FIFA World Cup draw live updates: Men’s 2026 World Cup draw to take place in Washington, D.C.

As hosts, the U.S. men’s national team is guaranteed to avoid fellow hosts Mexico and Canada plus the next nine best-ranked automatic qualifiers via the latest FIFA rankings.

So there will be no Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany on the group stage docket.

They will also not play CONCACAF teams or slots that could be CONCACAF teams. That eliminates Pot 3 team Panama, as well as Pot 4 teams Curacao and Haiti, and the inter-confederation playoff winners, because CONCACAF teams are in those groups.

So Jamaica, Suriname, Bolivia, Iraq, New Caledonia, and DR Congo are out, too.

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