What group is USA in World Cup 2026? Here's the USMNT path, opponents and more at FIFA tournament

The United States is gearing up for what could potentially be its most important soccer tournament in the nation's history.

Set to co-host World Cup 2026, the USMNT will be firmly in the spotlight as it contests the biggest edition of the famous FIFA tournament in history.

The World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams as nations from across the globe descend upon North America in the hopes of lifting the legendary trophy.

AllSportsPeople brings you a look at what countries the United States has been drawn against and who it will have to go through to deliver glory on home soil.

MORE USA WORLD CUP NEWS:

• Everything to know about USA's group
• USA's best and worst draw scenarios
• USA's World Cup draw pot, explained
• What is USMNT's FIFA ranking?
• Has USA ever hosted a World Cup?

What group is USA in World Cup 2026?

The United States was pre-drawn into Group D at the World Cup. All three host nations were given special positioning from Pot 1 before the draw itself.

The USMNT's three group opponents will be determined at the draw on December 5.

USA World Cup group stage fixtures

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

USA schedule, path to final at World Cup 2026

The United States will host the famed competition for the second time following the 1994 tournament won by Brazil.

This time, they are joint-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, as the tournament is played across nations for just the second time ever after the 2002 competition in South Korea and Japan.

MORE: Does Donal Trump have the right to move World Cup games?

USMNT in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The group-stage slate for the USMNT is already set in part, as all hosts are pre-drawn into specific pools. All that remains is to determine their opponents.

The United States will be in Group D, with the group's other three teams to be decided at the World Cup draw on December 5.

To qualify automatically for the knockout stage, teams must finish top two in their group standings. The eight best-performing third-place teams will also qualify for the Round of 32 based on their group-stage results.

USMNT in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

While the group-stage slate for the USMNT was already solidified well in advance of the tournament, the potential knockout pathway remains up in the air until it secures mathematical qualification.

Should the U.S. Qualify for the Round of 32, either by placing top two in the group or being one of the eight third-place qualifiers, it has five potential places it could end up in.

Here are all five possible locations, as well as the path to the final from each one. The below tables will be updated once the draw has been concluded and the pathways become clearer.

Path for USA in World Cup knockout — 1st place in Group D

Path for USA in World Cup knockout — 2nd place in Group D

Path for USA in World Cup knockout — 3rd place qualifier

As a member of Group D, the United States has three potential places in the knockout-stage bracket it could be sorted into should it qualify as one of the eight third-place qualifiers.

Until all qualifiers are known, it is impossible to predict where or when they could potentially play should this come to pass. There are 495 mathematical combinations of third-place qualifiers, with 330 of them involving a participant from Group D. All of these have been spelled out in advance, and every potential outcome can be found in Annex C (pg. 80) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup regulations.

Potential path 1 — Face Winner of Group E

There are 202 total combinations of third-place qualifiers that would see the U.S. Play the winner from Group E, which is by far the most likely result.

Potential path 2 — Face Winner of Group I

There are 111 possible combinations of third-place qualifiers that would see the USMNT face the winner of Group I in the Round of 32.

Potential path 3 — Face Winner of Group K

This is by far the least likely scenario for if the U.S. Was to qualify as a third-place finisher, with only 17 of the possible 495 combinations of third-place qualifiers resulting in this placement.

* If USA qualifies via 1st place in Group D
** If USA qualifies via 2nd place in Group D