Pulisic, Balogun and Wright tipped to fire USA past Paraguay in World Cup opener

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially under way, and the United States open their campaign against Paraguay on Friday in what promises to be a high-energy group-stage encounter. Christian Pulisic headlines an American forward line that also includes Folarin Balogun and Haji Wright — a trio that some observers believe is more dangerous than the pre-tournament consensus suggests.

The match total sits at 2.5 goals, meaning the USA will need to produce a genuinely productive attacking performance to push it over. Weston McKennie is another name worth watching across the tournament as a whole; the versatile midfielder offers goal-scoring threat from midfield and represents a longer-odds option for those tracking individual scoring charts throughout the competition.

In the Golden Boot market, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane dominate the public betting, but Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal is attracting attention at significantly longer odds. Spain enter the tournament widely regarded as one of the most complete squads in the field, and Oyarzabal’s role as a clinical finisher within that system makes him a credible, if overlooked, contender for the individual prize.

Host nation Mexico are another team generating confidence ahead of the group stage. Drawn alongside South Korea, Czechia and South Africa in Group A, El Tri carry the weight of home expectation but also the advantage of playing in front of their own supporters. South Korea and Czechia are capable of causing problems, but the general view among those who follow the team closely is that Mexico’s greatest threat may come from within — inconsistency and pressure management rather than the opposition itself.

The 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, marking the first time the tournament has been staged across three nations.