup, he is the most indispensable player. There is no clear backup for him on this roster, or even in the entire player pool. When Adams is playing at his best, he helps cover up a lot of the team’s weaknesses. He can cover ground in transitional defending. He can help shield the backline. If the U.S. team is to go on a run and advance in the knockouts, Adams is essential. He must stay healthy, and he must avoid cards.  If he is not on the field, the team is in trouble. Age: 26Club: Crystal Palace (English Premier League) After Adams, Chris Richards is the next most important player on the U.S. team. Central defense is a weakness for the U.S. team, and it is a problem that has been building for years. Over the past six years, youth national teams have not produced many top players in this position. The U.S. team had to use two over-age central defenders at the 2024 Olympics because few quality U-23 players existed. It is also a reason why Tim Ream, at age 38, is still a starter. But Richards has been a rare bright spot amongst the player pool in the middle of the backline. His club career with Crystal Palace has been very successful in recent years. He won the FA Cup in 2025. In May, he saw Crystal Palace lift the Conference League title. While he did not play in the final due to injury, he was important throughout the campaign. Richards missed the 2022 World Cup due to a hamstring injury and various injuries have forced him to miss long stretches over the years. Right now, he is currently trying to recover from an ankle injury in time for the opening game, although he stated on Wednesday that he is good to go. It is the same injury that forced him out of the Conference League final. The gap between Richards and the next best central defender on the team is wide. It is a position where ambitious teams cannot afford to be weak. For Pochettino, Richards needs to be at or near full fitness for the duration of the tournament. Age: 27 Club: AC Milan (Italian Serie A) The Hershey, Pennsylvania, native is the most accomplished American player of all time at the club level, and he has scored many important goals over the years for the national team. He is the U.S. team’s most feared attacking player and is the offensive key to a run into the knockout rounds. When Pulisic is playing well, he elevates the rest of his teammates around him. Opposing teams must focus more on defending him, which opens space for others. A big issue surrounding the national team throughout 2026 was Pulisic’s scoring drought. It was not until the 3-2 friendly win over Senegal on May 31 when Pulisic finally found the back of the net this calendar year for either club or country. The hope amongst the team is that with his slump over, the goals and assists will come in droves. Pulisic Odds to Win Golden Ball: +8000 Age: 28Club: Fulham (English Premier League) Whenever healthy, Robinson has been among the best left backs in the Premier League with Fulham. In recent years, there has been a lot of concern about whether Robinson would be ready for this tournament as an injury to his right knee limited him at the end of the 2024-25 season and a subsequent surgery failed to have him back on the field for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. It was not until December when he returned for the Cottagers. When he played for the U.S. team in March, it was his first international appearance since 2024. He was sorely missed. Robinson is an elite fullback in the modern game. He is fast, he can cover a lot of ground over 90 minutes, he is effective on both sides of the ball, and he reads the game so well that he is rarely out of position. Robinson is irreplaceable for Pochettino. When he is not on the field, the U.S. must play in a different way tactically with multiple players filling roles Robinson can normally do by himself. Fortunately for the U.S. team, Robinson looks ready to go for the World Cup and his goal against Germany on Saturday was one of the best goals the team has scored in years. Age: 27Club: Juventus (Italian Serie A) Weston McKennie is by far the most versatile player in the entire U.S. player pool where he can play across the midfield, either fullback position or either wing position. Throughout the 2025-26 season with Juventus, McKennie featured in many different roles and was one of the team’s best players. It was the final year of his contract and for stretches, it seemed as if Juventus was simply going to let him go. Ultimately, the front office decided he was simply too good and too unique to let leave. In March, McKennie signed a lucrative new contract to remain in Turin. Pochettino seems to be arriving at a similar conclusion with McKennie. It is very hard to find someone else in the U.S. player pool who has as wide a variety of skillsets. At his best, he can score, create, win duels, defend and thrive in games that become intense and physical. The concern is that McKennie has not always been at his best. The Texas native is often a bellwether for the team. When he plays well, the U.S. team plays well. When he doesn’t, such as at the 2024 Copa América or the 2025 Nations League finals, the team doesn’t. Pochettino has reasons to be optimistic for McKennie at this World Cup. He is coming off a strong season with Juventus and McKennie often raises his level on the biggest stages, such as the 2022 World Cup. 2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. The USMNT’s opening game vs. Paraguay will be streaming free on Tubi.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The format of the World Cup has changed entering 2026. Instead of 32 teams with the top two from each group making it to the knockout rounds, there are 48 teams this year. Eight teams that finish in third place will advance from their group to the knockouts. Does that change the strategy at all when entering this tournament? Not for the USA. This is a must-win game for the U.S. because of the order of its games. There might be a little room for error, but you don’t want to go into your last game against Türkiye, which will be the toughest, needing a result. Getting a win against Paraguay would be a great way to start and a massive boost. Here’s what to expect on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium (9 p.m. ET on FOX and streaming live for free on Tubi). One thing to note is that this will be a very different United States lineup than the one that faced Paraguay last November. Goalkeeper Matt Freese, defenders Sergiño Dest and Tim Ream and striker Folarin Balogun were the only four players who started both that game and the United States’ friendly against Germany last Saturday. While the U.S. squad will look different, Paraguay’s approach is unlikely to change. Expect Paraguay to drop deep in defense and concede possession to us. Manager Gustavo Alfaro took over as Paraguay’s coach in August 2024 and led the team to a 5-4-1 (wins-draws-losses) in World Cup qualifying. That one loss was an away match against Brazil, but his team also registered wins over Argentina and Brazil at home. Don’t expect Paraguay to come out and look to play an attacking game. Alfaro will have his team ready to defend and make life difficult for the USA. I’m always here to highlight the center backs when they should be highlighted, and the key to Paraguay here is its defense, of which Alderete is a huge part. Alderete made 33 appearances in the Premier League this past season for Sunderland. He did not feature in the friendly against the United States late in 2025 because he was coming back from injury. But he did manage to receive a red card in a scuffle after the game. Paraguay is a very, very defensively sound team, only conceding 10 goals in 18 World Cup qualifying matches. Expect this team to sit back and focus on defending with an eye on doing damage in attack in transition after winning possession. MLS fans will know Miguel Almiron as a go-to playmaker Atlanta United. He will be the key in attack for Paraguay when it does get on the ball and looks to get forward. Before the USA’s loss to Germany, I highlighted how important Leroy Sané was going to be on the right wing for Germany in case he was able to get Ream in a one-on-one situation. Ream is likely to start on the left of the United States’ back three in defense, so he’ll be on Antonee Robinson’s side. Making sure the 38-year-old captain has support when defending attacks in transition from Paraguay will be important. Paraguay had 10 shutouts in its 18 World Cup qualifying games, so it’s not going to be easy to break down in what will be a difficult defense to break down. I’m expecting the United States to have the majority of the ball, though. We had 56% of possession back in November against Paraguay, and it may end up being more this time around. That doesn’t mean it will be a walk in the park for us, though. The USA’s wingbacks (Dest on the right and Robinson on the left) will be hugely important on both sides of the pitch. While the wing backs are going to be important going forward (which I’ll get to shortly), they’re also going to be important on defense. Paraguay is going to look to drop low and hit the United States on the counterattack. While Robinson and Dest are going to be important going forward, there will also be a job for them to do in defense. Both of these guys are more than capable in attack, which is clear from Dest scoring in the USA’s 3-2 win over Senegal and Robinson scoring an impressive volley in the 2-1 loss to Germany. Robinson will be on the left side along with Christian Pulisic, while Dest will be on the right side, likely with Malik Tillman, who started against Germany. The key for the two wing backs will be to combine with Pulisic and Tillman to overload the Paraguay defense going forward. Dest started against Paraguay in November, but Robinson missed the game with Max Arfsten starting in his place. Neither Pulisic nor Tillman featured, as well. If the U.S. wins this game, I expect the success going forward to be from the wide areas.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Co-hosts Canada and the United States will open their highly anticipated World Cup campaigns Friday, but each team will be facing a difficult opponent who could spoil the party for the respective home crowds. Canada kicks off the day’s action in Toronto against a Bosnia and Herzegovina team that is participating in its second World Cup. The day then concludes when Mauricio Pochettino’s United States team hosts Paraguay in Los Angeles in what promises to be a hard-fought game. Here is a look at both games. Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina: How to Watch Six games, six losses. That is Canada’s history at the World Cup, with pointless campaigns in 2022 and 1986. After a disappointing tournament in Qatar four years ago, Canada will finally look to take its first ever positive steps at the World Cup when it hosts Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday in Group B action. There is plenty of room for optimism for Canada these days. The team boasts several high-quality players who play in the top leagues in Europe. It’s done well under head coach Jesse Marsch, who guided the club to a semifinal run at the 2024 Copa América. Since that run, Canada has only continued to surge under Marsch. In the 23 matches since its shootout loss to Uruguay in the third-place game, Canada has only lost twice. The strength of the team over the past two years has been its defense. Since the Copa América, Canada has conceded more than one goal only twice, a 4-2 win over Croatia last June and a 2-2 draw with Iceland in March. This rise has propelled Canada to 30th in the latest world rankings. The concern for Canada right now, however, is the health of two of its best players. Left back Alphonso Davies is dealing with a hamstring injury and is doubtful to be able to play on Friday, while central defender Moise Bombito is day to day. Bosnia and Herzegovina comes into this game as an underdog with a FIFA World Ranking of No. 64, but that could be misleading. Right now, it is a team full of confidence riding an eight-game unbeaten run. The last time Bosnia and Herzegovina lost was in a World Cup qualifier against Austria on September 9. The highlight of this run was in March during the World Cup qualifying playoffs, where Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Wales and then Italy in shootouts to qualify for this tournament. Led by head coach Sergej Barbarez, Bosnia and Herzegovina brings a team that has a blend of youth, prime-age players, and older stars. Former New England Revolution winger and Wisconsin native Esmir Bajraktarevic is one of the team’s bright young players. Now at PSV Eindhoven, the player known as the “Milwaukee Messi” played 120 minutes in each of the March playoff games and buried his penalty in the shootout to defeat Italy. On the other end of the spectrum, there is captain Edin Džeko, who is the all-time leading scorer and most capped player in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national team. At age 40, he is still crucial to the team. He scored five international goals in 2025, and it was his late equalizer against Wales in March that kept their qualifying hopes alive. Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Player to Watch After a prolific start to his career with Gent in Belgium followed by a terrific five years with Lille in France, David moved to Juventus last year. It was a difficult first season in Italy for him as David managed just six goals in Serie A as the club failed to qualify for the Champions League. It is obvious that David is a quality player, but how much will the tough season affect him? He is the player to watch in this game because his performance could very well dictate Canada’s performance. If he plays like he did during his Lille years, Canada is a threat. If he stays in his Juventus-era rut, Canada likely doesn’t have the firepower to advance very far. USA vs. Paraguay: How to Watch In Group D, the United States national team kicks off its World Cup campaign on Friday night in Los Angeles and Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is among the most difficult teams to predict in the World Cup, despite its current FIFA World Ranking of 17. The Pochettino era has been a wild roller-coaster. At the beginning of 2025, the U.S. team was in terrible shape after finishing fourth in the final rounds of the Nations League with losses to Panama and Canada. At the Gold Cup that summer, Mexico got past the U.S. in the final. But the fall saw the team steadily improve to the point where, in November, the U.S. team was playing terrific soccer. In that window, the U.S. team defeated its Friday opponents, Paraguay, 2-1, and then followed that with a resounding 5-1 win over Uruguay. Then this past March, the team made a complete 180 and struggled to compete in ugly losses to Belgium and Portugal. The two tune-up friendlies were mostly positive as the team defeated Senegal 3-2 and lost to Germany 2-1. Still, the U.S. was prone to making costly mistakes that could sink them at the World Cup. In other words, the team is almost unpredictable, and almost any scenario at this World Cup is possible. But there have been two encouraging developments for the team recently. The first is that Christian Pulisic ended his scoring drought against Senegal by bagging his first goal for club or country in 2026. If he is back in form, the U.S. team will be dangerous in the attack. The second is that the team’s best central defender, Chris Richards, appears to be ready to play. He suffered an ankle injury three weeks ago playing for Crystal Palace. If he is back and close to full fitness, the U.S. team’s defense is significantly improved. The U.S. team’s opponent on Friday will be Paraguay, and it will be the first time the U.S. team has faced a South American team at the World Cup since the last time it hosted in 1994, when it upset Colombia, 2-1, in the group stage and then lost to Brazil in the round of 16. Paraguay qualified for the World Cup with a sixth-place finish in South America’s single-table qualification, but there was not much separating the teams that qualified. Argentina finished comfortably in first, but Ecuador finished second with 29 points, while Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay all finished with 28 points. Coached by Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay enjoyed some impressive moments during qualifying, including home wins over Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Those results showed that this Paraguay team can defeat the best teams in the world. It will be the ninth World Cup appearance for La Albirroja but the last time came in 2010 when the team made a run to the quarterfinals in South Africa. For the team’s veteran leaders, Miguel Almirón and Gustavo Gomez, it will be their first time in the tournament. But Paraguay has a nice blend of veterans and youth. One of the team’s most talented young players is Diego Gomez, who broke out in MLS before transferring to Brighton & Hove Albion, where he is now a regular in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Gustavo Gomez, the 33-year-old central defender, will captain Paraguay. He is a club legend for Palmeiras in Brazil, where he has won Brazil’s Serie A three times and the Copa Libertadores twice. USA vs. Paraguay: Player to Watch The AC Milan winger finally ended his 2026 scoring drought in the U.S. team’s first tune-up game against Senegal. That gave hope to the U.S. team and its fans that Pulisic is in the process of returning to top form. He is absolutely critical to the U.S. team’s chances for success at the World Cup and the pressure on him is intense as he is the figurehead for the country that will be hosting the most games of this World Cup. Against Paraguay, it will be important to watch Pulisic early. If he is energetic and creating chances shortly after the opening kickoff, the U.S. team will be in good shape. If he is invisible, Paraguay has a good chance of getting a result.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports