2026 World Cup draw is kind to favourites as Trump takes limelight

WASHINGTON: Holders Argentina and leading contenders Spain were handed kind draws for the 2026 World Cup in a star-studded ceremony at which United States President Donald Trump received FIFA's new peace prize.

The event at the Kennedy Center in Washington started the final countdown to the tournament, six months out from the first-ever 48-team World Cup.

Lionel Messi's Argentina will begin their defence of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 by facing Algeria, and will also play Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.

Heavily fancied Spain, the European champions, will kick off their campaign against first-time qualifiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

"All the praise will not weaken us, quite the opposite," insisted Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.

"We want to do something big at this World Cup, and that means making sure we do well in the group stage, then carrying on from there."

Thomas Tuchel's England, seeking to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966, will hope to win Group L that features beaten 2018 finalists Croatia as well as Ghana and Panama.

Two-time winners France, meanwhile, face awkward tests against Senegal and Erling Haaland's Norway in Group I, which will be completed by an intercontinental playoff winner from either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname.

For the first time, the draw was done in such a way as to ensure the four highest-ranked nations were kept apart - Spain, Argentina, France and England cannot meet before the semi-finals, if all four top their groups.

However, the path to that stage - with an extra knockout round now following the group phase - looks perilous for some of the contenders.

If the top seeds all finish first in their groups, England could, for