Expectations are high for the U.S. men’s national team ahead of a first World Cup hosted in North America in over three decades.
The U.S. are one of three co-hosts for the expanded 48-team tournament, with the majority of matches being played on American soil despite Canada and Mexico also staging fixtures throughout the competition.
Mauricio Pochettino looks to guide the USMNT to success at the tournament. While competing for the trophy will be nigh on impossible, home advantage could help spur on the Stars and Stripes.
The USMNT’s opponents for the World Cup remain unknown, but they will soon discover their adversaries for the group stage.
When Is the 2026 World Cup Group Stage Draw?
Supporters needn’t wait much longer for confirmation of the USMNT’s group stage opposition, with the 2026 World Cup draw held in Washington DC on Friday, Dec. 5.
The group stage draw will be staged at the John F. Kennedy Center and will begin at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT, 5 p.m. GMT).
Who Could the USMNT Face in the Group Stage?
The USMNT already know they will compete in Group D at the World Cup and while they await the discovery of their three group stage opponents, they do know several teams they’re certain to avoid.
Barring UEFA nations, teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn against one another in the group stage. The USMNT were never going to face fellow co-hosts Mexico (Group A) and Canada (Group B), but they will also avoid any other Concacaf participants.
The 48 teams competing for the World Cup will be placed into four different pots for the draw, with each group made up of a team from each pot. The USMNT are in Pot 1 owing to their host nation status and will therefore avoid any other teams from the same pot.
That’s good news for the USMNT, who will skip clashes with Mexico, Canada and the nine qualified countries with the highest FIFA rankings—although final rankings are yet to be confirmed. That means they won’t face reigning world champions Argentina in the group stage, along with other qualifiers England and Brazil. France and Spain are yet to officially reach the tournament, but Pochettino’s side will also avoid an unwanted clash with the European giants in the group stage when they do secure their spot.
The USMNT will be able to face any sides outside of Concacaf from Pot 2, 3 or 4, however, meaning there are a wide range of potential opponents.
From the AFC, the USMNT will be keen to avoid South Korea, who beat them in a friendly in September, but recent victories over Japan and Australia will offer them hope should they face either at next summer’s tournament. Competition debutants Uzbekistan and Jordan would prove favorable draws from Asia.
CAF has plenty of seasoned World Cup sides in its ranks, including the likes of Senegal, Ghana, Egypt and Algeria who have all qualified to date. Morocco, who reached the semis in 2022, are potential foes, as are debutants Cape Verde.
Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Ecuador are potential CONMEBOL opponents, with the latter having just travelled to Texas for a 1–1 friendly draw with the USMNT. From the OFC, New Zealand are the only possible opposition at present.
Fifteen UEFA sides still need to qualify, with a European adversary almost certain for the U.S. given their number of representatives at the tournament.
How Can the USMNT Reach the Knockout Stage?
The USMNT know they don’t actually need to be particularly good to reach the knockout rounds. With the top two teams from each group and eight third-place nations making it to the last 32, they have a strong chance of making it beyond the group stage.
The U.S. will play two of their matches at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, with their second group game taking them to the Lumen Field in Seattle.
Winning Group D would see them play their last 32 match in Santa Clara on July 1 against one of the the qualified third-place sides.
Finishing runner-up in Group D would take them to Arlington on July 3 for a clash with Group G’s runner-up, while a third-place finish will guarantee them a match with a group winner.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Exploring Who USMNT Could Face at 2026 FIFA World Cup.
