The USMNT will play Australia and Paraguay in Group D, as well as third opponent from Europe that will be determined in March

The Stars and Stripes received a favorable draw for the 2026 World Cup.

And the requirement of a European team in each group denied the U.S. the chance to have beloved minnow Cape Verde in its group. The U.S. avoided some of the European teams looming as potential threats; Italy, Denmark, and Ukraine would head elsewhere.