Who Is USMNT Playing at 2026 World Cup and What's Their Path to World Cup Final?

Team USA's group opponents and group-play schedule were officially announced Friday as part of the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Along with Mexico and Canada, the United States is one of the host nations for the 2026 World Cup, which will run from June 11, 2026, through July 19, 2026.

Hosting for the first time since 1994, the U.S. will look to improve upon their performance at the 2022 World Cup, which saw them get eliminated by the Netherlands in the Round of 16.

Here is a complete look at Team USA's group and schedule at the 2026 World Cup, along with a breakdown of the top American players to watch on the world stage.

Team USA World Cup 2026 Group D

• USA
• Paraguay
• Australia
• Winner of Play-Off C (Türkiye, Slovakia, Romania or Kosovo)

Team USA World Cup 2026 Schedule

• Friday, June 12: USA vs. Paraguay - Los Angeles
• Friday, June 19: USA vs. Australia - Seattle
• Thursday, June 25: USA vs. Winner of Play-Off C (Türkiye, Slovakia, Romania or Kosovo) - Los Angeles

Top Team USA Players to Watch

Christian Pulisic

If the United States Men's National Team is going to enjoy a deep run at the 2026 World Cup, it will require an elite performance from its best player.

Christian Pulisic has been the United States' best player and biggest star for arguably almost a decade, as the winger debuted for the senior team in 2016 and made an instant impact.

Pulisic is already fifth in USMNT history in career goals, and since he is still only 27, there is likely a strong chance he will top the list by the time he retires.

At the 2022 World Cup, Pulisic scored the only goal in a must-win match against Iran to advance to the knockout stage, so he has already shown that he has a penchant for coming through on the big stage.

The Americans have not made it past the Round of 16 since 2002, but they have the ability to do so in 2026 if Pulisic is at his best, which would go a long way toward erasing the disappointment of missing the World Cup in 2018.

Antonee Robinson

Left-back Antonee Robinson could be the biggest key to activating the USMNT attack during the 2026 World Cup.

Robinson is coming off a breakout 2024-25 campaign in the English Premier League, as he made 35 starts for Fulham and registered a career-high 10 assists.

Those 10 assists were the most among EPL defenders, and tied for the fifth-most among all EPL players.

There isn't a particularly lengthy history of USMNT players excelling in the world's top leagues, so the fact that Robinson was able to make that type of an impact against elite competition bodes well for his chances of standing out on the world stage.

The 28-year-old is a veteran of the USMNT at this point, and while he was a starter at the 2022 World Cup, he is now positioned much better to be a difference-maker in 2026.

Matt Freese

Matt Turner was the USMNT's starting goalkeeper during the 2022 World Cup, but with the 2026 World Cup approaching, he appears to have been supplanted by Matt Freese.

The 27-year-old Freese played collegiately at Harvard before making the leap to MLS in 2019 and enjoying stints with Philadelphia Union and New York City FC.

Freese made 96 saves and authored eight clean sheets for NYCFC last season, but he truly earned the opportunity to start for the U.S. with his performance during the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Despite not making his USMNT senior debut until June, head coach Mauricio Pochettino made Freese the starter for all six matches for the Americans at the Gold Cup, leading them to the final where they fell 2-1 to Mexico.

Freese is still something of an unknown with only 11 USMNT appearances to his credit, but he will have a huge hand in the United States' success if he maintains the starting job heading into the World Cup.