Overview
- The tournament opens June 11 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca with Mexico vs. South Africa, and concludes with the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey under the new 104‑game schedule.
- Defending champion Argentina is in Group J and will start its title defense against Algeria, while the United States drew Group D with an opener against Paraguay before facing Australia and a UEFA playoff winner.
- Top two teams from each of the 12 groups plus the eight best third‑place teams advance to a new round of 32 in the expanded format across venues in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
- FIFA's Washington, D.C., draw ceremony featured a newly created peace prize presented to U.S. President Donald Trump by Gianni Infantino.
- Lionel Messi said he would love to be at the World Cup but has not committed, and Portugal coach Roberto Martínez expects Cristiano Ronaldo to play a record sixth tournament after FIFA deferred the remaining two games of his ban on probation.