The upcoming championship, which is considered the most demanding logistically so far, will last from June 11 to July 19 of the following year. 50 percent more teams will participate in it than in the last World Cup in Qatar 2022, where accommodation, transportation and other logistical details of the teams were more easily organized due to the shorter distances.
Among the performers are Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and the group Village People, while the program will be hosted by Heidi Klum, Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez. US President Donald Trump, who presides over the Kennedy Center this year, will have one of the key roles during the event.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum were invited to the ceremony, while sports legends Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky and Shaquille O’Neal will be among the guests.
Of the total of 16 World Cup stadiums, 11 will be in the USA, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
In the center of attention will be national teams such as Argentina with Lionel Messi, the defending champions from Qatar, European champions Spain, five-time world champions Brazil, and France, Germany, England, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium. All three hosts will be in the first seeded hat.
The draw will create 12 groups, from which the two first-placed teams go directly to the round of 16, while the eight best third-placed teams will also advance. For the first time, the four best-ranked national teams – Spain, Argentina, France and England – will be separated until the eventual semi-finals.
Six more national teams are waiting for the qualifications, and among them none of the favorites would want Italy, if they qualify from the demanding play-off group with Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland.
In March, coach Sergej Barbarez’s team will play the first match of the play-off away from home against Wales, and if they pass, they will play against the winner of the Italy-Northern Ireland match to qualify for the World Cup.
The opening of the championship will take place at Azteca Stadium in Mexico, while the final will be at MetLife Stadium near New York. The dates of all matches will be known the day after the groups are drawn.
Hats for WC 2026 draw:
Hat 1:
USA, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.
Hat 2:
Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.
Hat 3:
Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.
Hat 4:
Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, winner of European play-offs A (Wales/BiH – Italy/Northern Ireland), winner of European play-offs B (Ukraine/Sweden – Poland/Albania), winner of European play-offs C (Slovakia/Kosovo – Turkey/Romania), winner of European play-offs D (Czech Republic/Ireland – North Macedonia/Denmark), winner of intercontinental play-offs A (Congo – New Caledonia/Jamaica), winner of intercontinental playoffs B (Iraq – Bolivia/Suriname).
(Vijesti.ba)
