USA play first World Cup finals game on home soil since 1994

The United States begins its World Cup campaign Friday, marking the first time the tournament has been played on home soil in 32 years. The co-hosts face Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino emphasizing a win-or-bust mentality.

"For me, successful is to win, is to win tomorrow and win after," Pochettino stated Thursday. "If we don’t arrive to the final and we don’t win the World Cup, to talk about ‘successful’? I don’t know." He expects his talented squad, led by Christian Pulisic, to compete fiercely against global rivals.

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For me, successful is to win, is to win tomorrow and win after. If we don’t arrive to the final and we don’t win the World Cup, to talk about ‘successful’? I don’t know.

Pulisic echoed the coach's ambition, telling AFP, "We want to be a real force in this tournament. We’ve got three really good games to show everyone what we’re all about." The match will be preceded by an opening ceremony featuring Katy Perry. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is confirmed to attend, with President Donald Trump also expected at the tournament.

Meanwhile, Canada faces Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto, aiming for their first World Cup win but will be without star player Alphonso Davies due to injury. In a separate development, Ghana's Thomas Partey has been denied a visa to enter Canada for his team's opening match against Panama due to ongoing legal proceedings in Britain. FIFA confirmed Partey's inability to travel, stating it is not involved in host countries' immigration processes.

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We want to be a real force in this tournament. We’ve got three really good games to show everyone what we’re all about.