Defending champions Argentina and leading contenders Spain have been handed favorable draws for the 2026 World Cup during a star-studded ceremony in Washington, DC.
The event on Friday started the final countdown to the tournament, six months out from the first-ever 48-team World Cup, with much-fancied France among those receiving a harder task, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina will begin their defence of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 against Algeria, and will also face Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.
Heavily-fancied Spain, the European champions, will kick off their campaign against first-time qualifiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.
Thomas Tuchel’s England will hope to win Group L which features beaten 2018 finalists Croatia as well as Ghana and Panama.
Two-time winners France, meanwhile, face awkward tests in “Group of Death” against Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, which will be completed by an intercontinental play-off winner from either Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname.
The 2026 tournament will be held across the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in Qatar in 2022.
That means a total of 104 matches, compared to 64 games last time.
While the US will host the majority of matches, including the final at MetLife Stadium outside New York, three of the 16 venues will be in Mexico and two in Canada.
“We’ve worked closely with those two countries, and the coordination and friendship and relationship has been outstanding,” US President Donald Trump said at the Kennedy Centre after receiving his prize from FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Brazil faces Morocco
Apart from Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum were also in attendance.
While snow fell outside amid freezing temperatures in the US capital, some of the biggest stars in the American sport and entertainment world appeared on stage inside.