Alejandro Dominguez (Conmebol) with Claudio Tapia, President of the Asian Football Confederation
The world of sports and global football predictions paused before one of the most anticipated events: the draw for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held next year and organized by three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. All eyes were on the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where the ceremony opened not only with the promise of knowing the fate of the selections, but with a high-impact artistic display.
The concert was opened by the famous Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who took the stage wearing an elegant blue corduroy suit. Accompanied by a live orchestra, he performed “Nessun Dorma”, the famous piece from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot, giving the beginning of the concert a deep emotional tone and marking the grandeur of the event.
After the opening message by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the atmosphere changed radically: Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger took to the stage to perform “Desire”, which was announced as the official FIFA anthem. While the music lifted the spirits of the attendees, giant screens broadcast images of fans from around the world celebrating their teams and adding color and enthusiasm to the concert.
Later, Lauryn Hill and her band performed one of her anthems, “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and as a surprise, her sons Zion and Joshua Omaru “YG” Marley joined her on stage and thrilled the audience.
The moment of equalization
In the presence of sports figures from North America and Englishman Rio Ferdinand as one of the host countries, the draw for the tournament began, where the Argentine national team, the defending champion, will play in the tenth group alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
The first match for the senior national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, who will be searching for his fourth star, will be on June 16 against Algeria, while six days later it will have its turn against Austria and conclude its participation in the group stage by facing Jordan on the 27th of the same month.
The times at which these meetings will be held will be known today.
The corresponding World Cup Group J matches will be held at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas, Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, and AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
The only precedent between the Argentine national team and Algeria dates back to 2007, in a very difficult match in which the team, led by Alfio Basile, won 4-3 at the Camp Nou.
Against Austria, the “Albicelesti” played twice. The first was a 5-1 win in Vienna and the second was a 1-1 draw in 1990, before the memorable World Cup in Italy. Finally, next year’s World Cup will be the first crossing with Jordan.
In this way, the match of the team led by Lionel Scaloni could be complicated in the round of 16. If the logic is fulfilled and they advance as first, they will face second in Group H, which includes Spain and Uruguay.
Moreover, if “Scalonetta” reaches the top eight, one of the most anticipated matches could take place against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
Tapia showed himself with Infantino
Yesterday, Asian Football Confederation President Claudio “Czechi” Tapia was photographed with FIFA President Gianni Infantino before the start of the 2026 World Cup draw.
A photo of Tapia with Infantino was shared by the president of the Argentine Football Association on social media, where he shared the following message: “Reliving the emotions of what will be a very special day for the world, and especially for all the Argentine people.”
In the photos, Tapia appears not only with Infantino, but also with the President of the South American Confederation, Paraguay Alejandro Domínguez; Luciano Nakis, Secretary General of the Asian Football Confederation; And former footballer Maximiliano Rodriguez.