U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino will take nothing for granted but with none of those nations ranked in the top 20 by FIFA it would be a major disappointment if his team failed to advance as one of the top two in Group D or via the safety net as a best-performing third-place qualifier.

France, Brazil, and England, ranked Nos. 3-5 in the world, top the list of who may appear, with Croatia and Morocco in the mix.

Two of the greatest goal-scorers of their generation were drawn together in Group I for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The World Cup draw on Friday morning in Washington D.C. revealed most of the teams coming to the Bay Area to play at Levi’s Stadium next June.

The group stage has been set for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here are the odds for each team to advance to the knockout stage.

First, it’s an opening game against Erling Haaland's Norway, which won every qualifier on their way to the World Cup. After that, it’s the winner of Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname, ending with a game against Senegal, a country so deeply connected to the French, who also did well in qualifiers.

As for the USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino will be pretty content with his nation’s opponents on home soil. With an average ranking of 33, Group D is the fifth-toughest, also containing Australia, Paraguay and UEFA Playoff Winner C, which will be one of Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The World Cup draw has come to a close, and while the United States may be big winners, there are plenty of teams with reasons for hope ahead of next summer. The draw is also a time for celebrating the improbable journey that teams have gone on to make it to the World Cup.

The Athletic's writers look ahead to the 2026 World Cup, after the 12 groups were drawn in Washington DC on Friday