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The 2026 World Cup final could be the single most lucrative match in soccer history. Henry Bushnell188 USA coach Mauricio Pochettino says patriotic ‘emotion of the people’ can inspire World Cup run Henry Bushnell27 Guide to Group A at World Cup 2026 Nick Miller, Felipe Cardenas and more1 World Cup 2026: A group-by-group guide to all the teams Michael Cox, Jack Lang and more144 Mexico drawn in 2026 World Cup Group A: What to know about South Africa, South Korea, playoff teams Luke Bosher8 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 NEW Nike South Korea Home Red International Soccer Jersey Mens M 1 available $54. 98 View Listing NEW 2018 INTERNATIONAL SOCCER TEENYMATES SERIES 1 - PICK YOUR SOCCER TEAM FIGURE 1 available $2. 25 View Listing UNGRADED 2025 Panini Origins Kyler Murray /10 INTERNATIONAL SOUTH KOREA #IO-KMY Cardinals 1 available $85. 00 View Listing NO CONDITION LISTED Multi Signed H. M. Son South Korea International Football Shirt, Son Signed Red 1 available $267. 12 View Listing Impress your friends with some weird and wonderful knowledge about the countries involved in Friday's World Cup draw Will Jeanes65 Not sure about what to expect from a soccer World Cup in North America? Here's everything we think you need to know Jack Lang53 Advertisement Teammates tell the tales of how Son Heung-min and Thomas Müller have been everything their clubs could've hoped for – on and off the field Tom Bogert30 Fans were left disgruntled as details of the connection between FIFA collectibles and World Cup game tickets emerged Henry Bushnell402 The effects of variable pricing are already being felt on the World Cup ticket market Henry Bushnell168 Breaking down the earliest information as the first batch of fans gained the chance to buy tickets for next summer Henry Bushnell305 Soccer's governing has mulled a historic expansion of the tournament to mark the World Cup's 100th anniversary Adam Crafton268 The South Korean star is loving life in Major League Soccer and produced another fine display Martin Rogers52 Advertisement The U. S. manager's tactical move brought the best out of his September squad. Finally, we can look forward with hope and anticipation Charlie Davies48 The Monaco forward's performance against Japan was a game-changer for Pochettino and the U. S. Henry Bushnell90 The USMNT's star player and head coach have endured some rocky patches. Henry Bushnell40 Another home game, another passionate crowd full of away fans Henry Bushnell86 The USMNT manager had some curious words in reaction to a 2-0 friendly defeat, as the World Cup inches ever closer Henry Bushnell and Martin Rogers198 The USMNT did little to relieve the pressure on the players and manager Mauricio Pochettino after another defeat to a World Cup-bound foe Paul Tenorio and Henry Bushnell330 Advertisement The Seattle midfielder had fallen off the national team picture before this week's dramatic return. Henry Bushnell62 Before even playing in his first home game in L. A. , the South Korean superstar's impact is being felt on and beyond the pitch. Paul Tenorio69 Son Heung-min capped a whirlwind of a week by debuting for LAFC and actively helping his new club snatch a road point Paul Tenorio85 LAFC's last big swing didn't go so well. So how can the MLS Cup hopeful turn its new star signing into a smash success? Jeff Rueter49 See More