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All eyes turned to Washington D.C. on Friday as nations from around the world learned their fates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw. The ceremony, held at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, revealed that defending champions Argentina will begin their title defense against Algeria, while the United States will open against Paraguay.
The expanded 48-nation tournament marks a significant shift in World Cup history, featuring 104 matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico when play begins on June 11, 2026. This expansion includes newcomers Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, bringing fresh faces to soccer’s biggest stage.
“Exciting for the island, for the people there. They’re so proud,” said Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old Dutch coach leading tiny Curaçao, a Caribbean nation of just 150,000 people, which faces a daunting opening match against four-time champions Germany.
The draw ceremony featured considerable pageantry, with U.S. President Donald Trump receiving a newly created peace prize from FIFA. Trump, alongside Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, participated in the draw by selecting their own nations’ assignments. Notably, Sheinbaum received more applause from those in attendance than Trump.
FIFA’s presentation transformed the event into a distinctly American spectacle, featuring celebrities like Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge, and Wayne Gretzky in an extended pre-draw show.
U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams, watching from England where he plays for Bournemouth, noted the American flavor of the event. “Just watching Americans on stage and the president giving speeches and performances, it made it feel like an American event already,” Adams said. “We know the expectation of what it’s going to be like when we go there with halftime shows and celebrities.”
Three-time champions Argentina, led potentially by Lionel Messi, will open on June 16 at either Kansas City, Missouri, or Santa Clara, California, before facing Austria and Jordan in Group J. Though Messi hasn’t officially committed to playing in what would be a record sixth World Cup, coach Lionel Scaloni expressed optimism: “We are just awaiting for him to decide. In principle, everything is going well.”
The United States begins Group D play against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California, before facing Australia in Seattle seven days later. Their group stage concludes against the winner of a playoff featuring Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged the familiarity with their opponents, noting, “We know them but they know us.” When asked to define success for the tournament hosts, Pochettino confidently stated: “Win the World Cup.”
Mexico will host the tournament opener at the historic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11 against South Africa in Group A, revisiting their 1-1 tie from the 2010 World Cup opener in Johannesburg. El Tri will then face South Korea before closing against one of the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark, or North Macedonia.
The tournament features 42 teams already qualified, with the remaining six berths to be determined through playoffs concluding on March 31. The new format advances the top two teams from each of the 12 groups to the round of 32, along with the eight best third-place finishers. All matches from the quarterfinals onward will be played in the United States, culminating with the final at East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.
England, champions in 1966, will face Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in Group L. Manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the challenges of playing in varied North American conditions: “It doesn’t make it any easier to blame the heat and fight against humidity and altitude and different time zones. We have to find a way to dig in.”
Five-time champions Brazil open against 2022 semifinalists Morocco before playing Haiti and Scotland in what coach Carlo Ancelotti described as “a difficult group.”
Perhaps the most intriguing matchup will come in Group I, where two-time champions France face Senegal in their opener—a rematch of their shocking 2002 defeat—before a potential clash between superstars Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland when France meets Norway.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, like Messi expected to appear in a sixth World Cup, will lead his team against Uzbekistan, Colombia, and either Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia in Group K. Should Portugal and Argentina both win their groups, a quarterfinal meeting between Ronaldo and Messi at Arrowhead Stadium could materialize.
No team has repeated as World Cup champions since Brazil’s victories in 1958 and 1962, highlighting the challenge facing Argentina as they begin their title defense. With only eight nations having won soccer’s ultimate prize in its history, the expanded format could potentially open the door for a new champion to emerge.
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14 Comments
The 2026 World Cup draw has certainly shaken things up, with some unexpected pairings and the inclusion of new nations. I’m curious to see how the expanded format impacts the overall competitiveness and excitement of the tournament.
The US-Paraguay matchup should be a closely watched one, as the American team looks to make a strong impression on home soil.
Exciting to see the 2026 World Cup draw unfold, with the defending champions Argentina facing a tough opener against Algeria. The expanded field and new format promise to shake up the traditional dynamics of the tournament.
The US-Paraguay matchup should be a closely watched one, as the American team looks to make their mark on home soil.
Fascinating to see how the expanded World Cup will play out, with new faces like Curaçao joining the fray. Can’t wait to see if the defending champions Argentina and Messi can repeat their success against Algeria.
The US-Paraguay matchup should be an interesting one. The US will be looking to make a strong showing on home soil.
Exciting to see how the defending champions Argentina and Messi will fare against the challenge of Algeria in the opening match. The expanded World Cup field promises to be full of intriguing matchups.
Newcomers like Curaçao will certainly add an interesting dynamic to the tournament. It will be fascinating to see how they perform against the established powers.
The World Cup draw has set the stage for some compelling matches, including the defending champions Argentina taking on Algeria. It will be interesting to see how the new tournament format and expanded field impacts the overall dynamics of the competition.
The inclusion of smaller nations like Curaçao and Cape Verde is a welcome addition, bringing a fresh perspective to the world’s biggest football event.
The expanded World Cup is an ambitious undertaking, both logistically and competitively. Will the new format and participants lead to any major upsets or surprises?
The US-Paraguay match should be a closely watched one. The US will be eager to make a strong showing on home turf.
The World Cup draw has certainly shaken things up. I’m curious to see how the new tournament format impacts the competition and the unexpected matchups it creates.
It’s great to see smaller nations like Cape Verde and Curaçao getting a chance to compete on the global stage. Brings a fresh dynamic to the event.