WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The World Cup draw has come to a close, and while the United States may be big winners, there are plenty of teams with reasons for hope ahead of next summer. The draw is also a time for celebrating the improbable journey that teams have gone on to make it to the World Cup.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino will take nothing for granted but with none of those nations ranked in the top 20 by FIFA it would be a major disappointment if his team failed to advance as one of the top two in Group D or via the safety net as a best-performing third-place qualifier.

The 2026 World Cup draw took place in Washington DC on Friday and we had you covered for everything as it happened.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup is complete, and with it we have group stage matchups that will be must-see affairs.

Mexico was drawn into a group with South Africa, South Korea and the UEFA Playoff D winner – Denmark, Ireland, Czech Republic or North Macedonia. El Tri will face South Africa in the tournament's opening match on June 11, 16 years after the two sides played the first game in the 2010 World Cup.

The draw is complete for the 2026 World Cup! What are the top matches to watch, and how will it all go down? We asked ESPN's writers to break down each group, highlight the storylines and make their predictions.

The draw for the biggest World Cup in history was probably the cringiest as the two-hour event didn't feature much soccer.

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.

Two of the greatest goal-scorers of their generation were drawn together in Group I for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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.