Front Row Seat: 2026 FIFA World Cup draw is today
The event promises entertainment, excitement, drama and anxiety for soccer fans around the world.
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Darren Smith
Darren Smith
2026 FIFA World Cup
2026 FIFA World Cup draw: How to watch live today, start time, where to stream free and more - Yahoo Sports
This Friday, we’ll find out which group the 39 qualified countries and three host nations will land in for the 2026 World Cup. The 2026 World Cup draw will take place on Friday, Dec. 5 at 12 p.m. ET on Fox. Pre-show coverage of the draw begins at 11:30 a.m. The venues and kickoff times for the World Cup group stage games will then be announced on Saturday, Dec. 6. Tickets for the World Cup are already available.
Why Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital, won’t host 2026 World Cup matches - The Athletic
In the tournament’s 96-year history, host countries have almost always staged games in their capitals. The only two previous hosts that didn’t, West Germany in 1974 (Bonn) and Japan in 2002 (Tokyo), had matches less than an hour away via car. Washington, D.C., therefore, seemed like an obvious choice for the 2026 World Cup when the U.S., Canada and Mexico bid for hosting rights back in 2018. It was one of five suggested semifinal sites. Years later, it was one of 17 finalists to host the 78 stateside matches. And earlier this year, it was selected to stage Friday’s World Cup draw. (Ottawa, the Canadian capital, had its hosting pitch rejected early in the bidding process.)
But D.C. was not among the 11 metro areas chosen in 2022 by FIFA to host matches. The primary reason, people close to the selection process explained to The Athletic, is that FedEx Field, now called Northwest Stadium, the rundown home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, was among the least attractive of the 17 proposed stadiums — and its then-owner was unwilling to upgrade it.
2026 World Cup draw: Drama, diplomacy, celebrities — and a USMNT anxiously awaiting its fate - Yahoo Sports
Beyond the glamour, hype and nonsense, there is a serious matter: learning the composition of the 12 four-team groups. For the unengaged American observer, it’s Selection Sunday for the NCAA basketball tournament but with greater unpredictability, far more wrinkles and a much longer runway to the competition. Soccer fans worldwide will debate the groups and pathways to the knockout stage until the June 11 grand opening at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
