World Cup draw rigged for USA? Soccer fans think USMNT landing in 'easiest' group is no coincidence

David Suggs

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World Cup draw rigged for USA? Soccer fans think USMNT landing in 'easiest' group is no coincidence image

For as much as things change, they also remain the same. The World Cup might have a new home in 2026. But the same accusations that have come to scar the organization that runs it, FIFA, resurfaced during the December's World Cup draw.

FIFA has been at the heart of debate over the ethics of its business practices. We're only a decade removed from a corruption case that unveiled the deceit and criminality that existed within football's highest office. Although those figures have been expelled, their influence still lingers over the way FIFA is perceived as an organization.

Case in point: the USA's World Cup draw. The Americans were placed into Group D during the spectacle. But while other sides were greeted by international superstars, the United States got a soft landing. American fans aren’t complaining, either.

With that, here's what you need to know about the USA's World Cup group, including the conspiracy theory that the draw might have been rigged to help the Red, White and Blue advance to the knockout stages.

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USA World Cup draw Group D

As one of three hosts in the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, the United States were placed in Pot 1, bumping shoulders with football superpowers like Spain and Argentina.

They were spared matchups with the world's traditional powerhouses. Pots 2 and 3 were littered with trap cards, from African standouts like Morocco, Egypt and Senegal to CONMEBOL contender Colombia and AFC heavyweights Japan and South Korea.

Team USA avoided those potholes, instead landing a date with Australia (FIFA No. 26). The Socceroos are no slouches, having qualified for each of the last six World Cups. But they're hardly the sport's elite, claiming just two Round of 16 berths during that spell.

Paraguay (FIFA No. 39) soon joined the Group D ranks, while the final spot in the group will be decided in a UEFA playoff when the winner of Slovakia vs. Kosovo takes on the winner of Turkey vs. Romania.

MORE: Ranking the toughest FIFA groups 1-12 after 2026 draw

All told, the result was a positive one for the 2026 co-hosts, who secured two of the lower-ranked sides from Pot 2 and 3, and grabbed arguably the easiest of the four UEFA pathways from Pot 4. 

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WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F
Group G | Group H | Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L

Was the World Cup draw rigged for USA?

So, did the the United States get lucky? Or was there corruption afoot? There is absolutely no proof that anything sinister took place. 

That said, for many, optics are reality. There might not be a smoking gun that guarantees that FIFA rigged the draw results in USA's favor. But the image of FIFA president Gianni Infantino signing Donald Trump's praise while handing him the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize" left an imprint on some onlookers' minds.

Infantino and Trump are close friends. They also are ideological allies whose partnership is shaped by common interests. The more money the World Cup brings in, the better it is for both parties. 

That doesn't mean the spectacle itself was rigged, though. Why wouldn't FIFA want the United States facing off against the world's best sides as early as possible? Surely that would only help line its pockets. Further, why wouldn't sides like France, Argentina and Brazil earn easier group-stage matchups? They hold the stars, identifiable by one name: Mbappé, Messi, Vinicius.

Infantino's courting of Trump notwithstanding, Friday's festivities weren't all that different from how one would expect such proceedings to go. There was plenty of pomp and circumstance on display at the Kennedy Center. Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams and Lauryn Hill crooned before their dulcet tones were replaced by moans and groans from the concourses.

Reactions were far more subdued when the USA's group was read. Away from the Kennedy Center, some were in outright celebration over the result.

Social media reacts to USA World Cup draw

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