THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
It seems like a lifetime ago since the FIFA World Cup was awarded to the USA, Canada, and Mexico to host in 2026. For those in the auditorium at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. last Friday, that extended even further in a finals draw ceremony that lasted approximately two and a half hours – the actual drawing of the 48 nations only took around 45 minutes of that time. Such is the performance of these events that soon there will have to be Oscar-style music to usher guests on and off the stage.
We were forewarned that it would be a star-studded event, and from Andrea Bocelli opening with an operatic number, to the end when the Village People – a staple of President Trump's campaigns – brought the party with their classic YMCA. In between we had hosts Kevin Hart, whose appearance was described as 'cringe' by many commentators, and Heidi Klum, who must have had different dress codes on their invitations such was their casual to glamorous outfits (guess which one was in casualwear) and British singer Robbie Williams sang alongside Nicole Scherzinger. If you had tuned in not knowing what it was you were watching, you'd be forgiven if you thought it was a variety show raising money for a charity.
In one of his 3 appearances on stage FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave a speech ranging from world peace to, well, eventually world football, and what it means to its fans across the globe. His new blossoming friendship with Donald Trump came to the fore again when he presented him with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. We cannot blame President Trump for being front and center for an event such as this, and we know he will be present throughout the tournament next summer. Infantino, though, could perhaps be persuaded that he himself, as well as the President, are not what millions around the world will be tuning in to watch. Of course, though, with the money and influence that the people in power now have, we have to grin and bear it all.
It was only when the draw finally started – again with guests that were not from the football fraternity doing the actual draw – stand up Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal, Aaron Judge, and Wayne Gretzky – that we could start to see the groups forming, and paths to glory being made.
The expansion to 48 teams has been met with mixed feelings. Yes, we get to see new nations compete, such as Uzbekistan, Jordan, and the tiny Caribbean island of Curacao but will this dilute the competition in its early stages?
The format now means there is an extra round in the knockout stages, and the last 32 will include some teams that finished third in their group. So, the sense of jeopardy is even less, as you could lose your first two games and somehow still make it through, which in the past was next to impossible. However, the onus will still be on the top-seeded teams to qualify as their group winners and avoid any drama that the third-place lottery could bring.
Our focus then turns to the USMNT and their coach, Mauricio Pochettino. The man who has been brought in with next summer in mind, and the smart money suggests that he will leave the position, no matter how well he does in six months. The Argentine is perhaps more suited to the everyday rigors of club football, and has already stated that he would like to, one day, return to the English Premier League. He, like all the other nations still involved, was watching closely when the draw was made. The USA, being a host nation, knew it would be placed in Pot A with other hosts and leading nations. An advantage from the start for a team that often falls short of delivering on its potential.
The draw was completed and the USA's opponents in Group D were made clear: some old foes plus a twist of still waiting to know the final group member as the complex qualification system rumbles on into the early months of next year. Australia, Paraguay, and one of Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia, and Turkey. On paper, this looks like a very favorable draw. Currently, the Australian team is ranked 26th in the FIFA rankings, with Paraguay placed 39th. The European qualifier will be favored, and out of the three, only Kosovo has no real history to fall back on in terms of landmark footballing moments.
"We can go into it with a good feeling," USA striker Christian Pulisic said at the draw's conclusion. "We've played against these teams recently, which is not always the case. We know more or less what they're going to look like. We know they're tough opponents as well. We're not taking anyone lightly. They're all going to be tough games, but it's great we have that experience. Getting three points right off the bat like that would be an amazing start for us and put us in a great position in the group. We're definitely looking forward to that one."
That 'one' he referred to is against Paraguay to be played in Los Angeles on June 12. A win would indeed put them in a prime position to qualify, and perhaps even top the group, as they then travel to Seattle a week later to play Australia, who may well have struggled against the European qualifier. This would set up a return to LA to face the European side with a view to winning the group. It would be easy to get carried away at this point, but we can look hypothetically at the possible route if the USMNT do indeed win their group.
If the path follows how the FIFA rankings have teams, then the round of 32 would present a trip to San Francisco to play Senegal, then back to Seattle for a clash with Belgium in the last 16. Onto the quarter finals, then, and a match against Spain at SoFi Stadium. Semi-final action would be against France in Dallas, before heading to the East Coast for the first time, and New Jersey to face current champions, Argentina. Quite the route to glory…
Matt Freese, goalkeeper for the national team, said, "The goal, the dream, the ambition is to win the World Cup. If you win the World Cup, you have to beat all the teams, no matter what. You're going to be playing hard teams and the best teams at some point in the tournament if you accomplish what you want to accomplish."
With the stage set, and the real work about to begin, players, coaches and support staff can ramp up their business. The World Cup has always been one of the world's biggest sporting events, maybe the biggest. Perhaps only the Olympics can come close to an occasion that has so many people investing in it for a solid month-long period of time. One-off spectacles such as the Super Bowl may gain more viewers for a single game, but the sheer landscape of the game across the globe means that this new era of 48 teams will shift the tournament into a new dimension.
