FIFA World Cup 2026 - North America

Sport
61

Our fate is being decided NOW

62

England and Serbia are lurking

63

Norway v Israel, tasty

64

We avoid England. I have no idea what’s happening here.

65

The very last team out of the bowl.

We’re in with second seeds Hungary. The first seeds will be either Portugal or Denmark. I do not understand why we do not know who the first seeds will be. This is shambolic.

66

Fernando Llorente had a real enthusiasm for saying “Republic of Ireland” as he pulled our name out of the bowl. He said it with real emphasis, as if we mattered as a country. That makes me instinctively like him in the sort of way Brian Carthy was easily fobbed off by some Scottish journalist telling him hurling is a great sport.

Fernando avoided us long enough, mind.

67

We’re in a four team group.

Portugal or Denmark (whoever wins the two-leg Nations League quarter final in March)
Hungary
Ireland
Armenia

That means only six qualifying games in a sprint. Presumably not beginning until September.

68

Groups A to F are complete, groups G to L have five teams, pot 5 is currently being drawn

Group A: Germany v Italy winner, Slovakia, N. Ireland, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal v Denmark loser, Greece, Scotland, Belarus.
Group D: France v Croatia winner, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain v Netherlands winner, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal v Denmark winner, Hungary, Rep of Ire, Armenia.

Group G: Spain v Netherlands loser, Poland, Finland, Lithuania
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus
Group I: Germany v Italy loser, Norway, Israel, Estonia
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia
Group L: France v Croatia loser, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands

69

“Thank you to our draw assistants, you’ve been sensational, fantastic, sublime, pick whatever adjective you want”.

I’d dearly love to write the cheesy corporate script for one of these draws.

70

When you look at the state of Group E in comparison that’s a very decent draw there for us.

1 Like
71

Please god Ronaldo doesn’t retire. You could get a draw against them.

1 Like
72

Hungary, despite being the most consequential footballing nation of all time, are quite beatable

73

Didn’t we draw with them recently enough before the last euros,

74

That’s surely the handiest draw we’ve ever got. Pity we are at our most handy for other teams too

75

We beat them

1 Like
76

Great draw, as it turned out we had a 50/50 chance of ending up in Spain/Turkey group. Hungary are decent but lack a really good front man. Who knows, in 9 months a few players might have broken through. Bosun Lawal in particular who is back to full fitness.

77

Hungary have been decent enough in qualifying recently.

But I suppose it could be worse.

Armenia not a proper minnow either; they beat & drew with Wales in the last qualifying and Wales are seeded way above us. Also drew with Turkey.

78

New York 2026 here we come

79

I’d take Winnipeg

80