The relationship between FIFA and the White House has grown remarkably close ahead of Friday's draw at the Kennedy Center

A swollen pile of $655 million will be dished out to the 48 competing nations based on their finish in the competition. The difference between losing and winning the World Cup final can be nothing more than a penalty shootout, but is valued at a cool $17 million.

Follow the World Cup draw with live updates and find out who the USMNT and soccer's best will be facing during the 2026 tournament. The expanded 2026 World Cup will be the biggest in history featuring 48 countries – up from 32 – battling for soccer's ultimate prize in North America.

Friday's draw from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., determined the 12 groups for next summer's 48-team soccer extravaganza. We now know which teams will stand in the way of the U.S. men's national team. We know who Lionel Messi and Argentina will first take on to repeat as champions.

The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was recently held earlier this month where it was revealed which nations, and which play-off winners, will make up each group in the 48 team tournament. Following the draw,

The inaugural FIFA Women's Club World Cup will take place in January 2028, soccer's global governing body said on Wednesday, with the tournament scheduled for mid-season in Europe's top domestic leagues.

From l-r., FIFA President Gianni Infantino takes a selfie with President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FIFA released the World Cup schedule on Saturday that will feature 104 matches spread across 11 cities in the United States, with three in Mexico and two in Canada.

Seats for some of the games scheduled to be held in Lincoln Financial Field Philly are being offered at bargain prices — well, compared to some other games in other cities.

As we look ahead to the 2026 World Cup, SportsLine soccer experts Jon Eimer and Martin Green have shared their early best bets for the big event, with each picking a winner and a longshot that they like at this point in time. All odds for these picks are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico, with a matchup between host nation Mexico and Group A challenger South Africa. In 2010, South Africa became the first African nation to host a World Cup.