The draw for the 2026 World Cup creates some easy and some difficult groups for contenders. We ranked all 16 from toughest to easiest.

Canada return for their second World Cup in a row. They became one of the better stories of 2022 qualifying, improbably topping the CONCACAF table with a young team built on spirit and hungry up-and-comers. This time around, Canada qualified as co-hosts.

Northern Ireland will face hosts Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B of the World Cup if they come through March's tricky play-off.

After the final 2026 World Cup draw on Friday in Washington D.C., we have a much better idea of the teams that will play most of the six games scheduled at Levi’s Stadium in the Bay Area. These are the final group allocations: * Teams that will play in the Bay Area / **Teams that might potentially play in the Bay Area

The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America is now complete, and Italy have learned that they will be in a group with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland should they qualify for the final

If Wales qualify for the World Cup, they will be pleased with a relatively kind draw - and a chance to settle a score with co-hosts Canada.

The last FIFA World Cup took place in Qatar in 2022, and Argentina claimed the championship in a dramatic, high-scoring final that captivated fans around the world. Led by captain Lionel Messi, Argentina defeated France to secure the nation’s third World Cup title and its first since 1986.

2026 will be Portugal’s ninth World Cup appearance and Ronaldo’s sixth. Since the 40-year-old’s debut in 2006, the Iberians have won their group just twice (2006 and 2022). They also failed to qualify for the knockout stages in 2014.

How World Cup favorites Argentina and Spain are positioned after draw, and how U.S. and Mexico fared with their groupings.