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Anticipation is building for the U.S. men’s national team as they await the announcement of their group stage opponents during Friday’s 2026 World Cup draw.
WASHINGTON — On Friday, the U.S. men’s soccer team will discover which teams they’ll face in the initial stage of the 2026 World Cup. This pivotal draw, taking place at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, marks a significant moment as the world’s premier soccer tournament returns to American turf next summer.
Guided by head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the U.S. team is already set in Group D, joining fellow hosts Mexico, who are in Group A, and Canada in Group B. The draw will decide the three additional teams from pots 2, 3, and 4 that will compete with the U.S. in the group phase.
The ceremony kicks off at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT), with the actual drawing slated to commence around 12:45 p.m. ET, according to ESPN’s schedule. This event will be crucial in shaping the initial matchups for the U.S. in Group D.
Who will Team USA play in the World Cup group stage?
Fans can look forward to FIFA unveiling the complete schedule of World Cup matches on Saturday, following the group draw.
FIFA will release the full schedule of individual World Cup matchups on Saturday.
The top two teams from each group advance to the round of 32, along with the eight best third-place finishers across all 12 groups.
This story will be updated after Friday’s draw.
Which countries can’t be in USA’s group?
Due to FIFA’s draw constraints, 14 teams are ineligible to be drawn into Group D and can’t face the U.S. during the group stage including:
Fellow host nations: Mexico and Canada were automatically excluded, having been pre-assigned to Groups A and B.
CONCACAF teams: Panama, Curacao and Haiti could not be drawn into Group D. FIFA prevents more than one team from the same confederation in a group (except UEFA).
Playoff teams with CONCACAF ties: The two intercontinental playoff placeholders were also unavailable for Group D. Jamaica and Suriname, both CONCACAF teams competing in the March 2026 intercontinental playoffs, created confederation constraints that prevented either playoff winner from joining the U.S.
Other Pot 1 teams: In addition to the U.S., Canada and Mexico, their pot includes the nine highest-ranked teams: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. That means the U.S. will avoid those teams in the group stage.
Under the draw procedures, groups can have no more than two UEFA teams, meaning the U.S. could face up to two European nations in Group D.
When and where will Team USA play?
The USMNT’s group-stage schedule keeps all three matches on the West Coast:
Match 1: June 12, 2026, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
Match 2: June 19, 2026, at Lumen Field in Seattle
Match 3: June 25, 2026, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
Specific kickoff times and opponent matchups for each date will be released Saturday by FIFA.
Tournament format and schedule
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams compared to the traditional 32-team format. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Round of 32: June 28-July 3
Third-place match: July 18
Final: July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
How does the World Cup draw work?
The 48 teams are divided into four pots of 12 teams each, based on the FIFA world rankings released Nov. 19, 2025.
Pot 1 contained the three host nations plus the nine highest-ranked teams: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Pot 2 included Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia.
Pot 3 featured Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Pot 4 consisted of Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, four European playoff placeholders and two intercontinental playoff placeholders.
The draw included a new feature designed to reward top-ranked teams. Spain, Argentina, France and England were placed in separate bracket pathways, ensuring those four teams cannot meet before the semifinals if they win their respective groups.
What’s at stake for the USMNT
As a host nation, pressure is mounting on the U.S. team to deliver a strong performance.
U.S. Soccer fired coach Gregg Berhalter after the team’s group-stage exit at the 2024 Copa America and hired Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham and Chelsea manager, in a record investment for the program.
The USMNT has reached the round of 16 in four of its past five World Cup appearances. The team’s stated goal is to advance to the quarterfinals, which it has achieved only once in the modern era — in 2002, when it defeated Mexico before losing to Germany.
Remaining spots to be decided
Six World Cup berths remain undecided and will be determined through playoff matches in March 2026.
Intercontinental playoffs (two spots):
- Pathway 1: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica (March 26), winner faces Congo DR (March 31)
- Pathway 2: Bolivia vs. Suriname (March 26), winner faces Iraq (March 31)
UEFA playoffs (four spots):
- 16 European nations compete in single-elimination semifinals (March 26) and finals (March 31)
- Notable teams include Italy, Denmark, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales
All playoff matches will be completed before the tournament begins, filling the final slots in the 48-team field.
