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Canada does not want Norway out of Pot 3. The Norwegians went undefeated in qualifying, relegating Italy to the playoffs, thanks to the goal-scoring heroics of Erling Haaland, one of the titans of the game.

Even though Canada drew Switzerland out of Pot 2, another European team is still possible. Panama is the only team that isn't.

The weakest teams, by a considerable margin, are Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Jesse Marsch, Canada's head coach, would be just fine to see their lots pulled.

We're more than halfway through the draw.

Here's who is in Pot 3: Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (40), Ivory Coast (42), Uzbekistan (60), Qatar (51), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61).

Switzerland is a mixed result for Canada out of Pot 2. Every group has to have a European team, and it could have been worse. (Croatia would have been a brutal draw for Canada.)

But the Swiss are ranked 17th in the world, 10 places above Canada, and a result against them in what will likely be Canada's final group-stage game won’t be a given.

Shaquille O'Neal drew from Pot 2. Here's how it went:

Group L looks stacked now that Croatia was picked. England, ranked fourth, and Croatia, ranked 10th, will face off early on in the World Cup. In fact, England’s first game will be against Croatia.

A quick reminder of the teams in Pot 2, with rankings: Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), South Korea (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26).

Now, as we move on to Pot 2, things get nervy for Canada. Every team is seeded higher, but this is not a pot of equals.

The worst possible draw for Canada would be Croatia, semi-finalists in Qatar in 2022 and the victors in a 4-1 thumping of Canada in the group stage. Morocco, another semifinalist in 2022, and Colombia, the 13th-ranked team in the world, would also be less than ideal.

Australia would be a fantastic pick for Canada. Although the Australians beat Canada 1-0 in a scrappy October friendly in Montreal, each side would like its chances against the other. Australia is ranked 26th, one place above Canada.

Iran presents challenges both on and off the pitch. The 20th-ranked side would be a tough opponent; the U.S. Travel ban on Iranian citizens and its effect on the World Cup's usual fan migrations would also add to the complexity of a Canada-Iran matchup.

Tom Brady drew Brazil first for Group C.

Here's how the rest went:

Argentina was placed in Group J, despite initially being pulled for I, because Argentina and Spain have to be placed in separate pathways as the top two ranked teams.

That means the scariest teams are officially placed in their respective groups. Next we'll find out who will play against them.

As we get started, here's a reminder of the teams is in Pot 1, which includes co-hosts Canada, the U.S. And Mexico.

They are joined by the top nine teams, ordered here by rank: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Former English professional soccer player Rio Ferdinand will conduct the actual draw, with several sports stars joining him as "draw assistants": Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O'Neal, Aaron Judge and Tom Brady.

Ferdinand was joined on stage by broadcaster Samantha Johnson, the World Cup draw host. "Kevin, Heidi, we’ll take it from here," Johnson said.

Presumably, that means we are very close to getting underway! Ferdinand was clear on one thing, however: it’s football.

Hosting a global sporting event is expensive, and the World Cup is no different.

Estimates suggest that hosting seven games in Vancouver will cost provincial and municipal governments $624 million, with another $116 million coming from the federal government. Meanwhile, games in Toronto are expected to cost about $380 million, divided between the three levels of government. According to a recent Angus Reid poll, more than 70 per cent of Canadians believe that hosting is only worth it if the cities can recoup the costs.

Then there are the ticket prices, with fans paying hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to attend a game. The same Angus Reid poll found that an overwhelming majority of Canadians believe tickets are too expensive.

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