Winners and Losers From the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup Draw

The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup draw is finally over!

After 16,000 hours of talking, 48 countries were drawn, and all group matches were set for next summer's fun in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Time to break down the winners and losers of the draw in a much quicker read than the entire extravaganza took in Washington.

Winners: Mexico and the USA

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Mauricio Pochettino and Javier Aguirre

Two of the three hosts will be absolutely delighted with their fixtures. The best-case scenario for each will have been getting winnable games. That happened for Mexico and the United States.

Mexico will face South Africa, the Republic of Korea, and the winner of European Play-Off D, which will be one of Denmark, Czechia, Ireland, or North Macedonia. Javier Aguirre's team is the highest-ranked of those and will fancy themselves to win the group, with Denmark likely posing the greatest threat if they get through.

The United States also finds itself in a similar position. Mauricio Pochettino's men have beaten two opponents recently, with 2-1 friendly wins over Australia and Paraguay acting as confidence boosters before the big show. One of Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo, or Romania will provide a stern, yet winnable test.

Both nations avoided the likes of Croatia, Norway, Morocco, and Senegal, teams that would have started adding up to trickier routes forward.

Losers: Parity

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Forty-eight teams at the World Cup is a hell of a lot. Adding an extra 16 to the last tournament certainly allows more first-timers to have a shot at the dream, but it looks to have killed the 'Group of Death' concept.

Much like UEFA's new Champions League format, the better nations seem to have more room for error, as the pots are larger and filled with teams that wouldn't otherwise qualify.

Spain and Uruguay looked tasty, then Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde were added. England and Croatia have history, and, traditionally, the presence of a tough third team makes it difficult for both to progress. Ghana and Panama likely don't have that power.

More teams undoubtedly means a broader spread of quality. France, Senegal, Norway, and the FIFA Play-Off 2 winner are as close as it gets to a traditional Group of Death, but really, the jeopardy doesn't seem to be there like it did with the smaller pool.

Winner: Fans of Mbappe and Haaland

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The World Cup is as much about individual players as it is about entire nations. Friday's draw blessed us by pairing the two best strikers on the planet, as Kylian Mbappe's France takes on Norway's Erling Haaland in Group I.

The duo have a combined total of 70 goals in 59 matches across club and international football this campaign. They will likely be frontrunners for the next Ballon d'Or and will be vital to their respective teams' success.

Mbappe is also just one of two men in history to score a World Cup final hat-trick, his heroics in 2022's defeat to Argentina matching Geoff Hurst's final-winning heroics for England in 1966. The Real Madrid striker taking on Manchester City's best is pure blockbuster and will be a treat for North American fans who might not watch them regularly.

Now, will both be affordable in Fantasy Football?...

Winner: Brazil

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Vinicius Junior and Carlo Ancelotti

There is perhaps no nation under greater pressure than Brazil when it comes to World Cup performances (England is a close second). They are the World Cup team; the record five-time winners and the nation of Pele, Socrates, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Roberto Carlos…the list could go on.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti has nothing to prove in club football, but he's going through a tough initiation with the Selecao, who have lost to Japan and drawn with Tunisia, alongside three wins, a defeat and a draw in his five games in charge. Scrutiny on him will come thick and fast if an admittedly poorer Brazil squad than usual struggles at the tournament.

Luckily for the man with the great eyebrows, Brazil will face Scotland, Haiti, and Morocco. All gutsy teams, and Morocco, have the combativeness to give them a real fight, but that should be nine points from nine. Unless Scott McTominay continues his fairytale transition, going, of course.

Losers: Fans' Attention Spans

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Rio Ferdinand

Perhaps the ultimate tribute to football was how long it took for the actual draw to start. Ninety minutes. It took the entire game before the actual business began.

This World Cup is going to be defined by its pageantry and the sheer amount of top-tier celebrities on show. Friday's draw already flaunted Shaq, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Lauryn Hill; all legends in their fields. The legendary footballers almost seemed like the sideshow at one point.

Another 45 minutes later, and the draw was done. If you sat through the promotional videos, the back-patting, and whatever that Rio Ferdinand segment was, I salute you. You've earned your right to watch next year's World Cup. Just be ready for the half-time show when the final arrives on July 19.