Mauricio Pochettino has 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 it was a very favorable draw for the USMNT.
MORE — Winners and losers of the 2026 World Cup draw
The Yanks are hosting the tournament along with neighbors Mexico and Canada, and will be the top seed in Group D for what they are hope are just the first three matches of their tournament.
Who will they play?
When: June 12, 2026
Where: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood California
Opponent: Paraguay (Pot 3 team)
They say it’s difficult to beat the same opponent twice, but the USMNT will be happy enough to try with a Paraguay side they toppled 2-1 on November 15. Oh, and they managed to do it with a shorthanded team in a performance that featured statements from Tanner Tessmann and Gio Reyna.
When: June 19, 2026
Where: Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington
Opponent: Australia (Pot 2 team)
Australia was good draw for the USMNT when it comes to their Pot 2 options, especially considering Mauricio Pochettino’s men beat the Socceroos on American soil just a month and a half ago.
When: June 25, 2026
Where: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood California
Opponent: UEFA playoff winner 3 (Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkiye, or Romania) (Pot 4 team)
This is a huge deal, because winning Group D means not facing a group runner-up and instead meeting a third-place team.
Yes, that could be from a Group of Death, so to speak, but it’s likely preferable to the alternative.
The Round of 32 opponent would come from Group B, E, F, I, or J. Group B is Canada, Qatar, Switzerland and a playoff winner who is favored to be Italy. E is Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador. F has the Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, and a the winner of a loaded playoff with Sweden, Ukraine, Poland, and Albania. I is France, Senegal, Norway, and either Bolivia, Suriname, or Iraq. J is Argentina, Algeria, Austria, and Jordan.
If the Yanks won that game, they’d face the Winner of Group G or the third-place team from A, E, H, I, or J.
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