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World Cup 2026 World Cup Draw A screen displays the groups during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center Getty Images So now we know. The 12 groups for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U. S. , Canada and Mexico, have been drawn. Standout group matches will include Kylian Mbappe’s France facing Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, Brazil vs Morocco in Group C, Portugal against Colombia in Group K and Spain clashing with Uruguay in Group H. The USA will be pleased with a fairly kind group, although it will depend, like five other groups, on which teams make it through the play-offs in March. Advertisement The Athletic’s writers run through the potential winners and losers from the draw, the games to look forward to, and their hopes and expectations for next summer’s tournament. Michael Cox: The USA. It remains to be seen which of Turkey, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo complete the group alongside Paraguay and Australia, but the main hosts of this competition, while not anywhere near the level they should probably be at by this stage, can still feel confident of not merely progressing, but also topping Group D. Oliver Kay: The three host nations. Nobody is expecting them to win it, but the United States, Mexico and Canada all have beatable opponents in their group, which offers the opportunity to build belief and excitement in the host nations, which will be good for the tournament. Megan Feringa: It’s unoriginal but, yes, the home nations. All three nations have the capability of topping their respective groups, and major tournaments are always better when the hosts make it through to the knockout rounds. For the USMNT, it’s an especially favourable draw and there will be no excuses not to top their group with some conviction. Advertisement Thom Harris: Belgium. They will fancy their chances of topping Group G, with an opener against Egypt looking likely to set the tone. Games against Iran and New Zealand — the competition’s lowest-ranked side, per FIFA — should then allow the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku to show their class. Jack Lang: Spain should be pretty satisfied. Cape Verde did incredibly well to even reach the World Cup and it would be a major surprise were they to lay a glove on the European champions first up. Saudi Arabia aren’t as good as they were four years ago and Uruguay could just as easily self-destruct as thrive. Top spot in Group H beckons. Cox: Er, Intercontinental Pathway winners 2. If any of Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq get a single point against any of France, Senegal and Norway, they’ll have done well. It will probably be Bolivia — who are a decent side at home, but lost eight of their nine qualification games away, which doesn’t bode well. Kay: England. I know some will say otherwise, but being drawn in a group with Croatia, Panama and Ghana is fairly tough when you’re a top seed. If they manage to win the group and get to the last 16, they could find themselves facing Mexico in Mexico City — followed by, in theory, Brazil in Miami. Sometimes you can see a route to the semi-finals opening up from the moment the draw is made. I don’t think that’s the case with England or indeed Germany. Feringa: It depends on your definition of bad. If you’re Scottish and were hoping to go far in this tournament, that’s a tough task now with both five-time world champions Brazil and 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco standing in your way. The flip side is, of course, that this is why you want to qualify for these tournaments: to play the big beasts. There’s a wonderful bit of historic poetry at play as well, for what it’s worth. Scotland faced Brazil and Morocco the last time they were at a World Cup back in 1998. They lost to both. But hey, vengeance, unlike the World Cup draw, is like a fine wine; it gets better with time. Advertisement Harris: Perhaps they’ll relish the challenge, but Curacao will have been hoping for an easier introduction to life at the World Cup. An opening game against Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany is followed by a clash with tough South American side Ecuador. By the time they take on Ivory Coast, African Champions in 2023, they’ll be happy to have any points on the board. Lang: You know those groups in which three teams beat up on one poor underdog? Group E looks a lot like that to me. May fortune be on your side, Curacao. The same will absolutely apply to Group I once we know which of Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq are in the mix. Feringa: A re-run of that historic 2002 World Cup opener between France and Senegal? With both teams swimming in fun, attacking talent in a group where every point will matter? Bravo. Chef’s kiss. Big fan. Maybe (she writes through gritted teeth) the 88 excruciating minutes that preceded Friday’s draw really were worth it. Cox: Yes, Senegal v France. It being the opening game of both sides’ competition makes it even more special in relation to 2002. It will be a great game for Kalidou Koulibaly, Iliman Ndiaye and Edouard Mendy, Senegal players who were born in France. And, most importantly, it’s a clash between two good sides. Kay: Portugal v Colombia promises to be fun: a lot of exciting players on view for two strong, attack-minded teams who could well be battling for first place in Group K. And looking at the way the knockout bracket might pan out, there could well be a major benefit to winning that group rather than finishing as runner-up. Harris: Spain vs Uruguay presents an interesting clash of styles, and a heavyweight contest to bring Group H to a close. Marcelo Bielsa’s side are a full-blooded team, intense without the ball and direct with it. Their man-to-man marking scheme will be pulled all over the pitch by the quick combinations of Luis de la Fuente’s Spain, who will dominate the ball. It could be a dead rubber at that point, but it will be a fun tactical battle nonetheless. Lang: Brazil vs Morocco is a blockbuster start to Group C. The Selecao perhaps don’t have quite the mystique of yesteryear, and have struggled in recent World Cups, but you could never deny their big-ticket appeal. Morocco were the best team in African qualifying and have just come off a 12-match winning run. It could be a thriller — or a nerve-shredder. Advertisement Feringa: Group I. A France and Senegal rematch is delicious. So is the prospect of seeing both attempt to wrangle Norway’s 6ft 3in raw-milk rampaging goal plunderer (aka Erling Haaland). I’m a neutral, so watching other teams’ carnage is fun. It’s probably less so for those teams involved. Cox: Group I has three big names, but also a minnow. And all three could go through. So let’s go for Group F, which will feature a decent UEFA side — Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania — alongside Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. I’d suggest this is the group that will have the strongest fourth-best side, which is arguably what really matters at this tournament. Harris: Michael makes a good point: the third-place ranking system could solve some of those trickier-looking groups. I’ll go for Group K — even though Portugal and Colombia should dominate, Uzbekistan are an interesting side on an upward trajectory, while Jamaica or DR Congo could make things interesting. Kay: The phrase Group of Death became largely redundant — or at least inaccurate — once the World Cup was expanded to 32 teams in 1998. With 48 teams, of which 32 will make the knockout stage, it looks almost impossible for any team with serious aspirations to feel endangered. Some groups are tougher than others, but it’s not going to be like 2018 when Germany went out in the group stage. Lang: I agree with Oli. Eight third-placed teams will go through! There will be some upsets here and there, but if it’s pure peril you’re after, you’ll have to wait until the knockouts, sorry. Harris: A free-scoring forward at the peak of his powers, leading the line for one of the favourites. He’s already won this award, too. It has to be Kylian Mbappe. The 26-year-old only needs to score four to equal Miroslav Klose’s record as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, just one goal behind the great Lionel Messi after only two tournament appearances. In Qatar, he became only the second player to score a hat-trick in a final, and averaged over four shots a game throughout the competition. Expect similar figures this time around. Cox: Another vote for Mbappe — scoring at better than a goal per game this season, and likely to go deep in the competition for the third World Cup running. Feringa: Haaland. If Norway are going to make it far, Haaland will have to Haaland and if he Haalands hard enough, he’ll probably take that Golden Boot home with him. He scored 16 goals to ensure Norway (and by extension, himself) could grace next summer’s stage. He just struck Goal No 100 faster than anyone else in Premier League history. Really, we’re just in the appetiser phase of his feast. Advertisement Kay: The number of weaker teams means there’s an unprecedented opportunity to rack up goals in the group stage and perhaps in some cases beyond that. Cristiano Ronaldo has famously never scored a goal in the World Cup knockout stage, but he could feasibly score a hat-trick or even two in the group stage, given that Portugal will face Uzbekistan and arguably the weakest of the play-off winners. Lang: Mbappe is probably the call, but let’s go off-piste a bit. Mikel Oyarzabal is not a global superstar but he has been a reliable goalscorer for Spain under De la Fuente and could easily make hay in a mediocre group. Plus, he takes a mean penalty, which never hurts. Harris: When Spain passed their way to a dominant Euro 2024 victory, their most technically gifted midfielder barely played a part. Pedri picked up a knee injury just seven minutes into their quarter-final win over Germany, but he should be front and centre of another deep World Cup run next summer. He hasn’t missed a beat for Barcelona this season, combining athleticism and defensive tenacity with effortless dribbling and incisive passing from midfield, and barring any disruptions, will bring that rhythm to one of the tournament’s most slick possession sides. Cox: Pedri for me, too. The forgotten man as Spain won Euro 2024, he might be the best passer around, at a time when world football is lacking the midfield conductors of a decade ago. Kay: I’ve previously tipped France to win the World Cup, so it makes sense to propose Mbappe as the star of the tournament. I don’t think the draw has done him and his team too many favours, but I’ll stick with that prediction for now. Feringa: If it were up to Gianni Infantino, Donald Trump would win it. Actually, on reflection, I wouldn’t rule it out. Lang: I see Spain as favourites, so it makes sense to pick a Spaniard. As much as I appreciate Pedri and Rodri, the sheer, luminous attacking talent of Lamine Yamal will probably shine brighter in the eyes of the people who decide these things. Advertisement Kay: They’re hardly rank outsiders, but beyond the cluster of immediate favourites I expect Colombia to do well. But as discussed above, it’s important that they win Group K. Even with so many variables, finishing second in that group does not look like a good idea. Feringa: At the risk of pulling back the curtain, I picked Senegal before the draw happened. And because I can’t be bothered with a late rewrite, I’m going to stick with them. Senegal defeated Brazil (2-0 in November) and England (3-1 in June) in this calendar year, refining a compelling blend of youthful hunger and steady experience under manager Pape Thiaw. This writer remains hopeful that Ndiaye’s triumphant bird imitations can be enjoyed for as long as possible next summer. Cox: Japan. They don’t have any true superstars, but they have a defined way of playing, a deep squad and a flexible coach. Their possession-based style of football and their tendency to rotate may suit the physical demands of this competition. Unlucky to lose to Belgium and Croatia at the round of 16 at the last two World Cups, I think this could be the tournament where they finally reach the quarter-finals. Harris: Though unlikely to win the entire thing, Ecuador are built on rock-solid defensive foundations, with a sprinkling of superstar quality in midfield. Sebastian Beccacece’s side have conceded only two goals in their last 12 competitive fixtures, keeping 10 clean sheets. They are spoilt for choice at centre-back, the commanding Willian Pacho is flanked by the promising Joel Ordonez, while Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie offers the team versatility to switch between a back three or four. If there is to be an issue, it may be up top. Ecuador are still overly reliant on 36-year-old Enner Valencia for goals, although the talented Kendry Paez — half his strike-partner’s age — has shown glimpses of his potential on the international stage. Think of them as the Inter or Atletico Madrid of this World Cup — that side you really don’t want to meet in the knockouts, and who could easily grind out the odd result to go further than you might expect. Lang: I’m siding with Thom and going for Ecuador. I’ll add Moises Caicedo — possibly the best central midfielder in the world — and tricky winger Gonzalo Plata to the list of players he mentioned. They won’t thrill you, but they’ll take some breaking down. Harris: Yan Diomande’s story is incredible — he moved from DME Academy in Florida just over a year ago, a sports academy for student athletes, straight to Leganes in the Spanish top flight. After 10 appearances and 309 touches of the ball, he was snapped up by RB Leipzig for €20million. The 19-year-old is a frighteningly fast, fleet-footed winger who never tires of running at defenders. He’s already contributed to five Bundesliga goals, while no player in the division has completed more take-ons. It won’t be easy for Ivory Coast in Group E, but an exciting talent has his chance to leave a mark where his footballing journey began. Advertisement Cox: London-born France international Michael Olise, already a hugely revered winger for Bayern Munich, but having never previously played at a major tournament other than the Olympics, he probably still qualifies for this kind of category. Kay: Are Estevao, Yamal, Pedri etc already too established for this category? That’s the issue these days — so many of the best prospects in world football are already at big European clubs by the time their teens are out. For a potential breakout star (probably not superstar), how about Mexico midfielder Gilberto Mora? He’s only just turned 17 but he excelled at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile this autumn and has already got five senior caps to his name. Feringa: Argentina’s Nico Paz. Maybe it’s a long shot, as the 21-year-old midfielder wasn’t immensely involved in the qualification campaign (he only made four appearances). But there’s a reason various reports keep insisting Real Madrid are trying to bring Paz back from his loan at Como. He’s cooking over there and boy, does the food smell good: five goals and five assists in 13 appearances, amongst the top in the league for tackles and duels. As compelling as the bare numbers are, they fail to paint the full picture of the all-around weapon Paz can be — and is actively becoming. Lang: Norway aren’t just a one-man team. Martin Odegaard and Alexander Sorloth are established names but I recommend keeping an eye out for Antonio Nusa. The Leipzig winger is brilliant one-on-one and has a knack for the spectacular. If opponents are focused on Big Erling, he could wreak havoc out wide. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle