World Cup in North America picks up pace as draw held in the US | OneFootball

The countdown to the 2026 World Cup, the biggest in football history, begins on Friday (5th) with the draw ceremony in Washington, with Donald Trump ready to attract huge attention.

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From June 11 to July 19, 2026, 48 teams will compete in the United States, Mexico, and Canada for the coveted title, won by Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Qatar 2022.

The World Cup will begin to take shape starting at 12:00 local time (2:00 pm in Brasília) this Friday, in a show filled with performances and special guests, tailor-made by the American president.

The Republican will act as a double host after his recommendation of the Kennedy Center, an institution he presides over, was accepted as the venue for a draw that almost returned to Las Vegas, as in the 1994 World Cup.

On the edge of political neutrality, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has cultivated a close relationship with the leader of the United States, a country with 11 of the 16 World Cup venues, compared to three in Mexico and two in Canada.

With numerous gestures and compliments, Infantino has gained privileged access to the White House and other political power settings, but Trump’s disruptive character continues to loom over the great football event.

The tycoon has threatened to withdraw games from opposition-governed cities if he considers them not “safe” and enforces immigration restrictions that could affect foreign fans, in addition to maintaining tense relations with the other tournament organizing governments due to his tariff demands.

Both Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plan to travel for a draw in which, barring surprises, Trump will be honored with a newly created FIFA Peace Prize.

Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

Star-studded show

Supermodel Heidi Klum and comedian Kevin Hart will be the hosts on a stage where Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, and Village People—authors of the anthem “Y.M.C.A.” adopted by Trump in his election campaign—will perform.

Former English footballer Rio Ferdinand will conduct the draw with the help of four American sports icons: Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Gretzky, and Aaron Judge.

The group will hold in their hands the fate of the 48 participating teams, six of which will still be decided in the intercontinental and European playoffs. From the pots, 12 groups of four teams will be drawn in a process with new restrictions and rules, with Argentina, world and South American champion, and Spain, European champion, as the top seeds.

If they finish as leaders of their groups, the teams led by Messi and Lamine Yamal could only meet in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, near New York. France and England, other nations with the highest FIFA rankings, would also not face each other until at least the semifinals. The quartet will be in the first of four pots along with the three host teams, as well as Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo, in another milestone of this edition, will have the chance to reach a record six World Cups played, as will Messi, who is still hesitant to confirm his presence, despite continuing to score goals for his national team and Inter Miami.

Threats in the pots

For Latin American football, Colombia, Uruguay, and Ecuador will be in the second pot, and Panama and Paraguay in the third. The fourth pot will feature the survivors of the playoffs. If Italy manages to qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 2014, some favorite team could face a four-time world champion still in the group stage.

The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has also favored the entry of small nations like Cape Verde or Curaçao, further frustrating excluded teams such as Costa Rica, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The top two from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage, which this time will start with a round of 32.

The draw will also reveal Mexico’s opponent in the opening match, which will be played at the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. FIFA will announce the complete schedule of venues and times for the 104 matches starting Saturday (6th).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.