On December 5, the eagerly awaited FIFA 2026 World Cup draw occurred, establishing the paths for the 42 qualified teams, while the remaining six slots will be determined by playoffs in March 2026, ahead of the tournament set to commence in June across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The USMNT is recognized as fortunate, competing in Group D against Australia, Paraguay, and the UEFA playoff winner, among Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo. Here’s the complete grouping:
- Group A: Mexico, Korea Republic, South Africa, UEFA Playoff D (Denmark/North Macedonia/Czechia/North Macedonia)
- Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA Playoff A (Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
- Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff D (Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo)
- Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B (Sweden/Ukraine/Poland/Albania)
- Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
- Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cabo Verde
- Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Intercontinental Playoff 2 (Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname)
- Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Intercontinental Playoff 1 (DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia)
- Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
With the draw concluded, let’s examine the current World Cup Power Rankings and reactions to each team’s placement:
