Next summer’s World Cup finally feels real. Fans across the globe can start marking calendars and planning tournament routes. Friday’s draw in Washington DC offered plenty of talking points beyond the home nations.
Before the Village People took the stage to perform YMCA, the group stage raised excitement. Two of the world’s top strikers will face off, while the knockout stage promises potential showdowns between football legends. The anticipation is building.
A draw that dragged on
Supporters tuned in from the start, eager to see who their teams would face in next year’s group stage.
The ceremony took longer than usual. Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger performed, US President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino gave speeches, and multiple montages and interviews filled the schedule.
Even after the co-hosts from Mexico and Canada picked their nations, the actual draw had not begun. Interviews and performances delayed the proceedings, and the draw finally started at 18:27 GMT—almost ninety minutes after the show kicked off. The ceremony then took 59 minutes to complete, leaving fans joking that the tournament might already be underway by the time it ended.
Focus on the football
Next summer’s World Cup will be the biggest in history, featuring a record 48 teams and introducing a round of 32. The expanded format diluted some group-stage quality. Few fixtures between major nations stand out. England’s game against Croatia, a repeat of the 2018 semi-final, appears the most significant. Brazil vs Morocco in Group C ranks next in profile.
The Netherlands drew the toughest group based on FIFA rankings, facing Japan, Tunisia, and a play-off winner. Germany has the weakest group with Ecuador, Ivory Coast, and Curacao. Even so, the tournament still promises intriguing matches for fans to watch.
Two goal machines go head-to-head
Erling Haaland will play his first major tournament next summer. The Manchester City and Norway striker scored 16 goals in eight World Cup qualifiers, leading Norway to their first appearance since 1998.
No player across any continent scored more than Haaland during qualifying. One Norwegian journalist claimed he could already be considered Norway’s greatest-ever player. Few in world football have matched the 25-year-old’s scoring feats.
Haaland will face Kylian Mbappe’s France in the final round of group games. The top marksmen of the Premier League and La Liga will meet for the first time in international football. Mbappe, two goals shy of becoming France’s record scorer at 26, has 16 league goals for Real Madrid this season. Haaland, Norway’s record scorer and 22 goals ahead of the next best, has 15 in 14 for City. France coach Didier Deschamps promised fans a “great duel” and plenty of goals.
We meet again
Mexico will face South Africa at Estadio Azteca in the opening match. The two teams also started the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the tournament’s first African edition. That match ended 1-1 and featured Siphiwe Tshabalala’s iconic strike.
France will again play Senegal, recalling the 2002 shock where the African nation defeated the then-world champions. Papa Bouba Diop scored the tournament’s first goal, and France finished bottom of their group.
Dream ties for debutants
Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan, and Curacao all qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time. Their opponents are former world champions, continental champions, and past tournament winners.
Curacao will face four-time champions Germany in Group E. The Caribbean island becomes the smallest nation ever to play at a World Cup. Cape Verde will start against 2010 champions Spain in Group H. Jordan meets defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi in Group J, while Uzbekistan faces Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Group K under Italy’s 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro.
Knockout stage promises
Assuming top teams progress, the round of 16 could produce major clashes. Germany might face France, revisiting their 2014 World Cup quarter-final. If Germany advance, they could meet the Netherlands and Spain en route to the final.
A quarter-final showdown between Messi and Ronaldo also looms. Both Argentina and Portugal must finish top of their groups and win their first two knockout matches for the clash to happen. Such a match would mark a spectacular farewell for both legends.
England could play a third-placed team from another group if they win theirs, while Scotland might meet Japan or Tunisia in their first knockout game.
