Overview
- The draw at Washington’s Kennedy Center set the first 48‑team World Cup into 12 groups of four, establishing the group-stage paths across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
- Argentina, a top seed, was placed in Group J and will face Austria, Algeria and Jordan in the opening phase.
- Mexico leads Group A and will kick off the tournament on June 11 in Mexico City against South Africa, with South Korea also in the group and a UEFA play-off winner to be confirmed.
- The hosts were pre-assigned to A1 (Mexico), B1 (Canada) and D1 (United States), and the format advances the top two in each group plus the eight best third-placed teams to a new round of 32.
- The ceremony mixed entertainment and politics, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino presenting a new FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump.