USMNT Group D predictions following 2026 FIFA World Cup draw

The USMNT are set to have entertaining journey when they begin group play in Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Americans are hosting the men's World Cup for the second time, the last time taking place in 1994. They reached the knockout stage in that edition, falling 1-0 to eventual champs Brazil in the Round of 16.

The USMNT will begin their adventure on June 12, hosting Paraguay in Inglewood, California. They later face Australia on June 19 in Seattle before playing the UEFA Path C winner on June 25.

Here is how the U.S. could fare in Group D of next year's World Cup.

How USMNT fares against Group D opponents

Group D gifted the U.S. a solid draw on Dec. 5 when FIFA put together the groups during the event in Washington D.C. They avoid the best teams from Pots 2 to 4 as they can look forward to having solid tests that would prepare them for the best teams in the knockout stage.

The Americans will have an interesting opener against Paraguay. Their opponents stand out as a defensive-minded unit, only giving up 10 games throughout the South American qualifiers.

Paraguay is coming off a recent matchup against the U.S., falling in a 2-1 battle on Nov. 15. The U.S. boasts a 5-2-2 record in all-time matchups, which bodes well for the hosts as they prepare for the group opener.

Next up will be the Australians in the second matchup. Australia is an intriguing side as they reached the Round of 16 in 2022, falling 2-1 eventual champs Argentina. They made the likes of France and Denmark nervous during that tournament, emphasizing the importance of the U.S. not taking them lightly.

The USMNT played the Aussies four times throughout their history, seeing the former have a 2-1-1 edge. Their last encounter was in Oct. 14 as the Americans secured a 2-1 victory in Colorado.

The last group stage matchup for the U.S. will be against the winner of UEFA's Playoff Path C. Candidates from that bracket feature Turkey, Romania, Kosovo, and Slovakia.

Any matchup against a European side will be tough for the Americans as their record in World Cup tournaments isn't positive, last winning one against Portugal in 2002. Against those four Path C teams all-time, the U.S. has three wins, five losses and two draws. They haven't faced Kosovo throughout the national team's history.

Final prediction for USMNT's chances in Group D

The USMNT had the fortunes of avoiding the top teams in the group stage. However, their group provides an important test on whether they have what it takes to make a deep run in the World Cup tournament they're hosting.

Paraguay and Australia present themselves as solid matchups that will test the structure and defensive consistency of the U.S. If the Americans can stand firm and not suffer breakdowns while finding holes in opposing defenses, they should be able to earn crucial points throughout group play.

Not only that, but it will require the like of Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah among others to step up in big ways. They have an offense that can explode when in solid form, which is crucial in putting together throughout the tests of group play.

The U.S. will be playing all its group matches in the West Coast. They will make the most of the fan support while making sure they can get at least six points to punch their ticket to the knockout stage.