Miguel Almiron Headline: Pochettino Picks First XI for Paraguay Debut

Miguel Almiron is set for Paraguay’s debut against a United States side that now has its first 11 for the 2026 World Cup opener. Mauricio Pochettino picked Matt Freese in goal over Matt Turner and kept Chris Richards in the lineup despite the defender arriving short of full fitness.

Pochettino’s First XI

The United States lined up with Alex Freeman, Richards, Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson in defense, then Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman across midfield. Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun were chosen up front, giving Pochettino a clear attacking pair for Group D’s opening match at Los Angeles Stadium at 22:00 h.

Freese winning the goalkeeper job over Turner was the cleanest call in the selection. Richards was the complication. He was not at 100% physically, yet Pochettino still sent him out from the start, a choice that puts one of the back line’s central roles in the hands of a player carrying a fitness question into the tournament opener.

Richards And Freese

That setup leaves the United States with a back four built around continuity and a goalkeeper decision that settles one of the biggest selection debates around the lineup. Freeman and Robinson give the wide spots, while Ream and Richards hold the center, and the move to Freese means Turner is on the outside of the opening-day choice.

Pulisic remains the main attacking reference, with Balogun alongside him. That pairing matters because it gives the United States two forwards from the first whistle rather than forcing the attack to wait for a change from the bench, and it also puts the lineup’s balance on the shoulders of Tyler Adams and McKennie behind them.

Paraguay In Group D

Paraguay also had its team set for the debut, with Gustavo Alfaro leading the side into the same Group D opener. The match is scheduled at Los Angeles Stadium at 22:00 h, and the opening lineups now put both coaches’ choices on the board before the first whistle.

For the United States, the main shift is already in place: Freese starts, Richards starts, and Pochettino has locked in his first World Cup 2026 XI. That leaves the opening against Paraguay as the first test of whether this selection holds under tournament pressure, with the defense and the front two carrying the earliest answers.