Washington (United States) (AFP) – Holders Argentina and leading contenders Spain were handed kind draws for the 2026 World Cup in a star-studded ceremony on Friday, which saw US President Donald Trump receive FIFA’s new peace prize. The event in Washington 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.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina will begin their defense 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 that features beaten 2018 finalists Croatia, as well as Ghana and Panama.
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Two-time winners France, meanwhile, face awkward tests 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 the 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,” Trump said at the Kennedy Center after receiving his prize from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “It is truly one of the great honors of my life. It is such an honor to be with Gianni. He has done such an incredible job,” he added. “The world is a safer place now. The United States a year ago was not going too well, but now it is the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Trump seized the limelight, but 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. The event was co-hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and American actor and comedian Kevin Hart and featured performances by the Village People, Robbie Williams, and Andrea Bocelli. NFL legend Tom Brady, ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, and former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal were among the stars helping to conduct the draw.
Elsewhere in the draw, co-hosts Mexico will take on South Africa in Group A in the opening game of the tournament at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil and surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco came out together in Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti. Germany’s opponents in Group E will be Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Caribbean minnows Curacao, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will face Uzbekistan, Colombia, and a play-off winner.
Co-hosts the United States got a manageable draw, with Paraguay, Australia, and a European play-off winner in Group D. 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, the greatest event that humanity has ever seen. We have three beautiful countries, 16 wonderful host cities, 48 excellent teams who will compete in 104 matches to become the one and only world champion,” Infantino said. “This is like 104 Super Bowls in one month — this is the magnitude of what we are organizing,” he added of the tournament.
Six finals berths are still to be decided in playoffs to take place in March. Because of the complexity, teams will only learn the full details of their match venues and kick-off times on Saturday, a day after the draw.
© 2024 AFP
