Football: Countdown for World Cup Draw is On

Austria's national football team is eagerly looking to Washington on Friday (6:00 PM CET/live ORF 1), where the draw for the groups for the World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico will take place. The ÖFB team will be drawn from the second of four pots, with the top 2 of the total twelve pools and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout phase. Reaching that stage is the main goal for the squad led by team coach Ralf Rangnick.

The German coach has no specific wish for the draw. "We have to take what comes anyway. I remember the EURO when we were drawn into the toughest group of all and ended up as group winners. We will take on the challenge and prepare ourselves as best as possible," promised Rangnick before departing for the US capital.

Four Pots for World Cup Draw

Due to being in pot two, the ÖFB team will avoid tough opponents like Croatia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Morocco, or Colombia. In pot one, according to the current FIFA world rankings, the top teams Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany are placed. However, Austria could also be drawn against one of the three host countries from this pot - the most appealing option from a sporting perspective.

From the third pot, a challenge like Norway looms. The ÖFB internationals would probably also prefer to avoid matches against Egypt, Scotland, or Paraguay, but it could also be against seemingly easier opponents like Uzbekistan or Qatar. Anything is possible regarding the quality of opponents from the fourth pot. There, on one hand, are the winners from the UEFA play-offs - possibly Italy, Denmark, and Turkey - and on the other hand, Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, Haiti, and New Zealand. Due to the format, it is quite possible that just one win from the three group matches will be enough to advance.

ÖFB at the Draw on Site

The draw will be hosted, among others, by former supermodel Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart, with show acts including Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, Andrea Bocelli, and the Village People. The balls will be drawn by all-time greats from sports that are more popular in the USA than soccer. Former star quarterback Tom Brady, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, active baseball star Aaron Judge, and basketball giant Shaquille O'Neal will serve as the draw fairies. The draw will be led by former English team player Rio Ferdinand.

A high-ranking ÖFB delegation will be present at the draw at the John F. Kennedy Center, which, in addition to Rangnick, includes Supervisory Board Chairman Josef Pröll, Sports Director Peter Schöttel, and Managing Director Bernhard Neuhold. Rangnick will then inspect possible World Cup quarters together with Neuhold and team managers Lennart Coerdt and Mario Margreiter, but will have to calculate with a one-day delay for the detailed search.

Times and Venues to Follow

The national team will only learn its opponents on Friday, with the kick-off times and venues to be announced by FIFA 24 hours later (Saturday 6:00 PM CET). Rangnick wants a base camp as close as possible to the venues to keep travel strains to a minimum. "Our aim is to provide the national team with the best possible conditions," said Pröll. The ÖFB team's World Cup quarters should be finalized by mid-January.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.