Anticipation is building. Nerves are creeping in. The USMNT head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup with significant pressure on their shoulders.
The U.S. men’s national team are one of three host nations for the bumper 48-team tournament alongside neighbors Canada and Mexico, with the bulk of next summer’s action taking place within America.
With Mauricio Pochettino at the helm and Christian Pulisic leading the charge on the field, expectations are lofty. The USMNT, FIFA’s 14th-ranked nation, will be desperate for Lady Luck to offer them a favorable group during the draw on Dec. 5 to help ease their minds.
Based on the World Cup pot projections and excluding playoff sides, here is the USMNT’s easiest and toughest potential groups for the tournament.
Best Possible Group for USMNT
Despite sitting outside the top 12 based on FIFA rankings, the USMNT automatically place in Pot 1 for the group stage draw, hypothetically handing them a simpler route to the knockout phase. They also know they will feature in Group D at the tournament.
While pots for the tournament are yet top be finalized, projections suggest that the easiest side the USMNT could face at the tournament is Austria, who have recently slipped to 24th in the FIFA rankings. However, that would be no easy match for Pochettino’s men, with the UEFA outfit boasting some top players such as Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer, Borussia Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer and Real Madrid’s David Alaba, when fit.
From Pot 3, Ivory Coast are statistically the simplest opponent for the USMNT. The African side have dropped to 42nd in the FIFA rankings, but would still be difficult opposition given they topped their qualification group without conceding in eight wins and two draws.
New Zealand recently slumped below Haiti in the world rankings to ensure they are currently Pot 4’s worst-ranked side. As things stand, they are the OFC’s only representative at the tournament and only the 86th strongest nation in the world.
Worst Possible Group for USMNT
There are plenty of menacing sides slated for Pot 2—Morocco, Colombia and Japan among them—but 2018 World Cup finalists and 2022 semifinalists Croatia are the toughest. Currently 10th in the FIFA rankings, they enter every competition as dark horses and have repeatedly proven their quality and knowhow despite lacking pure star power.
Ecuador would be the fiercest adversaries from Pot 3. They finished second in CONMEBOL qualifying—only behind Argentina—and boast an impressive roster that includes Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo, Paris Saint-Germain’s Willian Pacho and Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié. However, the USMNT will want to avoid Erling Haaland’s Norway and Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, too.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best, Worst Possible 2026 World Cup Groups for USMNT.
