Overview
- Richards started for the United States in the World Cup opener against Paraguay, which produced a 4-1 win for the hosts on Friday in Inglewood.
- He had suffered an ankle injury on May 17 while playing for Crystal Palace that was reported as two torn ligaments and caused him to miss the U.S. team’s final warm-up friendlies.
- Richards completed all 83 passes he attempted in the match, the most passes with 100 percent accuracy in a World Cup game since 1966, according to ESPN Insights and OptaJack.
- Manager Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. medical staff cleared Richards to train earlier in the week and left the start-or-bench decision to match-day fitness checks and tactics.
- The comeback ends immediate selection uncertainty, gives the U.S. a more stable, possession-oriented center back pairing, and marks a personal milestone after Richards missed the 2022 World Cup with injury.