World Cup draw could hardly have gone better for US

The United States could barely feature asked for a break draw at the 2026 World Cup.

The co-host should expect to stick around at its own party until at least the round of 32 after being grouped with Paraguay, Australia and the winner of a European playoff between Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo and Romania in Friday's draw, attended by President Donald Trump in Washington.

U.S. Coach Mauricio Pochettino will take nothing for granted but with none of those nations ranked in the top 20 by FIFA it would be a major disappointment if his team failed to advance as one of the top two in Group D or via the safety net as a best-performing third-place qualifier.

Another co-host, Mexico, will also expect to progress from a group with South Africa, South Korea and one of Denmark, North Macedonia, Czech Republic or Ireland.

Third co-host Canada's group could look significantly more difficult if four-time world champion Italy qualifies via the playoffs. Canada, which has never won a point at the World Cup, also drew Qatar and Switzerland.

The relatively kind draws for the co-hosts looks like a consequence of a supersized 48-team World Cup, up from 32 teams.

With so many teams and a seeded draw, it was natural the biggest nations would be kept apart in the opening phase.

There was no obvious “group of death.”

France was drawn with Senegal, Norway and one of Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq.

England, ranked No. 4, has No. 10-ranked Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

The group phase may deliver shocks but it is hard to see the real jeopardy for the top seeded teams.

Defending champion Argentina has to navigate only Algeria, Austria and Jordan, while European champion Spain has Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, however, insisted danger was all around.

“People think there are easy groups but it is a very similar level,” de la Fuente said. “This will be a historic World Cup because there’s an exceptional level all round. These games force you to play at your best.”

Morocco was one of the stories of the last World Cup by becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals. And it has the chance to make a statement in its first game next year against mighty Brazil.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui said it will be “one of the greatest matches” of the tournament.

“We want to try to win the group or at least get through to the next phase,” he told TV Globo. “Since the 2022 World Cup everyone wants to beat us.”

England vs. Croatia is a repeat of a 2018 semifinal. Croatia won on that occasion and was a semifinalist again in 2022. England is one of the title favorites next year after back-to-back European Championship finals.

There's a repeat of one of the biggest ever World Cup upsets when France takes on Senegal. Senegal stunned the then-defending champion France 1-0 in 2002.

“We know this is a very tough group, we cannot rest,” France coach Didier Deschamps said.

Tiny Curaçao and Cape Verde will share the stage with titans of international soccer.

Curaçao is the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the World Cup and will play four-time champion Germany. Cape Verde is the third smallest to qualify and is grouped with Spain.

Scotland, at its first World Cup since 1998, faces familiar opposition in Brazil. The nations have met on four previous occasions at sport's biggest event — 1974, ‘82, ’90 and ‘98 — and Scotland didn’t win any of them.

The Scots were also grouped with Morocco in 1998 and will meet again.

Haiti completes Group C.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are on course to set a new record of appearing at six World Cups.

Should Argentina and Portugal win their respective groups, the earliest the two greats could meet would be in the quarterfinals in Kansas City.

Messi ended his long wait to win the World Cup when he led Argentina to glory in 2022.

Ronaldo is still waiting to win the one major trophy that has eluded him and this is surely his last chance, given he will be 41 when the tournament kicks off.

soccer: /hub/soccer

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