Biggest winners and losers from 2026 World Cup draw

It took some time, however FIFA ultimately carried out the draw for the 2026 World Cup on Friday. With the teams and matchups set, it is time to break down the most important winners and losers from the glitzy occasion.

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Winners – The hosts

The USA received Australia and Paraguay. Canada will face Switzerland and Qatar. In entrance of fervent dwelling help, these must be winnable matches for each nations, particularly because the U.S. defeated Australia and Paraguay in latest friendlies. Nonetheless, each teams have open spots that’ll be decided as soon as the European playoffs are accomplished subsequent March. The attainable additions of Italy and Turkey, for instance, might abruptly make every quartet look rather a lot more durable.

Potential additional crew: Italy (ranked twelfth), Wales (thirty second), Northern Eire (69th), or Bosnia and Herzegovina (71st)

Potential additional crew: Turkey (ranked twenty fifth), Slovakia (forty fifth), Romania (forty seventh), Kosovo (eightieth)

You possibly can argue that Mexico is the most important winner from the 2026 World Cup co-hosts. Securing first place in Group A gives an enormous incentive, positioning Mexico in a good a part of the knockout bracket with back-to-back video games in Mexico Metropolis. The crew enjoys its dwelling comforts. Its finest World Cup finishes (quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986) got here when it hosted the match, and it may possibly all the time name upon a mass of passionate followers when it performs in the USA.

Potential additional crew: Denmark (ranked twenty first), Czechia (forty fourth), Republic of Eire (59th), North Macedonia (sixty fifth)

Though Mexico was outplayed by South Korea in a 2-2 pleasant attract September, Taegeuk Warriors boss Hong Myung-bo has produced blended outcomes together with his most popular 3-4-3 setup. El Tri may also take inspiration from its 2018 World Cup win over the East Asian nation. South Africa, in the meantime, should not intimidate Mexico.

Losers – Defenders in Group I

Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have mixed for 114 objectives for membership and nation in 2025. Haaland-inspired Norway was irresistible in its World Cup qualification cycle, plundering a exceptional 37 objectives whereas conceding simply 5 in eight straight victories. France predictably eased via its group, with Mbappe scoring in every of his six appearances.

Senegal and a yet-to-be-determined qualifier from Bolivia, Iraq, and Suriname face the unenviable process of attempting to hinder Haaland’s and Mbappe’s pursuits of the World Cup Golden Boot. Count on defenders to try to show their duels with the free-scoring forwards into gritty, bodily affairs. One notable center-back doubtlessly tasked with marking Haaland and Mbappe is former Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly, who will flip 35 throughout the group stage and now performs for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal.

Winner – Argentina

Lionel Messi’s Argentina obtained a present in Friday’s draw. Although the crew ought to simply brush apart Austria, Algeria, and Jordan, head coach Lionel Scaloni will undoubtedly use La Albiceleste’s 2-1 reverse to Saudi Arabia in 2022 – one of the crucial stunning ends in World Cup historical past – as a warning to his star-studded crew.

After all, Argentina adopted that Saudi shock with a victorious run on the World Cup, beating France on penalties within the remaining after a 3-3 thriller.

Scaloni’s facet impressively breezed via South America’s notoriously tough World Cup qualifiers, outscoring all of its rivals because it completed with a nine-point cushion in first place. Argentina celebrated a powerful 4-1 win over its nice rival, Brazil, on the identical day it secured World Cup qualification in March.

Losers – England and Croatia

Panama and Ghana are ranked thirtieth and 72nd in FIFA’s rankings. Croatia and England should’ve had no points being drawn alongside that pair in Group L – however dealing with each other is a distinct matter solely.

England and Croatia locking horns on the primary day of Group L means there is no time to mull over last-minute choice selections or tactical fine-tuning. Any lingering questions will must be resolved earlier than dealing with such high-quality opposition; in any other case, flaws will inevitably be uncovered, and the stress will skyrocket earlier than the opposite group video games. Which means England boss Thomas Tuchel has solely 4 friendlies to unravel quite a few conundrums, together with figuring out who will begin in his four-man protection and whether or not there’s room for both or each of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in his lineup.

The Three Lions ought to enter this demanding group opener with the best trepidation. England has misplaced six of its final eight World Cup matches towards fellow European nations, together with its eliminations by Croatia in 2018 and France in 2022.

Winner – Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is on the right track to play at a report sixth World Cup, however he is additionally received a possibility to rid himself of some painful reminiscences from the final match.

Manchester United launched Ronaldo from his contract two days earlier than Portugal’s opener at Qatar 2022 after his relationship with the membership deteriorated. Ronaldo subsequently scored a penalty in an exhilarating 3-2 win over Ghana, however his contributions to the crew had been quickly questioned over the following two matches. He was quiet in a scrappy victory over Uruguay, and his underwhelming efficiency towards South Korea was additional marred when the ball deflected off his again, teeing up Kim Younger-gwon for the equalizer in a disappointing 2-1 defeat for Portugal.

Fernando Santos bravely dropped Ronaldo for the knockout rounds, preferring larger mobility from Goncalo Ramos up entrance. The transfer paid off instantly, with Ramos scoring a hat-trick in a 6-1 thumping over Switzerland within the final 16. Portugal introduced Ronaldo on in its place within the fiftieth minute within the quarterfinal, however he might muster solely a single shot and 11 touches of the ball as Morocco eradicated the crew in a 1-0 loss.

In contrast to his predecessor, Roberto Martinez would not appear inclined to drop Ronaldo, giving the legendary ahead an opportunity at redemption in North America. Turning 41 on the match, Ronaldo might add to his tally of eight World Cup objectives and safe Portugal’s passage into the knockout rounds via Group Ok clashes with Colombia, Uzbekistan, and one playoff crew from DR Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia.

Loser – Gianni Infantino

Gianni Infantino clearly believes he is a showman. In case you can in some way cloud out the shadier parts of his FIFA reign, there could be some low cost leisure present in his antics at high-profile occasions.

The FIFA president’s stilted try at a comedy routine with Rio Ferdinand, who struggled tremendously in a presenter position on the Kennedy Middle, inadvertently offered a stage of cringe-humor befitting of the British model of “The Workplace.” Infantino appeared to seem onstage each jiffy to provide one other grandiose but finally empty speech, all whereas carrying a large, self-satisfied grin. When he engineered a selfie with Donald Trump, Claudia Sheinbaum, and Mark Carney – the respective leaders of the USA, Mexico, and Canada – throughout the overblown ceremony, the voiceover of the BBC’s protection, Jonathan Pearce, nearly sounded impressed as he remarked on the extent of Infantino’s shamelessness.

Winners – Nostalgia lovers

Any writers fond of manufacturing retrospective options will not be wanting tales to discover forward of the World Cup.

France’s opening fixture is towards Senegal, a matchup that possible evokes painful reminiscences for a lot of French followers of the 2002 World Cup – a marketing campaign tormented by infighting and wretched performances. That match opened with the reigning 1998 champions dropping to Senegal and finally ending on the backside of its group.

The 2026 World Cup opener will see Mexico tackle South Africa, a repeat of the primary match of the 2010 version. In Group C, Scotland will face Brazil and Morocco – two of the three groups it confronted throughout its final World Cup look in 1998.

Loser – Scotland

Talking of which, Group C is underwhelming and problematic for Scotland. Many followers would’ve wished some selection to have fun their nation’s overdue return to sports activities’ best stage, however they received Brazil and Morocco once more. Not solely does the pair remind Scottish supporters of the crew’s failings in 1998, it units up video games towards essentially the most profitable squad in World Cup historical past – managed by Carlo Ancelotti, essentially the most profitable coach in Champions League historical past – and an rising pressure in Morocco, which reached the 2022 World Cup semifinals and stays unbeaten in its final 20 outings, with 19 wins and one draw.

A minimum of Haiti, ranked 84th on the planet and making its first look on the match since 1974, gives Scotland an opportunity to win its first World Cup match in 36 years.

Winner – Selection in Teams E and H

One of the distinctive promoting factors of World Cups is the unfamiliar tradition clashes, and Germany and Spain will get pleasure from some selection after they compete in North America.

In Group E, Germany will face Curacao for the primary time, the Ivory Coast for the second time following a 2009 pleasant in Gelsenkirchen, and Ecuador for the third time after their conferences on the 2006 World Cup and in a 2013 pleasant.

Spain and Uruguay will share some familiarity because of the La Liga-based gamers within the South American nation’s squad, however the pair’s Group H scuffle will likely be simply their third World Cup assembly. Spain may even have its second World Cup match towards Saudi Arabia and its first towards Cape Verde.

Bonus winner – Andrea Bocelli

It is exhausting to think about an occasion the place Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli would not upstage any performer that adopted him – however this occasion was particularly straightforward in that regard. Opening the draw protection by singing the long-lasting “Nessun Dorma,” Bocelli sang a bona fide soccer anthem – evoking reminiscences of the 1990 World Cup and Leicester Metropolis’s Premier League title win. At 67, Bocelli left little doubt that he is nonetheless one of many best performers on the globe.

And after the Michelin star dish of Bocelli, FIFA ladled out some sugary, sloppy servings. Robbie Williams, showbiz’s equal of lumpy custard, teamed up with Nicole Scherzinger – bear in mind her? – to sing the forgettable official World Cup track. Lauryn Hill plated up tinny, tatty variations of a few of her previous tunes. As soon as the draw was over, the Village Individuals carried out “Y.M.C.A.” President Donald Trump adopted the sickly-sweet 1978 pop track for his re-election marketing campaign rallies.

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