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Team USA set to succeed in Round 1 as World Cup is coming to the Bay Area
As excitement builds for the 2026 World Cup, experts and sports analysts say the results were favorable for Team USA in Friday morning's draw.
Excitement is building after Friday morning’s World Cup draw. In six months’ time, the U.S. will host World Cup matches for the first time in more than three decades, and six of those games will be played in the Bay Area.
The draw gave the teams a better sense of their competition, and sports analysts think Team USA is well-poised to get past round one.
They were already seeded as a host country, so the chances of going up against a high-ranking team were low.
The teams were put into 12 groups of four and will be eliminated each round until a final match declares the winner.
Round 1 puts Team USA starting against Paraguay, which hasn’t played in the World Cup since 2010, and Australia.
It’s third Round 1 opponent is yet to be determined, but it will be the winner of one of the European playoffs.
Expert opinions
What they're saying:
Long-time Fox Sports Analyst and Team USA player in the 1990 World Cup Christopher Sullivan, who’s covered multiple World Cups, said the draw was favorable for Team USA.
"I think the path is there if they have the right mentality and they’re able to connect with their fanbase and get momentum," Sullivan said.
The team recently beat both Paraguay and Australia in matches earlier in the year.
USA’s coach Mauricio Pochettino was grateful for the draw results, but is staying humble and respecting his opponents. He said the team isn’t going into the games believing they’ve already won.
"If we start to say, ‘no maybe it’s not too difficult to go through, we should win,’ before to play the games, that is a wrong mindset," Pochettino said. "We need to be strong in our belief, keep improving, thinking big, of course."
American former player Chris Wondolowski said at a watch party at Thrive City Friday morning, "This is the main focus, there is no resting my body, there is no waiting for the next tournament, waiting for the next call up, this is what you play for."
More fans, more teams, more games
For the first time, the World Cup will have 48 teams. The 16 new teams speak to the global surge in soccer and explain a very different draw this time.
"I think that because they’ve added 16 teams that you don’t really have a group of death," Sullivan said.
As 11 stadiums in the USA prepare, Bay Area soccer fans are eagerly anticipating the six matches here at home.
"To have this world platform to be able to showcase what the Bay has to offer, and also to be able to learn about different cultures and see the passion that the fans bring to these games, it’s going to be so special," Wondolowski said.
Bay Area fans to welcome superstar Lionel Messi
Local perspective:
Five of the matches will be Group Stage matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with one Round 32 knockout match, expected to include Lionel Messi playing for Argentina in his last World Cup appearance before he retires.
"This will be his last dance and a beautiful opportunity to finish on a high," Sullivan said.
What's next:
Team USA will find out who their third opponent is in March after the European playoffs.
The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11th and team USA’s first match is on June 12th.