USMNT FIFA World Cup draw: The 2026 World Cup draw began Friday, with President Donald Trump, Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney selecting the balls for their countries from bowls during a ceremony at the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts. The 48-nation tournament will begin in June, with the final scheduled for July 19.
United States forward Tim Weah, left, helps up forward Christian Pulisic after he was injured against Australia (AP)
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On Friday, FIFA also awarded its first peace prize to Trump, who has campaigned to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
“This is truly one of the great honours of my life,” Trump said. 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.
USMNT FIFA World Cup group
All eyes were on Team USA's group for the World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino and co are placed in Pot D. Two other teams in the group are Australia and South American rivals Paraguay.
While fans were thrilled for the USMNT's draw, some complained that the groups could have been rigged to favor the hosts.
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“Lmao Australia in group D!? Rigged,” one fan wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
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“Lmao Australia in group D!? Rigged,” one fan wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
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“FIFA RIGGED THE DRAW FOR USSSS,” another fan tweeted.
“This is definitely rigged. Rigged in our favor though, so I’ll take it haha,” a third fan said.
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.
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Home/Sports/Us Sports/USMNT FIFA World Cup draw live: Paraguay, Australia - tracking USA's path to trophy
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