The 2026 World Cup draw starts at 12 p.m. ET on Friday from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington , D.C.
The draw sets the stage for the highly-anticipated event which will span the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicking off on June 11, 2026.
At the draw, the group-stage paths for 42 teams will be revealed. The six contenders for the final spots in the inter-confederation and European playoffs will also be named.
The draw will be co-hosted by Heidi Klum, Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez.
Follow The Post’s live updates from the 2026 World Cup draw for the latest pots, groups and news.
Mauricio Pochettino was not buying into the idea that the United States got lucky in the World Cup Draw, pushing back when it was suggested during an appearance on Fox's coverage of the event.
"We cannot win before we play," Pochettino said in response to a question by Alexi Lalas .
"It's a signal we are ready to arrive in six months," Pochettino said when first reacting to the draw. "We already have faced Paraguay and Australia, everything we know is very fresh. We will also face a very good team in Europe, we need to be optimistic, and continue improving."
He added: "We need to respect every team. We need to believe that we can go through and keep pressing forward."
WASHINGTON — The path out of the group stage for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the World Cup is crystal clear.
The Americans should be favorites in Group D after being drawn with Paraguay, Australia and the winner of a European playoff among Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo in Friday’s ceremony at the Kennedy Center.
The U.S. will face Paraguay to open its World Cup on home soil on June 12 in Los Angeles, which will also be Paraguay’s first game at the World Cup since 2010. The Americans beat Paraguay, 2-1, in a friendly just last month, which should give them some confidence, though it came with a heavily rotated U.S. squad.
Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach of United States, attends the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. FIFA via Getty Images
Commentator Alexi Lalas thanked the soccer gods in the World Cup draw postgame for USMNT being placed in Group D with Paraguay, Australia and a European playoff qualifier.
The Great One is not so great when it comes to pronouncing country names.
Wayne Gretzky had a hard time saying the names of two countries during the World Cup draw, mispronouncing Curaçao and Macedonia when he drew them from their respective pots.
The NHL legend pronounced it "Mack-a-donia" when he pulled the name Macedonia and "Corocco" when the small island nation's name was drawn.
The United States and Paraguay will face one another in their opening match of the World Cup, setting the stage for what should be a very fiesty and interesting match.
The U.S. and Paraguay played one another in a friendly at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, that was far from friendly in the end. The United States won 2-1 and the match ended with a benches-clearing brawl that USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino wasn't entirely thrilled with.
USMNT goaltender Matt Freese said after the match, "There were a few cheap shots on their end."
The opening match will take place on June 12, 2026, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
