Argentina will aim to become the first team to back to back World Cup championships Since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

As for the USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino will be pretty content with his nation’s opponents on home soil. With an average ranking of 33, Group D is the fifth-toughest, also containing Australia, Paraguay and UEFA Playoff Winner C, which will be one of Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo.

If you listen to the words spoken after the World Cup draw by the various coaches who were at the Kennedy Center, it would seem impossible for any of them to win next year’s tournament.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup creates some easy and some difficult groups for contenders. We ranked all 16 from toughest to easiest.

How World Cup favorites Argentina and Spain are positioned after draw, and how U.S. and Mexico fared with their groupings.

The USA will begin the 2026 World Cup against Paraguay as part of what initially appears to be a favorable draw for the hosts. Mauricio Pochettino's side will also take on Australia and the winners of one of the four European playoffs to secure a spot at the tournament, either Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo.

The 2026 Men's World Cup will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The draw is being revealed from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.