Article body analysed
The World Cup is about so much more than just the football. FIFA's pricing structure for next summer's tournament ignores that Sebastian Stafford-Bloor339 FIFA accused of World Cup ‘betrayal’ over ticket prices for followers of teams Jessica Hopkins and Matt Slater274 Canada's World Cup draw means its group suspense and uncertainty will linger Joshua Kloke27 Guide to Group B at World Cup 2026 Joshua Kloke, Tim Spiers and more3 World Cup 2026 Draw: Who is already qualified? Why won't we know the full draw? Eduardo Tansley6 Advertisement On Friday, soccer fans across the world will get an answer to the question they have asked for months: Who are we playing in the men’s World Cup?
To help prepare you for the World Cup draw, The Athletic made this simulator. It allows you to play out an unlimited number of draws and see all possible groups for the team you support.
Your team:
United States
At your command, it will let you create as many draws as you want. And it will tell you whether the group drawn is particularly weak or strong.
We’ll start you off with a random draw:
Group A
Mexico
Mexico
Tunisia
Tunisia
Colombia. .. Ryan Best, Henry Bushnell and more The 2026 World Cup draw is expected to begin at noon Eastern time on Friday, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C. We will update the results live on this page throughout the draw.
Draw starts in 16h, 18 min. , 55 sec.
Group A
Mexico
Mexico
Group B
Canada
Canada
Group C
Group D
United States
United States
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Group I
Group J
Group K
Group L
Pot 1
Argentina
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
England
France
Germany
Mexico
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
United States
Pot 2
Australia
Austria
Colombia
Croatia
Ecuador
Iran
Japan
Morocco
Senegal
South Korea
Switzerland
Uruguay
Pot 3. .. Thomas Oide, Ryan Best and more4 POWERED BY NO CONDITION LISTED 1962 HOLLAND NETHERLANDS V NORTHERN IRELAND International FOOTBALL PROGRAMME 1 available $66. 87 View Listing USED Northern Ireland (EURO 2016) International Football Jersey Shirt (Adult Large) 1 available $12. 00 View Listing NO CONDITION LISTED Northern Ireland international football new windsor park stadium fridge magnet 1 available $6. 67 View Listing NO CONDITION LISTED Northern Ireland V Scotland International Football Programme 8. 5. 1976 (30) 1 available $4. 00 View Listing Impress your friends with some weird and wonderful knowledge about the countries involved in Friday's World Cup draw Will Jeanes65 The 2026 World Cup draw takes place on December 5 with U. S. President Donald Trump expected to be in attendance Eduardo Tansley32 Advertisement It is 20 years since the Manchester United great passed away, yet the man known as the Fifth Beatle remains a presence even now Michael Walker40 The 16 remaining European World Cup hopefuls now know their play-off fate for next March James Horncastle, Nick Miller and more24 There are 22 nations competing for the six remaining World Cup spots via the play-offs, which will take place across the final week of March Colin Millar121 Adidas have released their 'home' kits for the 2026 World Cup. So, what do our writers think? Carl Anka, Caoimhe O'Neill and more100 It comes a day after the Scottish champions fell to a 3-1 defeat at Hearts, opening up an eight-point gap at the top of the league. Colin Millar179 Arne Slot has tried Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Dominik Szoboszlai this term. Now he needs to find some stability in the position Andy Jones55 Advertisement After Cape Verde's success this week, which other outsiders could yet reach next summer's tournament? Will Jeanes22 There’s a smorgasbord of tasty World Cup qualifying fixtures to sink your teeth into. Here are five worth watching. Jack Bantock6 It’s time to slam the brakes on your domestic campaigns, as Europe’s road to the 2026 World Cup picks up again this week. Jack Bantock5 The best teams north and south of the Irish border met in the first qualifying round - a draw that had provoked some anxiety Michael Walker37 Clubs have begun to put support those let go, but research shows mental health, lack of self-worth and loss of identity are common issues Colin Millar116 Evans, 37, made 241 first-team appearances for United over two spells as a player and won multiple trophies. Laurie Whitwell91 Advertisement Lindelof is one of United's longest-serving players, having signed from Benfica in 2017 and making 270 appearances for the club. Colin Millar68 Bradley is set to take on a greater role next season with Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving on a free transfer this summer to join Real Madrid. James Pearce66 England know better than most countries the power of hosting a tournament on home soil and the 2035 event can bring a fresh momentum Michael Cox3 The joint Home Nations bid was confirmed as the sole candidate for the tournament by FIFA chief Infantino at UEFA’s Congress in Belgrade. Matt Slater9 See More