2026 FIFA World Cup draw: Who is in the USA’s group? Who is coming to Kansas City?

In about six months, the soccer world is coming to the United States, Mexico and Canada and we now know who will be facing each other in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The official match schedule will be release on Saturday, December 6, so we won’t know who will be playing in Kansas City just yet, but we do know the possibilities.

Co-hosts the United States head Group D and are joined by Paraguay, Australia and the winner of UEFA Play-off Path C (Turkiye, Slovakia, Romania or Kosovo).

Mexico will open the tournament on June 11, 2026 from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City against South Africa. A repeat opening match from 2010 when the tournament was hosted in South Africa. Joining those two and completing Group A are South Korea and the winner of UEFA Play-off Path D (Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, Denmark or North Macedonia).

Canada will need to wait until March to know their opening opponent, the winners of UEFA Play-off Path A (Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy or Northern Ireland). Canada is also joined by 2022 hosts Qatar and Switzerland.

Games that could make their way to Arrowhead Stadium are:

June 16:
Argentina vs Algeria
Austria vs Jordan

June 20:
Germany vs Ivory Coast
Ecuador vs Curaçao

June 25:
Tunisia vs Netherlands
Japan vs UEFA Path B

June 27:
Jordan vs Argentina
Algeria vs Austria

As far as the Round of 32 matchup, it all depends on who makes it our of the respective group, but the winner of Group K (Portugal, IC Path 1, Uzbekistan, Colombia) will take on the third-place team from Group D, E I J or L. The round of 32 will likely feature either Portugal or Colombia.

The quarterfinal match in Kansas City could see one last potential Messi vs Ronaldo matchup. The United States could come through as a runner-up in Group D or as the third-place finisher in Group D but a lot of results would have to fall in exactly the right pattern. 

UPDATE

FIFA held their schedule reveal for the 2026 World Cup on their website this morning. With that, we now know which group stage games will be played in Kansas City and the times they will kick off.

The first match will see the defending World Cup winners, Argentina, face off against Algeria on June 16th at 8pm in the first game in Group J. Then on June 20th Arrowhead will be hosting the Group E match up between Ecuador and debutants, Curaçao, in a game that will kick off at 7pm. June 25th will see Kansas City host one of the final group stage game of Group F’s Tunisia and the Netherlands at 6pm. The final group stage game will see Group J return to KC on the 27th with Algeria playing their second game in Kansas City against Austria at 9pm.