After an endless draw this Friday evening, spectators are now set for the next World Cup. For the French team, it will be heavy and probably the toughest group in this draw. Drawn in Group I, the Blues will have to defeat Senegal and Norway. To complete this group, France will also have to face the winner of the path 2 play-offs (Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq). Very heavy therefore for France which had had the habit in recent years of coming across very affordable groups. As for the big names in this tournament, Spain, European champion, is doing well with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
Argentina, the defending champion, inherited a manageable group with Algeria, Jordan and Austria. Same story for Germany with Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador. England will have to fight with Croatia, Ghana and Panama in a group which could have become the group of death. For Morocco, sensation of the World Cup in Qatar 2022, there will also be heavy with a shock against Brazil in group B. With them, Scotland and the small team from Haiti which will try to create the feat.
Strong group for the Blues!
As for the organizing countries, the draw was rather very lenient. Mexico is doing very well, falling with South Africa, South Korea and the European winner of Path D (Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or Republic of Ireland). The opening match will therefore be between Mexico and South Africa, a remake of that of 2010… in South Africa! For Canada, a similar situation with an affordable group made up of Switzerland, Qatar and the Europe winner of Path A (Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina).
Image generation in progress
Finally, the United States will challenge Paraguay, Australia and the European winner of Path C (TĂĽrkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo). For the rest, we can also note Portugal which inherits Colombia, Uzbekistan and the winner of the FIFA 1 play-off tournament (New Caledonia, Jamaica or Democratic Republic of Congo). The Netherlands also had an exciting group with Tunisia, Japan and the European winner of path B. (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania). The Belgian neighbors will have to get rid of Egypt, Iran and New Zealand. Which clearly seems feasible, especially with the fact that the best third-place finishers also qualify for the round of 16. See you next summer for the start of hostilities!
The complete draw for the 2026 World Cup
Group A
Mexico
South Africa
Republic of Korea
Dam operator Europe track D (Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or Republic of Ireland)
Group B
Canada
Dam operator Europe track A (Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Qatar
Swiss
Group C
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
Group D
UNITED STATES
Paraguay
Australia
Dam operator Europe track C (TĂĽrkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo)
Group E
Germany
Curacao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
Group F
The Netherlands
Japan
Dam operator Europe track B (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania)
Tunisia
Group G
Belgium
Egypt
RI Iran
New Zealand
Group H
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
Group I
France
Senegal
Winner of the FIFA 2 Play-off Tournament (Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq)
Norway
Group J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
Group K
Portugal
Winner of the FIFA Play-off Tournament 1 (New Caledonia, Jamaica or Democratic Republic of Congo)
Uzbekistan
Colombia
Group L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama
Composition of the draw hats
Hat 1: Canada, Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, FranceEngland, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Hat 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, RI Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Hat 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Hat 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, Europe dam operator route A (Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina), Europe dam operator route B (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania), Europe dam operator route C (Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo), Europe dam operator route D (Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or Republic of Ireland), winner of the FIFA Play-off Tournament 1 (New Caledonia, Jamaica or Democratic Republic of Congo), winner of the FIFA Play-off Tournament 2 (Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq)
The long-awaited moment has arrived. At the Kennedy Center, we have now installed four salad bowls with twelve balls each in the center of the stage. The Blues will therefore be determined in the coming minutes… American President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will take part in this draw.
The 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. After having hosted the final of the Club World Cup but also many global stars (Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift), this venue of 82,500 people will therefore conclude in style the most inclusive FIFA tournament of all time.
Live from Los Angeles for M6, Hugo Lloris also spoke about the upcoming draw. “The French team will have to be at their level, they are a favorite and they will be the team to beat, we can add African nations, European nations, there is not one precisely but they will all be ready to challenge France”said the 2018 world champion.
According to predictions from statistical tool Opta, Spain is the favorite of the favorites, with a 17% chance of lifting the World Cup. France ranks three points behind (14.1%), ahead of England (11.8%), defending champion Argentina (8.7%) and Germany (7.1%).
The opening match of the 2026 World Cup will be held on June 11, 2026 in Mexico. It will see the Mexican selection officially launch the American World Cup at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico. Theater of the successes of Pelé with Brazil in 1970 and Diego Maradona with Argentina in 1986, the grounds of the Mexican capital will host the opening match of this 2026 World Cup. Inaugurated in 1966, the Azteca stadium has a capacity of 83,000 seats and is used to host both Club América and Cruz Azul in Liga MX as well as the home matches of the national team from Mexico. As a reminder, no less than 16 stadiums have been selected by FIFA, in three different countries: the United States (11 stadiums), Mexico (3 stadiums) and Canada (2 stadiums).
While the draw will begin in a few minutes, Lionel Scaloni, the coach of Argentina, the reigning world champion, has just placed the trophy in the center of the stage…
