With teams like Brazil, France, England, Morocco and Haiti potentially coming, one guarantee is soccer’s going to take over the city next summer.
Friday afternoon was the first step in finding out which teams Philadelphia will host in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the initial draw to fill out the 12 competitive groups was held — with a lot of glitz and star power — in Washington, D.C.
We won’t have the full picture till tomorrow afternoon, but we have a shortlist of 18 teams that could play at Lincoln Financial Field, as well as how steep the U.S. national team’s path through the tournament will be.
The event, at D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, included Heidi Klum and Philly’s own Kevin Hart as MCs, and sporting greats Shaquille O’Neal, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky and Aaron Judge as window dressing. Music was provided by Andrea Bocelli, Lauryn Hill and The Village People. U.S. President Donald Trump was presented with a newly created FIFA Peace Prize.
Back in Philly, a vocal contingent of local soccer fans gathered for a watch party at Stateside Live!, just steps away from the Linc, where six tournament games will be played next summer. They were joined by Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro and the city’s host committee co-chair, Dan Hilferty.
“I think you’re going to see soccer just take over the culture of this city this summer,” Shapiro told event host Anthony Gargano during the event.
Attendees wore jerseys and gear from many of the teams that will be playing next summer. What they couldn’t know yet was which teams will actually play in Philly, which will host five games pitting teams in group play, plus a round-of-16 knockout match on July 4.
The draw played out like this, with the groups that will have a game in Philly identified. Some of them include a placeholder spot, as 22 teams are still vying for six remaining spots that will be decided by two sets of playoff series in March.
Group A
Group B
Canada
Group C (Games in Philly)
Group D
Group E (Games in Philly)
Group F
Group G
Group H
Group I (Games in Philly)
Group J
Group K
Group L (Games in Philly)
With the draw complete, FIFA will work overnight to complete scheduling for the 104 games of the tournament — the most in its history — and announce it at noon tomorrow.
