(L–R) U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney holds their countries’ name during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Dec. 5, 2025. Chris Carlson/AP Photo
WASHINGTON—All around the globe, eyes focused Friday on the stage where World Cup paths were sorted, nations’ names chosen one by one in a draw that determined Argentina will start their title defense against Algeria and the United States will open against Paraguay.
Twenty-seven months after qualifying began, teams from five-time champion Brazil to newcomers Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan learned their group-stage opponents in the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament that starts June 11 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
