The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially been made, and fans across the planet have begun filling in their brackets and predicting who will reach the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19th, 2026. Some nations will be happier than others about their initial group stage opponents, with tournament favorites Spain salivating at the prospect of facing Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay, while England sweats over another clash with nemesis Croatia.

But what of the co-hosts? Next summer’s showdown will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with all three of those countries’ resident commanders-in-chief on hand in Washington, D.C. for the recent World Cup draw. Which of them will be happy with their opponents and the potential route to the Big Apple? Similarly, which of them will be dreading their initial group stage clashes? Let’s take a look.

Mexico

Mexico will kick off next year’s tournament on June 11th, and they will do so with a throwback clash for the ages. Back in 2010, South Africa was hosting the World Cup, and they kicked things off against the Mexicans in a game that delivered us Siphiwe Tshabalala’s iconic “goal for all of Africa.” Fast forward 16 years, and the two nations will meet in the curtain raiser once again, this time in Mexico City in front of 100,000 raucous El Tri supporters at Estadio Azteca.

The Mexicans will be relatively happy with Group A. Alongside the South Africans, they will also face off against South Korea, as well as any one of four European teams currently scheduled to take part in a playoff in March: the Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and North Macedonia. Mexico will fancy their chances against any of those, especially on home turf.

Online betting sites make Mexico the most likely of any of the host nations to emerge with the World Cup on July 19th. They are currently considered 66/1 outsiders, with the USA at 80/1, and Canada even further out at 250/1, with the use of a popular betting tool showing just how far clear the Mexicans are of their co-hosting partners. This betting odds calculator shows that a $10 bet on Mexico would pay a potential $660 should El Tri go on to shock the world, with the same bet on the Stars and Stripes paying $800, and the Maple Leafs a mighty $2500.

But even though they are the most likely of the three, it would still be a monumental shock if Mexico reigns supreme. They will potentially meet England in the Round of 16, and if they were to somehow find a way past Harry Kane and Co., then Brazil would await in the quarterfinals. Still, an impressive group stage showing remains the bare minimum.

United States

The United States will be hosting the vast majority of the action next June and July, with 11 of the host cities based Stateside, as opposed to three in Mexico and two in Canada. As such, the Americans expect excitement, but their recent record under manager Mauricio Pochettino is less than impressive.

A dismal effort in last summer’s Copa America saw the US dumped out in the group stage, before then going on to lose a Concacaf Nations League semifinal to bogey team Panama. The Stars and Stripes would go on to reach the Gold Cup final, but there they were thoroughly outclassed by Mexico in a 2-1 defeat. However, there have been signs of life in the American camp since. The US is unbeaten in its last five friendly matches, winning four of them against respectable opposition.

Their opponents in next year’s group stage are certainly beatable. The US will kick off its campaign against Paraguay on June 12th in the stunning SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. A week later, they will face Australia in Seattle, and if they don’t have qualification to the knockout round wrapped by then, things could begin to get difficult. Euro 2024 quarterfinalists Turkey are expected to be the US’s third and final group stage opponent, although the Turks still have to beat Romania and either Slovakia or Kosovo in the European playoffs.

Canada

Finally, we have the Canadians, and much like their two partners, they will also be happy with their group stage opponents. The biggest test is without question Switzerland, which shone at Euro 2024 last summer in reaching the quarterfinals, where they were unluckily eliminated on penalties by England.

Next up comes Qatar, which scraped its way to a second straight World Cup after beating the UAE in the playoffs. However, if their performances as hosts in 2022 are anything to go by – losing all three games with a whimper – Canada will be confident of their chances of progressing.

Canada’s final opponent could well be their toughest. The Maple Leafs are expected to face Italy in their third group game, a clash which will see thousands of Italians head to Toronto. However, much like Turkey before them, the Azzurri still have to progress through one final playoff, with Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Northern Ireland all still in contention.