The groups are set for the 2026 World Cup.
The draw was made Friday in Washington, dividing 48 teams (six are still to qualify) into 12 groups.
The top two in each group and the eight best third-place finishers advance to the knockout round. The tournament starts with South Africa at Mexico on June 11.
Here are the groups for the tournament in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico:
Group A – Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, UEFA Playoff D: Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, Ireland
Group B – Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA Playoff A: Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group C – Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D – USA, Australia, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff C: Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo
Group E – Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F – Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B: Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania
Group G – Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H – Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I – France, Senegal, Norway, Intercontinental Playoff 2: Iraq, Bolivia, Suriname
Group J – Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K – Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Intercontinental Playoff 1: DR Congo, Jamaica, New Caledonia
Group L – England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
The 2026 World Cup draw began Friday with FIFA awarding its first peace prize to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has campaigned to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Trump a large gold-colored trophy and a gold-colored medal hanging from a blue ribbon, which Trump hung around his neck. Standing next to Trump, Infantino lavished praise.
“This is truly one of the great honors of my life,” Trump said.
There was a wintry feel as snow fell outside the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with 189 days to go before the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament, to be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
There were long lines outside the complex even at 7 a.m. as workers and media filed through with Secret Service agents securing the area. Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney also were on hand.
A red carpet was laid outside the arts center, taken over this year by Trump and his supporters. Retired stars Tom Brady of the NFL, Shaquille O’Neal of the NBA and Wayne Gretzky of the NHL along with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge were to assist in a ceremony run by former England captain Rio Ferdinand.
The tournament opens June 11 in Mexico City. The U.S., which reached the semifinals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and has gotten as far as the quarterfinals only one other time in 2002, starts the next day in Inglewood, California. Canada kicks off in Toronto.
All games from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., which is using 11 NFL stadiums. Sites for most games and kickoff times are to be announced Saturday.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Ronald Blum, Howard Fendrich And Noah Trister, The Associated Press