Friday’s draw for the World Cup finals saw 72 games mapped out across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with 12 groups drawn in what will be the biggest tournament of its kind.
Already there are fixtures to capture the imagination, but for those serious about lifting the World Cup trophy in July, there is now thought being given to the potential routes that lead all the way through to the final at MetLife Stadium.
The knockout games and potential opponents can now be pictured, so The Athletic has picked out 10 of the most fancied teams to see who they might face.
United States
The hope, perhaps even expectation, will be for the USA to progress from Group D with home advantage, and who comes next will be shaped by the manner of qualification.
Topping the group would bring a round-of-32 tie against a third-placed team in San Francisco and then a last-16 tie, most likely against the winners of Group G in Seattle, where Belgium look the strongest team.
After that? It could well be Spain. Finishing runners-up in the group stage would bring a date with the second-placed team from that unthreatening Group G in Dallas. Egypt might be considered most probable. That route would likely lead to Argentina and Lionel Messi in the last 16, which would be one to savour for USMNT head coach and Argentine Mauricio Pochettino.
Mexico
There is an unknown European opponent in Mexico’s Group A, possibly the Republic of Ireland, but they will fancy their chances of progressing as winners. Topping the group could see the co-hosts stay in Mexico City for the last 32, where they would face a third-placed team, before things could come together nicely for England to visit the Azteca in the last 16.
Raul Jimenez will be crucial for Mexico (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
After that, if you fancy getting carried away, it could be Brazil in Miami. Finishing runners-up would see home advantage surrendered, with a last-32 game in Los Angeles against the runners-up in Group B, which includes Canada and Switzerland. Then, a potential date with the Netherlands. Topping the group brings huge incentives.
Canada
How tough Group B looks might be shaped by the winners of the European qualifier, where Italy will be the favourites to progress. That would make top spot a tall order given the presence of Switzerland, but that level of success would bring a last-32 game against a third-placed team in Vancouver, before a last-16 tie in the same city. Portugal would be considered the most likely opponents there.
Finishing second in Group B would bring a date with the runners-up of Group A (South Korea, possibly) and then potentially the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston. Like Mexico, topping the group will be the only means of staying at home until the quarter-finals.
Argentina
The holders were given a reasonably attractive group, and Argentina will be the clear favourites to progress as the best of the four. That will bring a round-of-32 tie in Messi’s adopted home of Miami, and it could be a juicy one if Uruguay finish runners-up in Group H.
Get through that first knockout stage and it will be one of two more runners-up from Groups D (featuring the USA) and G, before the very real possibility of facing Portugal in the quarter-finals. Messi versus Ronaldo one more time, anyone? Kansas City could be the hype capital for that one.
Finishing second in Group J would bring an altogether harder challenge in the knockouts, with Spain the most probable opponents in Los Angeles.
England
There are some potential banana skins for England to navigate in the group phase, but finishing above Croatia, Ghana and Panama will be the clear aim for Thomas Tuchel’s side. A third-placed team would be next in Atlanta before that previously trailed match-up with Mexico in what would be searing heat at the Azteca in the quarter-finals (a throwback to their 1986 quarter-final defeat to a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina). England’s recent pedigree for going deep in major competitions would see them confident of progressing to a potential quarter-final with Brazil.
Finishing runners-up in Group L would put England into the other half of the knockout draw and bring a match-up with the second-placed team from Group K in Toronto, which could be Colombia, opponents in the 2018 World Cup last 16. After that, it could be Spain in Arlington. Some testers, no question.
Jude Bellingham will hope to take England all the way (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Brazil
Group C is Brazil’s first port of call, and the presence of Morocco, Haiti and Scotland will make it one of the World Cup’s biggest-ever shocks if they weren’t to progress. Winning the four-team group would set up a last-32 tie against perhaps Tunisia or one of the European qualifiers in Houston and then another runner-up, either from Group E (Ivory Coast or Ecuador) or Group I (Senegal or Norway).
On the off chance that Brazil do not top their group, they would face the winners of Group F in Guadalajara, which perhaps looks most likely to be the Netherlands. That could then bring a quarter-final, should they get beyond another runner-up in the last 16, against either Germany or France.
Spain
The winners of Euro 2024 will be fancied to go far again, and provided they top Group H ahead of Uruguay, that will take them to Los Angeles to face the runners-up, which feels like being either Austria or Algeria.
Then it would be another group runner-up in the last 16 before facing the probable winners of two of the weaker groups, D and G. Spain, in theory, might avoid one of the tournament favourites until the semi-finals. That will be the incentive they need, especially given that a runners-up spot in Group H leads them to the winners of Group J. There’s every chance that will be Argentina.
Germany
There will be no excuses for Germany should they fail to progress from a group that includes the Ivory Coast, Ecuador and tournament newcomers Curacao. Anything less than top spot, in fact, would be considered close to disastrous.
Winning Group E presents a last-32 tie against a third-placed team in Boston, but things would suddenly get more demanding in the last 16. That promises to be a match-up with the winners of Group I, quite possibly old foes France. Should Germany finish as runners-up, they will meet the second-placed team from that demanding group headed up by France in Texas (probably Senegal or Norway), before another daunting prospect of Brazil in New Jersey.
France
This tournament’s so-called ‘Group of Death’ brings no guarantees for France. Norway were the pick of Pot 3 that nobody wanted, and Senegal have their own history with France after the 2002 World Cup. There is every chance France’s last-16 tie against a third-placed team in New Jersey will be less demanding than some of their group games, but then comes the probable challenge of Germany in Philadelphia.
Again, there might be an easier tie to be had in the quarter-finals should they get that far. Should Norway get top spot in Group I, and it cannot be discounted after a flawless qualification, then France would face the runners-up of Group E (Ivory Coast, perhaps) and then Brazil in the last 16.
Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo’s farewell to the greatest stage has already been controversial after his red card in qualification did not bring a suspension, but a generous group draw, including games against Uzbekistan and an unknown qualifier, ought to see Portugal finish on top of Group K. That eventuality would set up a last-32 trip to Kansas City against a third-place finisher, before then facing the winners of Group B, which might well be Switzerland.
Then might come, as mentioned above, Lionel Messi and Argentina. Finishing second in the group would bring far more jeopardy to Portugal. Spain, their nearest neigbours, would be lying in wait in a round-of-32 tie that could easily pass as a semi-final.