WASHINGTON: The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was conducted on Friday at John F. Kennedy Center, setting the stage for the first 48-team edition of football's biggest tournament.

With expanded group formats and an unprecedented number of matches across Canada, Mexico and the United States, the draw ceremony delivered several headline-grabbing clashes, Xunhua reports.

Following the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have emerged as the two biggest stars in world football. Their national teams, France and Norway, will meet early in the group stage after being drawn together in Group I. Senegal, one of Africa's strongest sides, adds further weight to the group. The winner among Ukraine, Sweden, Poland and Albania from the European play-offs will

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