The USMNT kicks off its World Cup vs. Paraguay, here’s how to watch
The USMNT kicks off its World Cup vs. Paraguay, here’s how to watch
Team USA will be the final host nation to open its 2026 World Cup when it welcomes Paraguay to Los Angeles on Friday night.
The United States Men’s National Team will be the third and final host nation to have its opening game in the 2026 World Cup. Team USA will host the men’s national team from Paraguay at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on Friday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET. The two teams make up half of Group D, with Australia and Turkey, who will begin their tournaments on Saturday. The U.S. and Paraguay will kick off at 9 p.m. ET in a game being broadcast on Fox. We recommend watching the match with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV. You can also stream it for free on Tubi or catch all of the World Cup via Fox One.
How to watch Team USA vs. Paraguay
- When: Friday, June 12, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET
- TV: Fox
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV, Tubi, or Fox One.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to stream Team USA vs. Paraguay:
When is the Team USA vs. Paraguay World Cup match?
The USMNT’s first World Cup match will kick off at 9 p.m. ET, but the coverage kicks off much earlier than that. The evening edition of “FIFA World Cup Today” will begin at 6 p.m. ET and will run up until the Team USA and Paraguay match. Fox’s all-star soccer crew will be on hand in L.A. to preview Team USA’s opening match and their entire group-stage schedule.
If you want to get all of the info on how to stream the entire tournament, check out our everything you need to know about the 2026 World Cup.
What is Team USA’s 2026 World Cup group-stage schedule?
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Outlets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 12 | 9 p.m. | USA vs. Paraguay | Fox, Fox One |
| Friday, June 19 | 3 p.m. | USA vs. Australia | Fox, Fox One |
| Thursday, June 25 | 10 p.m. | Turkey vs. USA | Fox, Fox One |
Why we recommend DIRECTV to watch Team USA vs. Paraguay
The great thing about this year’s World Cup is that there are even more options to stream the matches than ever before. If you only care about watching this specific game, then the best answer is to watch for free on Tubi. As part of the Fox-owned streamer’s World Cup streaming hub, Tubi is streaming the Opening Ceremonies and two games live and for free. The first match was the Mexico and South Africa opener on Thursday, and the second is the USMNT’s game vs. Paraguay. Those are the only two games streaming live on Tubi, but if you just want to watch this one, definitely download Tubi.
Tubi
Tubi is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 200,000+ movies and TV episodes - more than any other streaming service. Its ad breaks are shorter and less frequent than most free services. Fox executives have called their service “TV on steroids.”
Now, if you are someone who is going to be interested in watching all of Team USA’s games, and perhaps others’ as well, then we would recommend taking advantage of DIRECTV’s five-day free trial. When it comes to offering the most channels in streaming, every live TV streaming service is chasing DIRECTV. The platform offers the most of The Streamable’s top 35 cable channels, so if you are looking for a breadth of programming options, DIRECTV is a surefire hit. And it helps that the platform carries both channels that the World Cup will be played on — Fox and FS1 — in multiple packages.
Last fall, DIRECTV launched its Genre Packs that allow people to pick curated channel lineups around central themes and genres, and for sports fans, that means the MySports Pack. The MySports plan runs $70 a month after the aforementioned five-day free trial, which gives you a way to check out everything that it has to offer before having to pay a penny. You’ll also get a bunch of great sports channels with MySports, including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, and USA Network, and depending on your market, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
In addition, the streamer has the industry’s best guaranteed free trial. While others can roll out longer options depending on what time of year it is and what qualifications you meet as a customer, DIRECTV offers a five-day trial to all new users. So, while you might qualify for a longer trial with YouTube TV (more on that option later), it still won’t cover the entire World Cup.
In addition to Fox, FS1, and all of the other channels available that afford you an incredible selection of games from across pro and college sports, the MySports package also comes with a free ESPN Unlimited subscription, which normally runs $30 per month. So, between the free trial, all of the sports channels, and the added features for just $70, that’s why DIRECTV is our favorite way to watch the World Cup.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch Team USA vs. Paraguay for free?
If you are just looking for a live TV streaming service to watch one specific game and nothing else, there are options available for you. DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all offer free trials, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s industry-leading trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.
Those are pretty straightforward, but when it comes to the sports-minded streamer Fubo, things can get a little complicated. As The Streamable’s expert David Satin discovered when signing up for the services, figuring out how long Fubo’s trial is — even as you are signing up — can be a bit difficult. Nonetheless, it will be at least one day, with the potential to be as many as seven, depending on a wide range of factors that Fubo does not share publicly.
The YouTube TV trial is said to be “up to three weeks,” but can be as short as two days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the signup process.
If you are looking to watch one match for free, I would recommend DIRECTV, because the streamer has the longest guaranteed free trial and gives you the best channel options.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| Fox | + $19 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
You can also watch all of the games airing on Fox with an over-the-air (OTA) antenna. While there is an up-front hardware cost to this option, you get all broadcast channels in your area, like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and The CW, just to name a few, completely free. You can check out our guide to OTA antennas here.
Watch a preview of Team USA vs. Paraguay
What are all of the streamers you can use to watch the Team USA vs. Paraguay game?
Fortunately for sports fans, there are six different streaming services that will stream the game, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them. We discussed DIRECTV and the free trial options above, but there is one more, and it offers a different type of streaming arrangement.
In addition to the live TV streaming options, since the game is being broadcast on Fox, you will be able to stream it on the new Fox One streaming service. The streamer provides access to every Fox-owned channel, including Fox, FS1, FS2, Fox News, and more, and costs $20 per month.
Ultimately, there are tons of different ways to stream the game, and while we recommend DIRECTV as the best way to stream this game, you have plenty of options to find the platform that meets your needs.
Fox One
Launched August 21, 2025, Fox One is a direct-to-consumer streaming service from Fox Corporation. Billed as a “major digital initiative,” Fox One brings together the full range of Fox’s leading news, sports, and entertainment brands, offering live and on-demand access in one unified platform.
Which channels will carry the Team USA vs. Paraguay game in Spanish?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be broadcast on NBCUniversal-owned channels Telemundo and Universo in Spanish. Telemundo will air 92 total matches of the tournament, with an additional 12 on Universo during the group stage to handle simultaneous start times.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| Telemundo | + $15 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Universo | + $15 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | + $6 | - | |
How to watch the World Cup Team USA vs. Paraguay game from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the game as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming like DIRECTV in order to stream the game with a VPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most-trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.
While ExpressVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Most Secure: NordVPN | Starting at $3.09 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available
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