Awkward World Cup Host Nation Groups | OneFootball

The World Cup draw festivities are less than an hour away from commencing. And with the pot set-ups being what they are, there could be some VERY awkward groups that come out in the upcoming draw.

What better time to examine the worst case scenarios for each of our three host nations: Canada, Mexico, the United States. For sanity’s sake, we’ve limited each group leader to only one potential combination. If I was stronger in mathematics I could calculate the odds of hitting any of these combos, but alas, I like words.

Canada

Let’s be honest, nearly everyone globally likes (or at least tolerates) Canada. So picking an awkward group is difficult. The worst scenario I can imagine for them would be facing nations that all begin with ‘C’.

Mexico

World Cups have not been kind to Mexico. Between 1994 and 2018, El Trí have advanced out of the group phase, only to stumble in the follow-up game. Their best ever finish was a Quarterfinals appearance in 1970 and 1986, years where they were the host.

A worst case scenario for them would be facing an entire group that has defeated them in World Cup’s past. Almost like a Scrooge scenario, but in June.

The United States

The USA is the largest host nation in terms of venues and population. There’s immense pressure on the national team to perform regardless of who them draw, but geo-political realities could make this particular group especially fraught.