"On Friday, after an interminable procession of songs, skits, interviews, and speeches, including Donald Trump accepting a knock-off Peace Prize, FIFA's 2026 World Cup draw ceremony finally did the only thing anyone actually cared about. (If that sentence sounds somewhat familiar, there's a reason, and it's that FIFA has unfortunately settled on a bloated format for the draw, made only more bloated by the sheer Americanness of this edition.)"
"Thanks to the 48-team format, there are lots of weaker sides in the tournament, lowering the chances of a true Group of Death. However, thanks to Norway's inclusion in Pot 3, Group I looks the closest. France is a tournament favorite, Senegal qualified from Group B in African qualifying without a loss, and Norway has the right make-up to play spoiler."
The 2026 World Cup draw finalized the group stage structure for the expanded 48-team tournament with six playoff spots still to be decided in March. The larger field brings many weaker sides, which lowers the likelihood of a definitive Group of Death while increasing mismatches and one-sided games. Group I appears the most competitive because it includes France, Senegal, and Norway alongside one of Bolivia, Suriname, or Iraq. Host draws vary in difficulty: Mexico received a manageable group, Canada faces a tough group with Switzerland and possibly Italy, and the United States must navigate Paraguay, Australia, and possibly Türkiye.
Read at Defector
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]