The path to glory at the 2026 World Cup has been laid out after the contenders discovered their tournament fate at Friday’s draw ceremony in Washington, which was dominated by US President Donald Trump.
Trump received FIFA’s new peace prize on stage at the Kennedy Center prior to the draw for the first 48-team World Cup, which offered kind starts to the tournament for holders Argentina and much-fancied Spain in particular.
While the make-up of the groups was revealed along with the potential path through the knockout rounds for all the potential winners, the precise schedule had to wait.
Photo: EPA
FIFA president Gianni Infantino was to unveil the venues and kick-off times for all games last night after press time, after which the teams would be able to focus on fine-tuning their preparations with barely six months left until the World Cup kicks off on June 11.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina begin their defense of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 by facing Algeria, and would also play Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.
Reigning European champions Spain would kick off their campaign against first-time qualifiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.
Photo: REUTERS
“We want to do something big at this World Cup and that means making sure we do well in the group stage, then carrying on from there,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
Thomas Tuchel’s England, seeking to win a first World Cup since 1966, would be expected to top Group L ahead of 2018 finalists Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
Two-time winners France face awkward tests against Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, which would be completed by a play-off winner from either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname.
For the first time, the draw was done in such a way as to ensure the four highest-ranked nations were kept apart — Spain, Argentina, France and England cannot meet before the semi-finals, if all top their groups.
However, the path to that stage — with an extra knockout round now following the group phase — looks perilous.
If the top seeds all win their groups, England could find themselves playing cohosts Mexico in Mexico City in the last 16 and then Brazil in the quarter-finals, before a semi against Argentina.
Other possible match-ups include France and Germany being on a last-16 collision course, and a potential meeting between Messi’s Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals.
“You cannot get carried away with building your way with who you are going to meet if you win the group, if you are second or whatever,” Tuchel said. “You just focus on the group, this is what you do.”
The tournament is to be held across the US, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations in 2022. While the US would host most matches, including the final at the MetLife Stadium outside New York, three of the 16 venues would be in Mexico and two in Canada.
The opening game sees Mexico play South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil and surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco would meet in Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti — Scotland and Brazil would meet for the fifth time at a World Cup.
Germany’s opponents in Group E would be Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Caribbean minnows Curacao, while Portugal face Uzbekistan, Colombia and a play-off winner.
The US got a manageable draw, with Paraguay, Australia and a European play-off winner in Group D.
“Our first game is the final of the World Cup. And the second needs to be the final of the World Cup. That is the mentality, the mindset that we want to build,” US coach Mauricio Pochettino said.
The top two teams in each group advance to the last 32, joined by the eight best third-placed teams.
“It will be the greatest World Cup ever,” Infantino said. “This is like 104 Super Bowls in one month — this is the magnitude of what we are organizing.”
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