The focus quickly turned to football as the fate of the participating teams was revealed at the event in Washington, DC, after weeks of a politically charged build-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw and amid Donald Trump’s presence.
President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum were all in attendance as the leaders of the three co-host nations as the US capital played host for the event at the Kennedy Center on Friday.
The US president was declared the favorite to receive the new FIFA Peace Prize in the weeks that followed the announcement of the award in November, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The final two rounds of the competition, which included four teams each, were drawn, but it was more important for the 42 qualified teams, their officials, and the fans.
The World Cup’s first game will be a throwback to 2010 when Mexico take on South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City in a replay of the 2010 edition’s tournament opener. Fans of the 2026 version will hope Lawrence Tshabalala’s opening goal matches the screamer scored by the then-hosts South Africa.
One of the hardest groups of the 12 will be Mexico’s group, A, which also includes South Korea, Denmark, Macedonia, Czechia, and Ireland.
Team USA are placed alongside Australia, Paraguay, plus one of Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo.
Making it out of a group that includes Switzerland, Qatar, one of Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, or Bosnia also presents a challenging challenge for Canada.
Which teams are in the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The 42 nations that have been confirmed are:
Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Algeria
Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Europe includes Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Croatia, Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland.
Oceania: New Zealand
Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Curacao, Panama, Haiti, USA, Mexico, Canada
What teams will play in the FIFA World Cup in 2026?
- Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, plus one of Denmark, Macedonia, Czechia, or Ireland in Group A.
- Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, plus one of Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia
- Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti are all included in Group C.
- Group D includes the United States, Australia, Paraguay, plus one of Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo.
- Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
- Group F includes Albania, Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and Tunisia, as well as the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.
- Group G: Egypt, New Zealand, Iran, and Belgium.
- Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
- Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, plus one of Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname.
- Group J: Jordan, Jordan, Austria, and Argentina
- Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, plus one of DRC, Jamaica or New Caledonia
- Group L: Ghana, Panama, Croatia, and England.
What’s the format of the FIFA World Cup 2026?
One group-stage round and four knockout rounds will precede the final in the tournament.
The knockouts will begin with the round 32, followed by the round 16, four quarterfinals, and two semifinals, unlike previous years.
How will teams proceed from group stage to round of 32?
Each of the 12 groups’ four teams will play one more time.
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will advance to the round 32 at the conclusion of the 68 group-stage matches, along with the eight best third-place finishers.
What’s the ‘ group of death ‘ at the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The most competitive groups in multistage international sporting competitions are referred to as the “group of death” in an informal manner.
It is typically given to groups with more top-performing or highly ranked teams than qualifying slots available for the next stage.
At the 2026 edition, the toughest groups will likely be: Groups A, D, G and L.
What are the top ten World Cup 2026 group matches that everyone must watch?
- Morocco vs. Brazil
- USA vs Paraguay
- Croatia vs. England
- Japan vs. the Netherlands
- Iran vs Egypt
- Uruguay vs. Spain
- Senegal vs. France
- Argentina vs Austria
- Jordan vs. Algeria
- Colombia vs. Portugal
Trump received the FIFA Peace Prize for what reason?
The US president won the award weeks after Trump failed to receive a highly coveted Nobel Peace Prize, making him the first person to ever receive the new peace prize from FIFA.
Infantino said Trump won the award for “exceptional and extraordinary” actions to promote peace and unity around the world.
Infantino stated to Trump that the prize was a “beautiful medal for you that you can wear everywhere you want to go” when presenting the award. Trump rolled his medal straight away around his neck.
FIFA announced the annual prize in November, saying it would recognise people who bring “hope for future generations”.
The US president frequently asserts that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to put an end to what he claims is an illustrious year of conflicts, including a flimsy ceasefire in Gaza.
The US president’s second presidency has turned on the World Cup.
What did Trump say at the World Cup 2026 draw?
In his brief remarks, Trump praised the leaders of the other two host countries and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, adding that the cooperation between the two countries was “exemplary.”
Trump continued, “most important, I just want to thank everyone,” saying, “This is truly one of my life’s greatest honors.” The world is a safer place now”.
When will the FIFA World Cup 2026 teams be confirmed?
We won’t know our final 48 World Cup teams until March 31, 2026 as the European qualifying rounds continue through March and the intercontinental playoff final is scheduled for the same month.
Which teams are in the World Cup 2026 playoffs?
The playoffs are divided into European and Intercontinental teams.
Representatives from all other continental groups will compete for the final two berths in the intercontinental playoff, where the final four UEFA spots will be secured by the European leg.
European playoff teams: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Turkiye, Ukraine, Wales, Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia
Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname are the intercontinental playoff teams.
When will the World Cup 2026 playoffs for Europe and the intercontinental be held?
In Europe, the 16 competing teams vying for four places have been divided into four playoff paths, with each of the four paths comprising two single-leg semifinals and one single-leg final.
The final four finalists will advance to the final UEFA spots. March 26 will host the semifinals, and March 31 will host the finals.
The intercontinental playoffs determine the last two non-European finalists.
The top two seeded teams, Iraq and DRC, have already qualified for the two finals, while the other two finalists will be decided by two semifinals between the four remaining teams.
March 23 is when the intercontinental semifinals will take place, with the March 31 final.
Which major teams are not in the World Cup 2026?
The biggest names that aren’t included in the tournament are Nigeria, Chile, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Greece, and Serbia.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play?
Ronaldo has confirmed that the tournament will be his swansong on football’s biggest stage.
The Portuguese superstar has 226 appearances and is the most successful man in international football history with 143 international goals.
Ronaldo has yet to win a trophy for his nation despite having played in five FIFA World Cups.
Meanwhile, Messi has also expressed hope that he will lead Argentina’s title defence in North America but acknowledged that his age and fitness will dictate his role.
In an interview with ESPN Argentina this week, he said, “I’m going to take it one day at a time, being honest, trying to be realistic and feel good.”
“I felt very good this year.”
The Inter Miami star admitted that playing club football in the US will make it easier for him to consider his participation.
The Argentinian captain said in another interview from October that it was “something extraordinary to be able to be in a World Cup” and that he would love to.
If I’m there, I want to be there, to be well, and play a significant role in the success of my team. I’m going to assess that on a day-to-day basis when I start preseason next year with Inter, and see if I can really be 100 percent, if I can be useful, and then make a decision.
Because it’s a World Cup, I’m very eager. Being able to defend it on the field once more is amazing because it’s always a dream to play for the national team. “We’re coming off winning the last one.
When is the FIFA World Cup 2026 scheduled?
The tournament will start on June 11 and end on July 19.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 final will be held in which country?
The tournament will begin at the Mexico City Stadium, while the US will host the final at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
What is the World Cup 2026 schedule in its entirety?
Source: Aljazeera
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