News update
WASHINGTON (AP) — All around the globe, eyes focused Friday on the stage where World Cup paths were sorted, nations’ names chosen one by one in a draw that determined Argentina and Lionel Messi will start their title defense against Algeria and the U.S. will open against Paraguay.
Twenty-seven months after qualifying began, teams from five-time champion Brazil to newcomers Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan learned their group-stage opponents in the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament that starts June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“Exciting for the island, for the people there. They’re so proud,” said Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old Dutchman leading Curaçao, a Caribbean country with a population of 150,000, into an opener against four-time champion Germany.
On a day that began with snow falling on the nation’s capital, the ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts included U.S. President Donald Trump receiving a newly created peace prize awarded by FIFA, soccer’s governing body. Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney picked up plastic spheres containing their own nations’ names from bowls — Sheinbaum drew more applause from those gathered in the hall than Trump.
FIFA’s lead-in show, featuring music and stars from sports and entertainment, was almost as long as a soccer match, starting in the 87th minute. Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Wayne Gretzky took part. New Zealand was the last orb picked.
“Just watching Americans on stage and the president giving speeches and performances, it made it feel like an American event already,” said U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams, who watched from England, where he plays for the Premier League club Bournemouth. “And I think we know the expectation of what it’s going to be like when we go there and there’s going to be halftime shows and there’s going to be celebrities and the big draw of what America brings to sports.”
Three-time champion Argentina opens on June 16 at either Kansas City, Missouri, or Santa Clara, California. Specific sites for all group stage games and kickoff times were to be announced Saturday. The Albiceleste then face Austria and Jordan in Group J. Argentina surprisingly lost its 2022 opener to Saudi Arabia before going on to win the final over France on penalty kicks.
AP AUDIO: Argentina and Messi to open World Cup against Algeria, US starts against Paraguay
The United States has its opponent for the opening match of next year’s World Cup hosted in North America. Correspondent Gethin Coolbaugh reports.
Messi, who turns 39 during the tournament, hasn’t committed yet to playing but it would be shocking if he decided against appearing in a record sixth World Cup.
“We are just awaiting for him to decide,” coach Lionel Scaloni said. “In principle, everything is going well.”
The U.S., which reached the semifinals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and the quarterfinals in 2002, starts Group D against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California. The Americans play Australia seven days later at Seattle, then face Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo — one will emerge next year from playoffs — on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.
The Americans had friendlies against Turkey in June, Australia in October and Paraguay last month.
“We know them but they know us,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said.
Brimming with confidence, he defined success as: “Win the World Cup.”
Mexico hosts the tournament opener at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11 against South Africa in Group A, a rematch of the 1-1 tie at the 2010 opener in Johannesburg. El Tri then meets South Korea and closes the first round against the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark or North Macedonia.
Forty-two of the teams have been determined; 22 are competing in playoffs for six berths that will be decided March 31.
Winners and second-place nations from the 12 groups advance to the new round of 32 along with the top eight third-place teams. All games from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., culminating in the July 19 final at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
England, which won its only title in 1966, plays Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L. Players from Chelsea and Manchester City experienced summer U.S. conditions at this year’s Club World Cup.
“It doesn’t make it any easier when it comes again to blame the heat and fight against humidity and altitude and different time zones,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said. “It’s just what it is. We have to find a way to dig in. We have to find a way to accept it and build a high tolerance to all these obstacles.”
Brazil opens against 2022 semifinalist Morocco, then plays Haiti and Scotland in Group C.
“It is a difficult group,” coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
Top-ranked Spain, the 2010 champion, faces Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H, while Germany follows its Curaçao match by playing Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E.
“It is always difficult to play as a European team against a South American team,” Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said.
Two-time champion France starts June 16 against Senegal at East Rutherford, New Jersey, or Foxborough, Massachusetts. With Les Bleus coming off their first world title, they lost 1-0 to the Lions of Teranga in the 2002 opener at Seoul, South Korea. France then faces Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname in Group I and closes perhaps the most daunting group against Norway in a matchup of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland,
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, like Messi expected to play in a sixth World Cup, has Group K matches against Uzbekistan, Colombia and Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia. If Portugal and Argentina win their groups, Ronaldo and Messi could meet in a quarterfinal at Arrowhead Stadium.
Other groups include:
G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand.
B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wales or Northern Ireland.
F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and Sweden, Ukraine, Albania and Poland.
“Without knowing who the third opponent is, it can get difficult — specifically if Italy advances,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch said.
No team has repeated as champion since Brazil won in 1958 and ’62, and only eight nations have won soccer’s biggest prize. Italy has four titles and Uruguay two.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Trump a large gold-colored peace prize trophy and a gold-colored medal hanging from a blue ribbon, which Trump draped around his neck. Standing next to Trump, Infantino lavished praise.
“This is truly one of the great honors of my life,” Trump said.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
