The draw for the tournament took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and followed President Donald Trump receiving the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. The full results of the draw can be seen here and you can also watch The Athletic FC Podcast team’s reaction to the ceremony on YouTube.

On Friday, FIFA held the draw for the largest World Cup ever, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11, 2026, through July 19, 2026.

The World Cup begins on June 11, 2026 as co-host Mexico plays the opener in Mexico City, with the USA (Los Angeles) and Canada (Toronto) kicking off a day later. The group stage runs until June 27, with synchronized start times in each group for the final matches in the round-robin.

First, it’s an opening game against Erling Haaland's Norway, which won every qualifier on their way to the World Cup. After that, it’s the winner of Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname, ending with a game against Senegal, a country so deeply connected to the French, who also did well in qualifiers.

France 1998 remains their only appearance at a World Cup, with the recent draw against Curacao costing them a 2026 spot and Steve McClaren his job. They should beat New Caledonia in their first play-off, but then DR Congo await. They have the players, including Leon Bailey and Demarai Gray, who could cause most teams problems.

President Donald Trump is confident in the security of host cities months ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take center stage, telling reporters ahead of the draw in Washington, D.C., that the government will "take care" of any concerns if needed.