“The World Cup draw is complete and countries now know — for the most part — who they will face at next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Forty-two nations have qualified, with 22 more battling it out in two sets of play-offs in March for the remaining six places. This is the biggest World Cup yet, expanded from the 32 teams that had competed since the 1998 edition in France, with a host of debutants and plenty of countries not regularly seen on the global stage. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
NY Times/The Athletic – World Cup 2026: Who is most likely to win now we know the draw? Re-ranking all 64 teams
NY Times/The Athletic – 2026 World Cup group stage draw results: Full look, schedules of all 12 groupings