Argentina To Open FIFA World Cup Title Defense Against...

Last Updated:December 06, 2025, 13:23 IST

FIFA World Cup draw sets Argentina and Lionel Messi against Algeria, U.S. faces Paraguay, and debutants like Curaçao meet Germany

Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni brings the World Cup trophy on stage during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (AP Photo)

On Friday, worldwide attention turned to the stage where World Cup paths were drawn, revealing match-ups for the highly anticipated tournament. Argentina and Lionel Messi will commence their title defense against Algeria, while the U.S. will face Paraguay in their opening game. Twenty-seven months after the start of qualifiers, teams from five-time champion Brazil to debutants Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan discovered their opponents in the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament scheduled to kick off on June 11 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“Exciting for the island, for the people there. They’re so proud," remarked Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old Dutch coach leading Curaçao, a Caribbean nation with a population of 150,000, against four-time champion Germany in their opener.

On a snowy day in the nation’s capital, the draw at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts featured U.S. President Donald Trump receiving a newly established peace prize awarded by FIFA, soccer’s governing body. Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney each picked plastic spheres with their respective countries’ names from bowls, with Sheinbaum receiving more applause than Trump.

FIFA’s lead-in show, showcasing music and stars from sports and entertainment, extended almost as long as a 90-minute soccer match, with the actual draw beginning nearly one and a half hours into the event. Participants included Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge, and Wayne Gretzky. New Zealand was the last team picked.

“Just watching Americans on stage and the president giving speeches and performances made it feel like an American event already," said U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams, observing from England where he plays for Premier League club Bournemouth. “And I think we know the expectation of what it’s going to be like when we go there, with halftime shows, celebrities, and the big draw of what America brings to sports."

Three-time champion Argentina starts on June 16 at either Kansas City, Missouri, or Santa Clara, California. Specific venues and kickoff times for all group stage games will be announced Saturday. Following Algeria, Argentina will face Austria and Jordan in Group J. Argentina had an unexpected defeat to Saudi Arabia in their 2022 opener before winning the final against France via penalty kicks.

Messi, who will turn 39 during the tournament, has yet to commit to playing, but it would be surprising if he chose not to participate in what could be his record sixth World Cup.

“We are just awaiting for him to decide," said coach Lionel Scaloni. “In principle, everything is going well."

The U.S., which reached the semifinals of the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and the quarterfinals in 2002, begins Group D against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California. The Americans will then play Australia six days later in Seattle, followed by a match on June 25 against Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo — one of which will qualify through playoffs — at SoFi Stadium.

The U.S. team had recent friendlies against Turkey in June, Australia in October, and Paraguay last month.

“We know them but they know us," U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino commented.

Confidently, he outlined their goal: “Win the World Cup."

Mexico will host the tournament opener at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11 against South Africa in Group A, revisiting the 1-1 draw from the 2010 opener in Johannesburg. El Tri will later face South Korea and conclude the first round against either the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark, or North Macedonia.

Forty-two teams have been confirmed; 22 are competing in playoffs for six spots to be decided by March 31.

The winners and second-place finishers from the 12 groups will advance to the new round of 32, along with the top eight third-place teams. All matches from the quarterfinals onward will be held in the U.S., culminating in the final on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

England, the 1966 champions, will compete in Group L against Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Chelsea and Manchester City players experienced U.S. summer conditions during this year’s Club World Cup.

“It doesn’t make it any easier when it comes again to blame the heat and fight against humidity and altitude and different time zones," said England manager Thomas Tuchel. “It’s just what it is. We have to find a way to dig in. We have to find a way to accept it and build a high tolerance to all these obstacles."

Five-time champion Brazil will open against 2022 semifinalist Morocco before playing Haiti and Scotland in Group C.

“It is a difficult group," commented coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Top-ranked Spain, the 2010 champion, will face Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay in Group H, while four-time champion Germany will follow their match against Curaçao with games against Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E.

“It is always difficult to play as a European team against a South American team," said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Two-time champion France will start on June 16 against Senegal at East Rutherford, New Jersey, or Foxborough, Massachusetts. After winning their first world title, France lost 1-0 to Senegal in the 2002 opener in Seoul, South Korea. Les Bleus will later play either Bolivia, Iraq, or Suriname in Group I, and close out the group stage against Norway in a possible showdown between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, like Messi, is expected to play in a record sixth World Cup and will face Uzbekistan, Colombia, and either Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia in Group K. If Portugal and Argentina win their groups, Ronaldo and Messi could clash in a quarterfinal at Arrowhead Stadium.

Other groups include:

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand.

Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, and either Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, and either Sweden, Ukraine, Albania, or Poland.

“Without knowing who the third opponent is, it can get difficult — specifically if Italy advances," said Canada coach Jesse Marsch.

No team has won consecutive titles since Brazil’s victories in 1958 and 1962, and only eight nations have won soccer’s biggest prize. Italy has four titles and Uruguay two.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump with a large gold-colored peace prize trophy and a gold-colored medal on a blue ribbon, which Trump wore around his neck. Standing next to Trump, Infantino offered high praise.

“This is truly one of the great honors of my life," Trump said.

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