USMNT Defender Chris Richards Cleared for World Cup Opener Against Paraguay
Richards returned to full training this week after a May 17 ankle injury and said he is ready to start Friday at SoFi Stadium.
nypost.comU.S. men's national team defender Chris Richards said Wednesday he is ready to play in Friday's World Cup opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. Richards suffered the ankle injury on May 17 while playing for Crystal Palace.
He missed both pre-tournament friendlies against Senegal and Germany but returned to full training on Monday and practiced again on Tuesday and Wednesday. “I’m ready,” Richards said at Wednesday’s practice. “It’s a World Cup, so I was going to make myself ready regardless.
I’m feeling good. ” Richards said the recovery matched his expectations. “Initial diagnosis was day-to-day but, for me, I was aiming for two-to-three weeks. I think we’re on schedule,” he said. Training staff have not placed any minutes limits on him for Friday.
“They haven’t told me anything. If I make myself available, they can trust me to play at 100 percent and that’s exactly what I want,” Richards said. Richards said he does not believe playing Friday would affect his availability for the June 19 group-stage match against Australia.
“If I’m able to start on Friday, it’s not going to put the rest of my tournament in jeopardy,” he said. Richards also noted the team’s goal of earning three points in the opener to set the tone for the group stage. “If we can start off the World Cup with three points, not just for our confidence but also show the group that we can be top dogs in this group and top dogs in this World Cup,” he said on June 10, 2026.
