They'll go on to then face Australia on June 19 in Seattle. Defending champion Argentina will open the World Cup against Algeria.
With the World Cup almost six months away, the countdown is officially on for many soccer fans in Los Angeles.
"I think the environment is going to be so much fun for the fans, both outside the stadium and inside the stadium. There's really not a bad seat. I'm excited to be one of those fans cheering the U.S. on," said FIFA Women's World Cup champion Mia Hamm.
World Cup draw: US starts against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium
The L.A. Host Committee has been planning for the World Cup for eight years, and there will be eight matches held in Los Angeles over the course of the 39-day tournament.
Tourism is one of the many drivers of L.A.'s economy, with over 540,000 residents who earn a living in tourism.
"Because this is the largest World Cup in history, you have to first look at the economic impacts. We're expecting to see over half a billion dollars of new revenues for our local business community because of the World Cup, and thousands of new jobs. That's an amazing opportunity," said Adam Burke, the president and CEO of the L.A. Tourism and Convention Board.
Host nations for the 2026 World Cup are the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The U.S. has positive recent experience against Paraguay and australia, having beaten both teams 2-1 in recent games.
"Only 65,000 people will get tickets to a match at SoFi Stadium. We have a much bigger population here, plus a much bigger population of people that are going to visit our city," said Kathryn Schloessman, the CEO of the L.A. 2026 World Cup Host Committee. "Many people will come to our city and not even go to a match. We want to make sure they have a great experience."
"We're actually putting together a 39-day programming calendar that highlights all parts of L.A. so that fans from around the world can take advantage of all that L.A. has to offer. That includes the official fan fest, the watch parties, and so many activations, including our arts and cultural community," Burke said.
World Cup fever begins brewing in LA
At the Soccer+ sports shop in Pasadena, the owner and some of his customers said they watched the World Cup Draw live.
Josef Momjian has had his shop in Pasadena for nearly 40 years.
"The advantage is that they're playing at home," Momjian said of the U.S.' chances in the first round. "The crowd, the fans, they're going to be behind them to win something. I believe, at least, they pass the group, and we'll see how it goes from there.
The U.S.' group includes Paraguay, Australia and a team from a playoff match.
Mexico will host the first match of next summer's World Cup against South Africa. Canada's first match will be against a playoff team to be determined.
The conversation is buzzing on who will do well, and can the U.S. do well in this field?
"I think they're going to have a tougher time than Mexico making it to the next round, because they have, I think, tougher opponents," said Felipe Velasco from Pasadena.
World Cup merchandise, from jerseys to balls, is already on sale at Southland sports shops.
Andrew Velasco says he hopes the world's best footballers coming to North America will make the world's most popular sport even more popular here in the U.S.
"It kind of represents a lot of what America is. It's just a blend of people from different parts of the world celebrating where they're from, and being able to celebrate it here means a lot to a lot of people," Andrew Velasco said.
The last time the World Cup football was played in the United States was 1994. The last World Cup at 32 teams, but this time around, 48 countries will be represented. Every single country that will compete in the tournament next summer has representation in Southern California.