The USMNT will play Australia and Paraguay in Group D, as well as third opponent from Europe that will be determined in March

Mauricio Pochettino learned his first ever World Cup group opponents as a coach on Friday when the World Cup draw takes center stage in Washington, D.C. and he will be very happy with it.

The USMNT punched their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, automatically qualifying for the tournament and seeding in Pot 1, ensuring no group-stage matchups against the world’s top-ranked nations.

Jesse Marsch will lead Canada at the 2026 World Cup that will be played on their home soil. A lot will depend on who will qualify in the last spot of the group. If Italy do, things will be much more difficult for Canada.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D odds list the Americans as heavy favorites to win their group and advance to the Round of 32.

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.

And the requirement of a European team in each group denied the U.S. the chance to have beloved minnow Cape Verde in its group. The U.S. avoided some of the European teams looming as potential threats; Italy, Denmark, and Ukraine would head elsewhere.