Mexico will host the opening match of the World Cup. The Brazilian national team wants to play in Seattle and Inglewood
Next Friday, the American capital will host the draw that will determine the groups World Cup 2026. In the presence of US President Donald Trump, officials and big names in the world of football FIFA The event will be promoted and will attract the interest of 64 teams.
In addition to the 42 countries that have already qualified for the World Cup, 22 other countries are competing for the remaining six places. 16 teams from Europe determine in a quadrangular format (with semi-finals and finals) who will be the last four representatives of the old continent. Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname and New Caledonia are competing for two places through the continental qualifiers. Disputes will only take place in March 2026.
In the draw, teams will be divided into four pots, determined based on the November FIFA rankings. Crossings will be subject to some rules, such as, for example, a ban on confrontations between teams from the same continent, with the exception of Europe.
It was also decided that the opening match of the World Cup would be held at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, between the host country and a Tier 3 team. Thus, Mexico could face in the World Cup opener: Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. The only obstacle lies in Panama, as the country is part of the same confederation as Mexicans (CONCACAF).
Brazil’s paths to the World Cup
The Brazilian team is in Pot 1 and can be assigned to groups C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K or L. Groups A, B, D are already occupied by Mexico, Canada and the USA, respectively.
According to the investigation conducted by the columnist conditionMarcel Rizzo, the team leadership wants to see the country in Group G. This requirement is due to the fact that this group allows Brazil to be present on the West Coast, with matches in Inglewood (California), Seattle (Washington) and Vancouver (Canada). The Brazilian Confederation realizes that it is better to stay in a cooler region at the height of summer in the northern hemisphere, while avoiding stopping matches and training due to lightning, a scene that has been repeated several times in the Club World Cup.
In a way, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for Brazil to be in a group that has the potential to play in the biggest stadiums of the World Cup. Brazil is the largest buyer of World Cup tickets after the host nations and England. MetLife Stadium, the Big Decision Theater in East Rutherford (New Jersey), is the stadium with the largest capacity in the United States, with 82,500 seats. There, teams from groups C, E, I and L play. Group Six is also dedicated to the big stages: Kansas City, Dallas and Houston.
If they do remain in Group G, Brazil could follow the following path to reach the final if they finish first: Seattle (Washington, second round), Seattle (Washington, round of 16), Inglewood (California, quarter-final), Dallas (Texas, semi-final) and East Rutherford (New Jersey, final). If you’re in second place, the route will be via Dallas (Texas, Round of 16), Atlanta (Georgia, Round of 16), Kansas City (Missouri, Quarters), Atlanta (Georgia, Quarters) and East Rutherford (New Jersey, Final). The third place decision will be played in Miami Gardens, Florida.
If Brazil advances to the quarter-finals, they will have to face one of the top four teams in the FIFA rankings (if they also qualify in first place in their brackets): Argentina, Spain, England or France.