US Men's Soccer Team Gets Harsh Breakup with 2022 World Cup Loss in Draw for 2026 Event
A chilly morning at the Kennedy Center was a far cry from the sweltering heat of Qatar, where the US men's national team suffered its only loss during the 2022 World Cup. The wait has finally come to an end as the draw for the 2026 World Cup, which will see the US co-host with Mexico and Canada, took place in Washington D.C.
For one full 1,098 days, the team has been waiting to find out their fate in the most popular sporting event on the planet. Now, they know that games against Australia, Paraguay, and either Turkey, Romania, or Slovakia will be part of the group stage.
The US is set to kick off its journey at Los Angeles' iconic Rose Bowl Stadium on June 12th with a match against Australia in what promises to be an intriguing showdown between two teams with varying histories in men's World Cup competition. Subsequent matches are scheduled for Seattle and Los Angeles, with kickoff times yet to be announced.
The draw saw the US land in Pot 1, the most favorable grouping available, alongside other high-profile sports personalities such as Tom Brady, Aaron Judge, Shaquille O'Neal, and Wayne Gretzky. The team's path will determine their potential matchups and opponents throughout the tournament.
Australia, ranked behind Japan during the qualifying process, has faced the US once before in a friendly match earlier this year, which it unfortunately lost 2-1. Paraguay secured an automatic spot with a sixth-place finish in South American World Cup qualifying.
Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo will complete the team's group alongside Paraguay. These four nations are competing for a playoff spot from Europe to secure their World Cup entry. The winner of this competition will face the US if they secure their respective group spots.
The draw sets up an intriguing cross-border scenario as the US faces potential rivals in co-host Canada, who is set to compete in Group B alongside Qatar and other teams. Should the US win its group stage, it could lead to a possible Round of 32 showdown against Argentina on July 1st at Santa Clara Stadium.
Alternatively, if they finish as runners-up in their group or secure one of the top three spots among multiple groups, they may find themselves facing off against notable teams from other groups.
A chilly morning at the Kennedy Center was a far cry from the sweltering heat of Qatar, where the US men's national team suffered its only loss during the 2022 World Cup. The wait has finally come to an end as the draw for the 2026 World Cup, which will see the US co-host with Mexico and Canada, took place in Washington D.C.
For one full 1,098 days, the team has been waiting to find out their fate in the most popular sporting event on the planet. Now, they know that games against Australia, Paraguay, and either Turkey, Romania, or Slovakia will be part of the group stage.
The US is set to kick off its journey at Los Angeles' iconic Rose Bowl Stadium on June 12th with a match against Australia in what promises to be an intriguing showdown between two teams with varying histories in men's World Cup competition. Subsequent matches are scheduled for Seattle and Los Angeles, with kickoff times yet to be announced.
The draw saw the US land in Pot 1, the most favorable grouping available, alongside other high-profile sports personalities such as Tom Brady, Aaron Judge, Shaquille O'Neal, and Wayne Gretzky. The team's path will determine their potential matchups and opponents throughout the tournament.
Australia, ranked behind Japan during the qualifying process, has faced the US once before in a friendly match earlier this year, which it unfortunately lost 2-1. Paraguay secured an automatic spot with a sixth-place finish in South American World Cup qualifying.
Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo will complete the team's group alongside Paraguay. These four nations are competing for a playoff spot from Europe to secure their World Cup entry. The winner of this competition will face the US if they secure their respective group spots.
The draw sets up an intriguing cross-border scenario as the US faces potential rivals in co-host Canada, who is set to compete in Group B alongside Qatar and other teams. Should the US win its group stage, it could lead to a possible Round of 32 showdown against Argentina on July 1st at Santa Clara Stadium.
Alternatively, if they finish as runners-up in their group or secure one of the top three spots among multiple groups, they may find themselves facing off against notable teams from other groups.
! I mean, getting stuck with a decent draw like that, especially with Pot 1 being pretty stacked... I wonder how Tom Brady and Shaq are gonna do in their respective groups tho 
. But seriously though, it'll be cool to see them compete against Australia and Paraguay early on, and then who knows what's gonna happen in the group stage? Will they be able to make a deep run without that Qatar loss? 
so the US team is gonna be playing Australia, Paraguay, and either Turkey, Romania, or Slovakia... 
that's not bad! 
got my money on the US vs Australia first match tho 
[ diagram: a simple flowchart of teams competing in group stage ]
gotta say though its gonna be interesting to see how they do against Canada 
canada's got some tough matches lined up too 
. They get to co-host with Mexico and Canada, which is gonna be a blast! I'm hyped for their match against Australia on June 12th - it's gonna be intense 
️. The draw was pretty sweet too, landing them in Pot 1... they gotta bring their A-game if they wanna make some noise in this tournament 
fingers crossed for a US win!!! 
. I think it's cool that Tom Brady and other big sports stars will be there too - could make for some entertaining games 
It's not like they had anything better to do than sit around twiddling their thumbs. But hey, at least they get to play some cool teams in the group stage... Australia, Paraguay, and who knows, maybe someone from Europe 
. The cross-border aspect of the tournament is also an exciting aspect, pitting them against Canada, their own neighbors to the north 
. It's going to be fascinating to see how they navigate this challenging group stage and make it to the Round of 32 
.
... it's kinda cool to see them get drawn into Pot 1, which is def a good spot for 'em 
. I mean, they'll have some tough matches ahead, but if they can stay focused and play well together, there's no reason why they shouldn't make a deep run in the tournament 
.
.
esp against australia & paraguay gotta see how they hold up w/ those teams 
I mean, I know they didn't exactly go out on a high note... losing to Wales and then Argentina 
. But still, it's gonna be tough for them to bounce back from this, especially with their group looking pretty competitive 
, at least that means they've got a slightly easier route than some of the other teams out there 
It's like they're the real MVPs (most valuable players) 
. Guess we'll just have to settle for their group stage drama instead 
i mean, a draw against australia would be okay but we all know how that went down last time 
. what's next? another 3 years of anticipation before we find out what happens? and australia, paraguay, who cares? they're not exactly the toughest opponents in the world cup. and don't even get me started on the usa vs canada part... that's gonna be interesting 
. Either way, I'm hyped for some intense soccer action! 
1,098 days waiting was totally worth it 