USA v Paraguay: World Cup 2026 – live

There will be no rousing Hollywood pep talk from Mauricio Pochettino ahead of today’s USMNT World Cup opener. He and his players are trusting nearly two years of work since he took the helm – plus all of the reasons that got them into the sport in the first place.

“The most important [thing] is not to be disconnected with your emotional relationship with the game,” Pochettino said. “They need to think tomorrow and play like they are a child – with no pressure, with no responsibility.”