2026 FIFA World Cup Draw Details

The U.S. men’s national soccer team will begin its journey in the 2026 FIFA World Cup by taking on Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This matchup was confirmed during the tournament’s official draw held on Friday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Notably, the draw was attended by prominent figures, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, who joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino on stage. The three nations are set to co-host the tournament.

In the draw, the U.S. team was placed in Group D, where they’ll also compete against Australia and the winner of a UEFA playoff involving Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo, and Romania.

“Everything is quite fresh at this point,” noted U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino after the event. “We have to take it step by step on our journey,” he added. “When June 12 comes, we need to treat it like it’s the last game—like it’s the World Cup final.”

The event featured appearances from well-known athletes such as Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O’Neal, and Aaron Judge, all of whom helped with the draw. The tournament is expected to attract over five million attendees and around six billion global viewers.

During the ceremony, President Trump entertained the audience by performing a version of the “YMCA” dance alongside The Village People. He was later awarded the FIFA Peace Prize, an honor given to individuals who have made notable contributions to global peace. Infantino specifically acknowledged Trump’s role in reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.

The United States will host 60 matches across 11 cities, out of a total of 104 games in the tournament, with the final match taking place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Group Breakdown

Here’s how the groups look:

Group A

• Mexico
• South Africa
• South Korea
• UEFA playoff D (Czechia/Ireland/Denmark/North Macedonia)

Group B

• Canada
• UEFA playoff A (Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Italy/Northern Ireland)
• Qatar
• Switzerland

Group C

• Brazil
• Morocco
• Haiti
• Scotland

Group E

• Germany
• Curaçao
• Ivory Coast
• Ecuador

Group F

• Netherlands
• Japan
• UEFA playoff B (Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania)
• Tunisia

Group G

• Belgium
• Egypt
• Iran
• New Zealand

Group H

• Spain
• Cape Verde
• Saudi Arabia
• Uruguay

Group I

• France
• Senegal
• FIFA playoff 2 (Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname)
• Norway

Group J

• Argentina
• Algeria
• Austria
• Jordan

Group K

• Portugal
• FIFA playoff 1 (New Caledonia/Jamaica/Congo)
• Uzbekistan
• Colombia

Group L

• England
• Croatia
• Ghana
• Panama