World Cup schedule gains clarity as Group Stage schedules are released
Friday brought the World Cup Draw with all the glitz and glamor FIFA could provide into the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Forty-eight nations have been divided into four pots (although six have yet to be decided), but Saturday the excitement continued.
Schedules and sites were released. Will Haiti play in South Florida? Where will Lionel Messi play? How and when can you get tickets?
The answers and more were provided. Now, World Cup fans can start making their reservations .
The U.S. got a favorable group, all things considered. Haiti, returning to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, wound up in the same group as five-time World Cup champion Brazil, a team the Haitians have long admired.
Miami Stadium (It’s Hard Rock Stadium but during the World Cup no stadium will go by its corporate name) is hosting two Group H games, one Group C, one Group K, and the Group J winner vs. Group H runner-up in the Round of 32.
By the end of Friday, the 42 qualified teams were evenly split into four pots with six teams left to be determined in playoffs.
Here is a summary of the day:
HERE ARE THE 12 GROUPS! LET THE DISCUSSIONS BEGIN!
A: Mexico, South Africa, Korea, playoff winner Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or Republic of Ireland (The World Cup opener will be Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City, a rematch of the 2010 opener in Johannesburg, South Africa)
B: Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, playoff winner Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina
C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland (Haiti, in the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, plays powerhouse Brazil, a team it has long admired, and one of the Haitian games could be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens!)
D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, winner of four-team playoff between Turkey, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo (USA will open on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles and got a favorable draw. Fans will expect the Americans to advance to the knockout stage and even win the group.)
E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, playoff winner Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania
G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay (Two Group H games will be at Hard Rock Stadium. We find out Saturday at noon which teams will play here)
I: France, Senegal, Norway, Winner Playoff Iraq or Bolivia or Suriname
J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan (Lionel Messi and his Argentine teammates, motivated to defend their 2022 World Cup title, have a relatively easy road to the knockout stage)
K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, playoff winner Congo, New Caledonia or Jamaica. (One Group K game will be at Hard Rock Stadium)
L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama (If there is a Group of Death, this is it. Croatia is an extremely dangerous team, having reached the World Cup final in 2018 and the semifinals in 2022. Ghana is always tough, and Panama was an improved team in Concacaf.)
Which games will be played in Miami Gardens?
We will not know that until Saturday. Miami Gardens is one of 11 U.S. host cities. Seven matches, including a quarterfinal and the third-place game, will be held at Hard Rock Stadium.
The four Group Stage matches are June 15 (Group H), June 21 (Group H), June 24 (Group C), June 27 (Group K); a Round of 32 match July 3 (Group J winner vs Group H runner-up), a quarterfinal July 11 and the third-place game July 18.
A FIFA Fan Festival will be held at Bayfront Park featuring broadcasts of matches on giant screens, concerts, cultural and culinary offerings and interactive activities.
Haiti, which will play in the World Cup for the first time since 1974, is in Group C with Brazil, Morocco and Scotland and could play in Miami Gardens.
Meanwhile, at Fritz & Franz Bierhaus in Coral Gables, England fans Josh Kerslake and Ali Bunce just don’t want their home country’s team to play in Miami.
“We’re scared of English people playing in hot weather,” Kerslake said.
The two had mixed feelings about the draw, though they’re willing to travel to wherever England ends up playing. Bunce wasn’t happy with the large number of teams participating, which he thinks makes the groups too diluted and uninteresting.
“There’s too many teams,” Bunce said. “Apart from France’s group, there aren’t many big clashes.” Kerslake noted England might have a hard time going against Croatia and Ghana, though “we should have enough” to make it to the next round.
READ MORE: United by soccer: South Florida fans come together for World Cup draw
Dave Green, an Australian sitting at the same table, gave this hot take: “England will crash out in the groups stage. The coach will get fired, and there will be a national inquiry.” But how will Australia do? Just OK, Green said. “Our golden age is long gone,” he said. “We’ll be lucky to get out the groups.”
Group Schedule for hosts USA, Mexico, Canada
USA
Fri, Jun. 12: United States vs. Paraguay, SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California) Sat, Jun. 13: Australia vs. European playoff C winner, BC Place (Vancouver) Fri, Jun. 19: European playoff C winner vs. Paraguay, Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California) Fri, Jun. 19: United States vs. Australia, Lumen Field (Seattle) Thu, Jun. 25: European playoff C winner vs. United States, SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California) Thu, Jun. 25: Paraguay vs. Australia, Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
MEXICO
Thu, Jun. 11: Mexico vs. South Africa, Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) Thu, Jun. 11: Korea Republic vs. European playoff D winner, Estadio Akron (Zapopan, Mexico) Thu, Jun. 18: European playoff D winner vs. South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) Thu, Jun. 18: Mexico vs. Korea Republic, Estadio Akron (Zapopan, Mexico) Wed, Jun. 24: European playoff D winner vs. Mexico, Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) Wed, Jun. 24: South Africa vs. Korea Republic, Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, Mexico)
CANADA
Fri, Jun. 12: Canada vs. European playoff A winner, BMO Field (Toronto) Sat, Jun. 13: Qatar vs. Switzerland, Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California) Thu, Jun. 18: Switzerland vs. European playoff A winner, SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California) Thu, Jun. 18: Canada vs. Qatar, BC Place (Vancouver) Wed, Jun. 24: Switzerland vs. Canada, BC Place (Vancouver) Wed, Jun. 24: European playoff A winner vs. Qatar, Lumen Field (Seattle)
Reaction to USA draw
FOX analyst Alexi Lalas: “If you believe in the soccer gods, you should be thanking them. I think this is not just a good group. This is a great group. This is a group you should expect this United States team under Mauricio Pochettino to win and go through.”
Pochettino: “We need to respect all the opponents and all are going to be difficult. We know very well Paraguay was doing so well in the qualification in South America. Australia, until we beat them in Denver, were unbeaten in 12 or 13 games. And, of course, we are going to see which other team will join us. But I think, full respect, believing we can go through, but we need to perform. We need to evolve and be better every time we’re together.”
Trump wins inaugural FIFA Peace Prize
In the worst-kept secret of the draw, FIFA presented President Donald Trump with the inaugural 2025 FIFA Peace Prize. From the moment FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced recently the establishment of the award, it was assumed it would go to the U.S. president, who has become a close friend of Infantino.
Infantino lobbied for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize and has worked closely with the White House to ensure a successful World Cup so he was delighted to hand the award to the president on the draw stage Friday afternoon.
The announcement of the award said: “We honor a dynamic leader who has engaged in diplomatic efforts that created opportunities for dialog, de-escalation and stability, and who has championed the unifying power of football on the world stage.”
Trump called the award “truly one of the great honors or my life”. As for the upcoming World Cup, the president remarked: “I think you’re going to have an event the likes of which maybe the world has never seen based on the enthusiasm that I’ve seen. I have never seen anything like it.”
First World Cup Winner: Andrea Bocelli
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli giving soccer fans goosebumps with his rendition of Nessun Dorma to open up the draw festivities. What. A. Voice!
Red Carpet Arrivals Photo Gallery...
President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino making their way down the red carpet...
Boa Tarde Brasil!
Brazilian greats Ronaldo (left) and Kaka (right) flank FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the red carpet.
Shaq is ready!
Colombian soccer star Radamel Falcao looking dapper...
Social media sensations Ross Smith and Granny Smith are not missing this party...
Mexican celebrities in the house...
Introducing the new U.S. Soccer mascot!
Among the many dignitaries showing up on the red carpet today is a big, furry dog mascot revealed Friday morning by U.S. Soccer.
According to U.S. Soccer, the mascot is inspired by the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, “known for its bright and happy disposition, courage, willingness to work, and intelligence.”
The mascot will wear No. 27 to represent U.S. Soccer’s 27 national teams.
Trump, Carney, Sheinbaum on the guest list
President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are in attendance at the ceremony, which will be hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, actor/comedian Kevin Hart and actor/producer Danny Ramirez.
“To be hosting the final draw again, after having been involved in this show 20 years ago in my home country, is truly extraordinary,” said Klum, who is returning to the Final Draw, having previously taken part in the event ahead of the 2006 tournament in Germany. “The World Cup brings the world together like nothing else, and being part of that magic again, on an even bigger stage involving three host countries and 48 teams, is an incredible honor.”
Ramirez, a native of Mexico, said: “As someone who grew up playing football, getting to co-host the draw and meet and speak with World Cup legends at such a high-profile event is a dream. With this tournament coming to the United States, where I was born, and Mexico, where some of my roots lie, it is even more special – and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this show.”
Teams will be sorted into 12 groups of four, setting off heated debates about which teams got an easy draw, which got a difficult draw, and which is the dreaded Group of Death.
On Saturday at noon, the full match schedule, including the stadium assigned to each match and the kickoff times, will be announced. That is when fans start making their travel plans.
As in the past, the month-long tournament, which kicks off June 11 in Mexico City, will be played round-robin style, with the top two teams and the eight best third-place teams advancing to the knockout Round of 32.
Which teams are in which pots?
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Play-Off A, B, C and D, FIFA Play-Off Tournament 1 and 2
How does the Draw work?
For Pot 1, Canada, Mexico and the USA, as the host countries, will be identified by different colored balls and, when drawn, will be assigned to position A1 for Mexico (green ball), B1 for Canada (red ball) and D1 for the USA (blue ball).
The remaining nine top-ranked teams in Pot 1 will be identified by nine balls of the same color and placed to Position 1 of the group into which they are drawn.
To ensure competitive balance, two separate pathways to the semifinals have been established.
To have a balanced distribution of the teams, the four highest-ranked teams, when drawn, will have the following constraints: the highest-ranked team (Spain) and the second-highest-ranked team (Argentina) will be randomly drawn into opposite pathways, and the same principle will apply to the third (France) and fourth (England) highest-ranked teams. This will ensure that, should they win their groups, the two highest-ranked teams will not meet before the final.
No group will have more than one team from the same confederation drawn into it. This applies to all confederations except UEFA, which is represented by 16 teams. Each group must have at least one, but no more than two UEFA teams drawn into it.
Sports Celebrities to Watch For
The draw will be conducted by FIFA legend and former England captain Rio Ferdinand.
“To conduct this historic draw is an unbelievable honor,” said Ferdinand. “As a player, I lived for these global stages – now I’m humbled to play a different, special role together with an incredible line-up to reveal the 12 groups of four teams that the whole world is waiting for.”
In an effort to capture the attention of American sports fans, FIFA invited seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, four-time NBA champion and former Miami Heat star Shaquille O’Neal and seven-time MLB All-Star Aaron Judge to participate in the draw. NFL star Eli Manning will serve as a red carpet host.
Here is what each had to say about being part of the World Cup Draw...
Brady: “Being part of the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honor – it’s the kind of global stage every athlete dreams of. I’m excited to help set the path for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else.”
Gretzky: “Soccer has a unique power to unite people from all over the world and create a positive impact, and I cannot wait to see this happening in North America next year and beyond, when we host the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup. I’m thrilled to be part of the draw that will decide the fate of the participating teams – and stir emotions across the world. This will be an unforgettable moment for me personally.”
Judge: “I follow soccer closely, so being part of the World Cup draw is incredibly special. With the final set for New York New Jersey – right where I play – I can’t wait to see which teams will be battling for the title in our own backyard.”
O’Neal: “When you’ve worn your country’s colors, you understand how much moments like this mean. The World Cup is one of the biggest stages in sports, and being part of the final draw is something in which I take a lot of pride. It’s such a special moment for the players and for the fans around the world, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Which games will be played in Miami?
We will not know that until Saturday. Miami is one of 11 U.S. host cities. Seven matches will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, including a quarterfinal and the bronze medal game.
The four Group Stage matches are June 15, 22, 24, 27; a Round of 32 match July 3, a quarterfinal July 11 and the bronze medal game July 18.
A FIFA Fan Festival will be held at Bayfront Park featuring broadcasts of matches on giant screens, concerts, cultural and culinary offerings, and interactive activities.
Teams U.S. would like to avoid
Thirteenth-ranked Colombia is the scariest team in Pot 2 and has not lost to Team USA in eight straight games. Also in Pot 2 is Croatia, which advanced to the 2018 World Cup Final and 2022 semifinal, and Morocco, which reached the 2022 semifinals. Nobody wants to face Uruguay, either.
Norway, led by Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and ranked No. 29 by FIFA, is the most dangerous team in Pot 3. The Norwegians were undefeated through eight qualifying matches and beat their opponents 37-5.
Pot 4 is much more complicated because it will include six slots left open for teams that must still qualify from the European and Intercontinental Playoffs in March. Had playoff teams like Italy, Denmark and Ireland qualified directly, they would’ve been in pots 2 or 3. Instead, they would be mixed with the lowest-ranked teams.
Teams U.S. wouldn’t mind drawing
Austria (24), Australia (26), Scotland (36), Qatar (51), New Zealand (No. 86), Cape Verde (68), South Africa (No. 61), Kosovo (No. 80), Saudi Arabia (60), Qatar (51).
Five story lines to watch
Inter Miami captain and Argentine icon Lionel Messi, who will turn 39 during the World Cup, hopes to help the Albiceleste defend its World Cup title.
Forty-year-old Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo will likely be playing his final World Cup. He is Portugal’s all-time leading goal scorer and has made 220 appearances for his national team.
How will Team USA do as a host nation? There is pressure on the host cities to deliver and on the team, headed by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, to get past the group stage.
Haiti, No. 84 in the FIFA rankings, will surely be a fan favorite after qualifying for the first time in 52 years despite not being able to play a single qualifying match at home due to gang violence.
Another underdog to watch is Caribbean island Curacao (pop.155,000), the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, in terms of both population and size. Curacao’s coach Dick Advocaat, 78, will become the oldest coach in World Cup history.
Luis Suarez on the World Cup Draw
Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez, a legend for the Uruguayan national team for two decades, said: “It’s difficult to pick favorites because a World Cup is a World Cup and you have to play it. There are people who don’t appreciate some of the teams that have qualified, but in a World Cup, you win with ambition, with desire, and you win with a group. Sometimes those so-called weaker teams have strong team unity and can pull off upsets. But some of the strongest teams are Argentina, Spain, Brazil, France, and I hope Uruguay is a strong contender, too.”
South Florida World Cup Draw Watch Parties
The Miami World Cup Host Committee is hosting a community watch party for the World Cup Draw at Doral Amphitheater. This event will bring together fans, families, and local communities to watch the group-stage matchups unfold live from Washington, D.C., while enjoying music, giveaways, trivia.
MLS Productions will produce and host a live World Cup Draw Live Watch Along Show at La Tropical — Wynwood in Miami (42 NE 25 St). MLS Season Pass talent Kevin Egan, Maurice Edu, Kaylyn Kyle and Sacha Kljestan will deliver instant reactions and analysis. They will be joined by special guests including Orlando City and USMNT Defender Alex Freeman and former Whitecaps striker Tosaint Rickets.
Where to watch World Cup Draw on TV
Fox will air three and a half hours of live coverage of the draw. The coverage kicks off with a live pre-show at 11:30 a.m. The draw itself will take place from noon to 2 p.m., followed by analysis, reactions, and interviews until 3 p.m.
Herald writers Milena Malaver, Jacqueline Charles and Amanda Rosa contributed to this report
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 8:59 AM.