The Largest World Cup in History Sets Its Course

The World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada kicks off in Washington. The tournament draw, the largest in history with its 48 participating teams, begins this Friday at 18:00 Spanish time at the Kennedy Center in the American capital, marking the final countdown to June 11 next year, the start date, with a ceremony that will unveil the roadmap on the pitch. It will also showcase a spectacle in true American style, filled with celebrities and featuring a prominent role for President Donald Trump, who maintains a close relationship with Gianni Infantino, FIFA's top official.

The Spanish national team, the reigning European champion and one of the main contenders for the title after an almost flawless qualifying phase, will learn its first three opponents in the World Cup—or at least two, as six spots are still up for grabs in the European and intercontinental playoffs in March—and also a potential path in the knockout stage, which becomes more complex with the new format, as the top two from each of the twelve groups will advance, along with the eight best third-placed teams, completing the 36 participants in the first knockout round.

Thus, the draw is structured from four pots of twelve teams each, arranged according to the FIFA ranking and also the playoffs, whose six qualifiers will automatically go to the fourth tier, with the teams of lesser potential on paper. This is the first key to the distribution of fortune, as it would place dangerous teams like Italy, Denmark, Turkey, or the Czech Republic in the last group of teams if they emerge unscathed from the treacherous European 'playoff'.

Spain, starting from the first pot, avoids in the first phase the rest of the members of this prestigious list of candidates, which includes Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, as well as the hosts Mexico, Canada, and the United States, already placed in groups A, B, and C, respectively. None of them will cross paths with La Roja at the outset, and depending on the group they finally fall into, they would appear sooner or later in a hypothetical path through the knockout bracket.

The fate will grant Luis de la Fuente's team a rival from each of the three remaining pots, with a fundamental condition, as teams from the same confederation will not be in the same group except for Europeans, limited to a maximum of two representatives. Thus, if Spain were to face the dangerous Croatia or Switzerland from the second tier, it could no longer face continental threats from the third like Haaland's Norway, or from the fourth, such as hypothetical playoff winners Italy or Denmark.

In the second pot are the aforementioned Croatia or Switzerland, regular opponents of La Roja in recent major tournaments, and European Austria. Also, the challenging South Americans Colombia, Uruguay, and Ecuador, the semi-finalist in the last World Cup Morocco and its great competitor in Africa in recent times, Senegal, as well as the Asian powers Japan, South Korea, and Iran, along with the Oceanian Australia.

In the third tier, a clear danger with Norway, the rival to avoid and the only European alongside Scotland. The African teams Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, and South Africa, always competitive; the South American Paraguay; and the Asian teams Saudi Arabia and Qatar seem at first glance more challenging than Uzbekistan, a debutant, and Panama, which only participated in Russia 2018 with three defeats in three matches.

The great mystery lies in pot 4, as before the draw only six of its twelve members are known. Currently, this last level includes Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, and Ghana, the most recognizable, awaiting the trap of the European playoffs, which will introduce four rivals with much higher potential than theoretically marked by this fourth tier.

Once Spain's group is revealed and configured, whose match order will not be known until Saturday, the queen of the Old Continent will also be able to outline its theoretical roadmap, possible opponents, and also stadiums and cities depending on whether it finishes first, second, or as one of the eight best third-placed teams, as the knockout phase matchups are predetermined by the placement in the different groups.

Beyond the draw procedure, the event will feature a wide array of celebrities from the world of sports, music, and entertainment. Former England captain Rio Ferdinand and presenter Samantha Johnson will host a gala that will include former players from other popular sports in the United States such as Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, and Shaquille O'Neal. Additionally, model Heidi Klum, comedian and actor Kevin Hart, and actor and producer Danny Ramirez will also participate in an event with live performances by Andrea Bocelli, Village People, Robbie Williams, and Nicole Scherzinger.