MIAMI — Today is the day soccer fans have been waiting for! The 2026 World Cup Draw is here!

Let the fun (and the debates) begin.

Here are the 12 groups! Let the discussions begin!

— A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, playoff winner Denmark or North Macedonia or 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 or Northern Ireland or 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 a 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 or Sweden or 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, playoff winner Iraq or Bolivia or Suriname

— J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

— K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, playoff winner Congo DR or New Caledonia or Jamaica

— L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

Haitian fans in South Florida excited with draw

Haiti, the soccer-loving Caribbean island which has been besieged by gang violence and economic instability, qualified for 2026 World cup, the first time Haiti will participate since 1974.

It was a remarkable feat to make the Field of 48 as Haiti did not get to play a single qualifying match at home due to violence. Jubilant Haitian fans flooded the streets that night and remained joyful during Friday’s draw.

Haiti landed in Brazil’s group, along with Morocco and Scotland. Haitian fans have long admired the Brazilian team and fashion their play after the Brazilian fancy-passing style. There is a chance Haiti and/or Brazil could end up playing a match at Hard Rock Stadium, as Group C will have one match assigned there. The full schedule with locations will be revealed on Saturday at noon.

“Wherever Haiti’s playing I’m going. I will be at all three matches. I don’t care where it is, how much the ticket costs,” said Andre Pierre, former North Miami Mayor who was among a small group at the Da Cave in North watching the draw. As teams were being drawn he and others were sizing up the competition. Switzerland, he predicted, will make it difficult for Canada. The watch party was hosted by councilman Frantz Pierre, and was also broadcast to audiences in Haiti.

Rivaldy Frederique already feels conflicted.

A fan of both Haiti and Brazil, he walked out of Fritz & Franz Bierhaus in Coral Gables after learning his beloved teams were in the same group.

“It’s tough,” said Frederique, a 28-year-old Broward resident of Haitian descent.

“If we can beat Brazil, the country will change! The whole country will shut down. No exaggeration.”

Since Haiti usually doesn’t make it to the World Cup, Frederique grew up supporting Brazil. Now Haiti is in a challenging group alongside Brazil, Morocco and Scotland.

“I’m not worried about anybody but Brazil,” he said.

Haiti has emerged as an underdog that many international soccer fans are rooting for, which has been heartwarming to see, Frederique said.

“I think a lot of people in the country have been seeing what’s been going on in Haiti in the last few years,” he said. “To see some positivity, I think has really inspired a lot of people.”

Meanwhile, 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 in. 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 may have a hard time going against Croatia and Ghana, though “we should have enough” to make it to the next round.

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, Calif.) 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, Calif.) Fri, Jun. 19: United States vs. Australia, Lumen Field (Seattle) Thu, Jun. 25: European playoff C winner vs. United States, SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.) Thu, Jun. 25: Paraguay vs. Australia, Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, Calif.)

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, Calif.) Thu, Jun. 18: Switzerland vs. European playoff A winner, SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.) 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)

Trump wins inaugural FIFA Peace Prize

In the worst-kept secret of the draw, FIFA presented President 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 the U.S. President, who has become a close friend of Infantino’s.

Infantino lobbied for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize, has worked closely with the White House to ensure a successful World Cup, so he was delighted to hand the award over 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 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!

Five storylines 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.

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Miami Herald writers Milena Malaver, Jacqueline Charles and Amanda Rosa contributed to this report

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