The U.S. national soccer team will find out its opponents for the World Cup group stage during a draw conducted by FIFA on December 5 in Washington, D.C. However, it’s been confirmed that the team will kick off its campaign on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in the L.A. area against a team from Pot 3.
This places them in Group D, where they could face Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or South Africa. Notably, the U.S. will not play Panama, the other Pot 3 team, as both are part of the same confederation.
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FIFA will host a globally televised event at the Kennedy Center to explain the draw process, which will create 12 groups of four from the 48 participating nations.
As previously stated, the host nations—U.S., Canada, and Mexico—will be joined in Pot 1 by the top nine qualifying teams: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
Currently ranked 14th by FIFA, the U.S. will start Group D against an opponent that could be as high as 29th (Norway) or as low as 61st (South Africa).
The U.S. will play its second match on June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle against a team from Pot 2, which consists of Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, or Australia. Croatia holds the highest ranking in this pot at 10th place, while Australia is last at 26th.
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The team’s final group match will take place on June 26 at SoFi Stadium against Pot 4 teams. This pot includes potentially less formidable opponents like Jordan, Cape Verde, and New Zealand but also contains playoff winners, such as Italy, Denmark, Poland, and Turkiye, whose inclusion could raise the competition level. The playoff matches will occur in late March.
If the U.S. tops its group, its next match will be against the third-place team from another group in a Round of 32 matchup on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Should they finish second in Group D, they would face the runner-up from Group G on July 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
In a related announcement, FIFA revealed that top-ranked Spain and Argentina will be placed on opposite sides of the knockout bracket, preventing any early match-up before the final scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. France, ranked third, and fourth-ranked England will also be kept apart to avoid a premature encounter in the knockout stage.
Generally, FIFA prevents teams from the same federation from being in the same group, with Europe being the exception due to its 16 representatives. Thus, each group must include at least one but no more than two teams from UEFA.
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The groups will be decided through a lottery, but details regarding match schedules, stadium assignments, and kick-off times will be finalized the next day on December 6.
FIFA stated that the post-draw allocation process aims to provide optimal conditions for all teams while allowing global fans to enjoy matches across different time zones whenever possible.
World Cup Lottery Pot
(FIFA rankings in parentheses)
Pot 1: Host nations Canada (27), Mexico (15), United States (14). Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), England (4), Brazil (5), Portugal (6), Netherlands (7), Belgium (8), Germany (9).
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Pot 2: Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), South Korea (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26).
Pot 3: Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (40), Ivory Coast (42), Uzbekistan (50), Qatar (51), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61).
Pot 4: Jordan (66), Cape Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curacao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86), plus four European playoff winners and two inter-confederation playoff winners.
Fan Take: This news is pivotal for soccer fans as it sets the stage for a highly anticipated World Cup, influencing team strategies and viewer expectations. The U.S. team’s matchups could not only impact their performance but also contribute to the overall excitement and growth of soccer in America.
