The 2026 World Cup draw ceremony took place in Washington DC on the morning of December 6, determining the journey of the 48 teams participating in the biggest football festival on the planet.
Notably, England fell into Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama, recreating memories from the 2018 World Cup, a tournament in which the "Three Lions" went very far.
Results of the draw for the 12 final round groups
In the opening match, England will face Croatia - the opponent who defeated them 2-1 after extra time in the 2018 World Cup semi-final in Russia, ending the dream of reaching the final of Gareth Southgate and his team at that time.
In addition, England will also meet Panama, the team that lost 1-6 to them in the 2018 World Cup group stage. Ghana is a completely new opponent for England, although the "Black Stars" have participated in 4 of the last 5 finals.
England continue to hope to reach the semi-finals like at the 2018 World Cup
Group L matches will be held in various cities including Dallas, Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia (USA) and Toronto (Canada). The detailed schedule and kick-off times will be announced later.
Coach Thomas Tuchel foresees all difficulties of the "Three Lions"
Evaluating his team's draw, coach Thomas Tuchel admitted: "This is a difficult group and the opening match is also very difficult. Croatia and Ghana are both teams that regularly participate in the World Cup, with rich tradition and bravery. We don't understand Panama yet, but we will definitely study it carefully before the tournament starts."
However, the German coach is still confident, saying that England will aim to win the top spot in his first appearance at the World Cup as head coach.
In other groups, Scotland faces a big challenge when they are placed in Group C with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti, somewhat recalling memories of the 1998 World Cup, the last time they participated in the biggest tournament on the planet.
Haaland's Norway will face Mbappe's France
Considered the "standard group of death" is likely to be Group I , where France – the reigning world runners-up – face Senegal, Erling Haaland's Norway and the winner of the intercontinental play-off round. Meanwhile, the host USA is in Group D with Australia, Paraguay and a representative from the European play-off round.
Under the new format, if England top Group L , they will face one of the third-placed teams from Groups E, J, I, H or K in the round of 32. If they continue to advance, the Three Lions' next potential opponents will be the top team in Group A - which includes Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and the play-off winner.
The most intriguing prospect being mentioned is the possibility of England facing Brazil in the quarter-finals, before possibly facing Argentina in the semi-finals, following FIFA's seeding adjustments to avoid the top four teams of Spain, Argentina, France and England meeting early.
New Jersey Stadium (USA)
The 2026 World Cup will be the first tournament to feature 48 teams, marking the biggest expansion in the tournament's 96-year history.
The new format makes the draw more complicated, with many play-off spots yet to be determined. However, the picture of the groups after the draw has already created a lively atmosphere, promising a dramatic and unpredictable World Cup.
Falling into group J with Algeria, Austria and Jordan, defending champion Argentina is of course the highest rated in the group and will not have much difficulty taking the top spot.
If they finish top of the group, Argentina will face the runner-up in Group H (including Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay) in the round of 16, before participating in the round of 16 in Atlanta.
Portugal likely to face Argentina in the quarter-finals
Meanwhile, Portugal are in Group K with Colombia, Uzbekistan and the winner of the play-off group consisting of Jamaica, New Caledonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Except for Colombia, Portugal are completely superior to the remaining opponents and if they play to their form, they can also win the top spot, thereby meeting a team finishing third in the group in the round of 16.
According to calculations, if both win first place and win consecutive knockout rounds, Argentina and Portugal will meet in the quarter-finals, thereby creating a classic Messi - Ronaldo confrontation that fans have been waiting for for many years.
World Cup 2026 draw results
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, European Playoff D
Group B: Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, European Playoff A
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia , European Playoff C
Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, European Playoff B
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Intercontinental Playoff 2
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Intercontinental Playoff 1
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
The draw was the climax of a spectacular but somewhat awkward event, highlighted by US President Donald Trump receiving the FIFA Peace Prize, representing "billions of people who love football and want peace." Mr Trump considered it "one of the greatest honors of his life" and gave a speech of exactly two minutes, praising the scale of World Cup ticket sales.
President Donald Trump receives FIFA Peace Prize
FIFA Peace Prize
Source: https://nld.com.vn/boc-tham-world-cup-2026-tuyen-anh-tai-ngo-croatia-ronaldo-cho-dau-messi-o-tu-ket-196251206064010205.htm
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