The 2026 Winter Olympics are nearly two months away, and rosters are due at the end of the month.

Team USA GM Bill Guerin will have some tough decisions to make by Dec. 31. The men’s national team fell a goal short of winning the 4 Nations Face-Off, so the chemistry and lessons learned from that tournament will factor into the Olympic roster.

Guerin also suggested that whoever’s on the team must be able to check and withstand a heightened level of physicality.

‘Honestly, I just don’t think you can put into words how tight those games were (at the 4 Nations Face-Off),’ Guerin told The Athletic in late November. ‘How little room there was to operate. And how well these elite players can check. In NHL games, they’re not always counted on to do that, but when they are, they can. And not everybody can play in those situations.

‘No matter what their offensive gifts are, if you can’t check, it’s probably not the tournament for you.’

At the end of the day, there are different philosophies in building the perfect Team USA. And while physicality and chemistry from the 4 Nations remain factors, some skilled players are playing too well to snub.

We’re projecting 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders for Team USA after two months of the NHL season. If you’re looking for the August projection to compare, click here. Or here is one from USA TODAY. Players with an asterisk were already named to the roster in June.

US men’s hockey Olympic roster predictions

Forwards

Centers: Auston Matthews*, Jack Eichel*, Dylan Larkin, J.T. Miller

Wingers: Jake Guentzel, Matthew Tkachuk*, Brady Tkachuk*, Jack Hughes, Matthew Knies, Clayton Keller, Kyle Connor, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, Tage Thompson

The lowdown: The Americans are a co-favorite to win this tournament in no small part due to their depth at all positions, including up front. We’ve had to leave off some very talented young players, including Utah’s Logan Cooley, Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier and Dallas’ Jason Robertson. 

But had we included those three on our American roster, we’d be forced to omit players such as Toronto’s Knies and Buffalo’s Thompson. However, Knies’ physical game and Thompson’s size bring elements that the U.S. team needs to balance their smaller, skilled players.

So with players like the Tkachuk brothers. and Rangers star Miller, the Americans will be extremely tough to play against. And there’s no shortage of high-end skill for coach Mike Sullivan to lean on. Caufield would provide elite secondary scoring, while Keller is an elite playmaker.

Defensemen

Quinn Hughes*, Charlie McAvoy*, Zach Werenski, Jake Sanderson, Jaccob Slavin, Adam Fox, Brock Faber, Lane Hutson

The lowdown: Out of the three positions, the Americans have the most impressive depth on ‘D’. There’s skill and smarts to spare – and with McAvoy and Slavin in particular, there’s elite possession hockey that will be played in their own zone. Hutson can come in at any time the Americans need more puck movement from the back end as well.

The Americans’ defensive depth means that above-average blueliners, including New Jersey’s Luke Hughes, Anaheim’s Jackson LaCombe, Washington’s John Carlson and Florida’s Seth Jones didn’t make the cut. But if injuries cut into their defensive depth, those omissions will be able to step in and give the U.S. quality minutes.

Goaltenders

Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Thatcher Demko

The Lowdown:Hellebuyck is currently injured, but he’s expected to return in time for the Olympics and be the starter. But if Hellebuyck does struggle or suffer additional health issues, Stars starter Oettinger and Vancouver starter Demko can step in and step up.

Demko has had his share of injuries to deal with in recent years, so a replacement for him could come in the form of Seattle’s Joey Daccord or Boston’s Jeremy Swayman. But in a high-stakes, short-span tourney like the Olympics, if you have to turn to the fourth or fifth option in net, you’re probably not going to be battling for gold. That said, if Hellebuyck is on his game, the U.S. will be extremely tough to beat. He had a 1.59 goals-against average and .932 save percentage at the 4 Nations.

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The Los Angeles Lakers, on the second night of a back-to-back, will be deprived of their two biggest stars.

Luka Dončić missed the team’s most recent game, a three-point victory over the Toronto Raptors Thursday, Dec. 4, because of personal reasons.

Los Angeles won the Raptors game on a 3-point shot as time expired. During that play, LeBron James had the ball in his hands and had the chance to extend his double-digit scoring record, but he passed up the opportunity to record the game-winning assist. That snapped James’ streak of 1,297 consecutive games – or a span of nearly 19 years – with at least 10 points.

James, however, landed on the injury report Friday, Dec. 5, ahead of the team’s game in Boston against the Celtics, with a previously undisclosed issue.

Here’s everything you need to know about the availabilities of the two Lakers stars, Luka Dončić and LeBron James:

Is Luka Doncic playing tonight vs. Celtics?

No. Dončić remains away from the team for personal reasons and will miss his second consecutive game. The team officially listed him as out on Friday’s injury report, and Lakers coach JJ Redick said the team was unsure when he would return.

“Obviously, he’s away from the team for personal reasons,” Redick told reporters Thursday, prior to the team’s game against the Raptors. “Hope to have him back soon, but don’t have a pin-pointed day yet.”

The Lakers are on the second leg of a three-game road trip that concludes Sunday, Dec. 7 in Philadelphia.

The Lakers then head home for one game against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday, Dec. 10, before embarking on another three-game road trip.

Is LeBron James playing tonight vs. Celtics?

No, James also won’t play. The Lakers had listed James as doubtful on the injury report earlier on Friday with right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis designations. By late afternoon, the team had downgraded him to out.

James has been dealing with the sciatica issue since training camp. It forced him to miss all of the preseason and the first 14 games of the season.

The joint arthritis issue is a new one being disclosed for the first time. James turns 41 in a little more than three weeks, and the Lakers were already managing his participation in back-to-backs. The arthritis injury, however, could complicate his availability in the coming games.

Redick is set to speak to reporters before tipoff and he’ll likely offer an update on James then.

The NCAA Division I volleyball tournament’s first round continues with 16 more matches on Friday.

No. 1 overall seed Nebraska (30-0) opens its quest for its first title since 2017 by hosting LIU (20-8) at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+).

Kentucky (25-2), Texas (23-3) and Pitt (26-4) are the other No. 1 seeds. The Wildcats opened the tournament with a first-round sweep over Wofford. Texas hosts Florida A&M and Pitt opens against UMBC on Friday.

Defending champ Penn State (18-12) is a No. 8 seed in the Austin region. The Nittany Lions face South Florida (17-12) in the first round on Friday.

The 2025 NCAA volleyball Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s the third time since 2010 that the venue, formerly known as the Sprint Center, has hosted the volleyball national championship.

Follow along with USA TODAY Sports for live updates, scores and schedule for the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament:

How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament

Streaming: ESPN+ ∣ Fubo (free trial)

The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. All first- and second-round games can be found streaming on ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament live with Fubo (free trial)

Women’s college volleyball tournament live scores

Xavier volleyball vs. Michigan: Live score updates

Michigan is up 2-0 over No. 8 Xavier after taking the first and second set 25-19 and 25-15, respectively.

Western Kentucky volleyball vs. Marquette: Live score updates

Marquette took the first set over No. 7 Western Kentucky, 25-22.

What time is NCAA volleyball tournament?

Date: Friday, Dec. 5
Start time: 16 matches, beginning at 4 p.m. ET Friday. Match-by-match times below.

NCAA volleyball first-round matchups, game times

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-12)
No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10)
Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2 (25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10)
No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0, (25-19, 25-12, 25-13)
No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2 (12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15)
No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2 (15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10)
Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2 (25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-12)

Austin bracket

No. 1 Texas (23-3) vs. Florida A&M (14-16), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 8 Penn State (18-12) vs. South Florida (17-12), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16)
No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-19)
North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21)
No. 7 South Dakota State (23-4) vs. Arizona (16-12), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 2 Stanford (27-4) vs. Utah Valley (16-10), 10 p.m. ET, Friday

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 1 Pitt (26-4) vs. UMBC (13-11), 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 8 Xavier (26-4) vs. Michigan (21-10), 4 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 5 Iowa State (22-7) vs. St. Thomas (21-9), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 4 Minnesota (22-9) vs. Fairfield (25-5), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10)
No. 7 Rice (21-9) vs. Florida (15-11), 5 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 2 SMU (25-5) vs. Central Arkansas (18-11), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday

Lincoln bracket

No. 1 Nebraska (30-0) vs. LIU (20-8), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 8 San Diego (25-4) vs. Kansas State (17-3), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1 (25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20)
No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18)
No. 3 Texas A&M (23-4) vs. Campbell (23-6), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 6 TCU (20-10) vs. Stephen F. Austin (23-7), 5 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 7 Western Kentucky (27-5) vs. Marquette (17-10), 4 p.m. ET, Friday
No. 2 Louisville (24-6) vs. Loyola Chicago (17-15), 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday

NCAA volleyball tournament rounds

Second round: Dec. 5-6
Regionals: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
National championship: 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 21

All games on ESPN Unlimited, ESPN, ABC

NCAA volleyball games Thursday

Final: USC 3, Princeton 0

No. 3 seed USC swept Princeton 25-19, 25-12, 25-13

Final: Kentucky 3, Wofford 0

No. 1 Kentucky swept Wofford 25-11, 25-19, 25-12

Final: Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0

No. 2 Arizona State swept Coppin State 25-11, 25-14, 25-12

Final: Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0

No. 3 Wisconsin swept Eastern Illinois 25-11, 25-6, 25-19

Final: Purdue 3, Wright State 0

No. 3 Purdue swept Wright State 25-13, 25-21, 25-19

Final: Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2

No. 3 Creighton swept Northern Colorado 12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15

Final: Kansas 3, High Point 0

No. 4 Kansas swept High Point 25-20, 25-15, 25-18

Final: Cal Poly 3, BYU 2

Cal Poly defeated No. 5 BYU 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10

Final: Utah State 3, Tennessee 2

Utah State defeated No. 7 Tennessee 25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11

Final: North Carolina 3, UTEP 1

North Carolina downed No. 6 UTEP 24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21

Final: Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2

No. 6 Northern Iowa defeated Utah 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10

Final: UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2

No. 8 UCLA defeated Georgia Tech 24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10

Final: Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2

No. 6 Baylor defeated Arkansas State 23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10

Final: Miami 3, Tulsa 1

No. 5 Miami defeated Tulsa 25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20

Final: Indiana 3, Toledo 0

No. 4 Indiana swept Toledo 25-18, 25-15, 25-17

Final: Colorado 3, American University 0

Colorado eliminated American 25-16, 25-19, 25-16

NCAA volleyball tournament automatic qualifiers

Here’s a look at the 31 teams that earned automatic berths to the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament by virtue of winning their conferences:

ACC: Stanford
American: Tulsa
American East: UMBC
Atlantic Sun: Central Arkansas
Atlantic 10: Loyola Chicago
Big East: Creighton
Big Sky: Northern Colorado
Big South: High Point
Big Ten: Nebraska
Big 12: Arizona State
Big West: Cal Poly
CAA: Campbell
Conference USA: Western Kentucky
Horizon: Wright State
Ivy: Princeton
MAAC: Fairfield
MAC: Toledo
MEAC: Coppin State
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
Mountain West: Utah State
NEC: LIU
Ohio Valley: Eastern Illinois
Patriot: American
SEC: Kentucky
SoCon: Wofford
Southland: Stephen F. Austin
SWAC: Florida A&M
Summit: St. Thomas
Sun Belt: Arkansas State
WAC: Utah Valley
WCC: San Diego

When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?

Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21

The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be followed three days later by the national championship game on Sunday, Dec. 21.

NCAA volleyball tournament champions

Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, having defeated Louisville in four sets last year in the national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.

Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:

2024: Penn State
2023: Texas
2022: Texas
2021: Wisconsin
2020: Kentucky
2019: Stanford
2018: Stanford
2017: Nebraska
2016: Stanford
2015: Nebraska

For the full list of champions, click here.

WASHINGTON — It wasn’t the one he had in mind but Donald Trump did finally take home a peace prize.

Trump was the winner of the inaugural ‘FIFA Peace Prize,’ which the soccer organization awarded during its World Cup draw in Washington. 

‘This is truly one of the great honors of my life,’ Trump said as he accepted the award.

The award winner was hardly a surprise. Trump has been the assumed victor since FIFA announced the creation of the prize a month ago that it said would ‘reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.’

FIFA announced the award weeks after the Norwegian Nobel Committee passed Trump over for its prestigious peace prize in October. Trump had been angling to win the award, which he said again this week that he deserved for ending a variety of conflicts.

He had to settle for the newly-invented prize given out by soccer’s governing body, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino personally handing the trophy and a certificate to Trump, who also received a medal, during the draw at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

‘You definitely deserve the first FIFA peace prize for your action, for what you have obtained – in your way – but you obtained it in an incredible way,’ Infantino said. ‘And you can always count, Mr. President, on my support, on the support of the entire football community, or soccer community to help you make peace and make the world prosper.’

In the run-up to next summer’s World Cup, the FIFA boss has appeared with Trump on at least half a dozen occasions. He attended Trump’s inauguration in January and has visited Washington multiple times since.

He sat in the front row of a peace agreement signing between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo that Trump held in Washington on the eve of the draw.

‘You’ve done a fantastic job. A great leader in sports,’ Trump said of Infantino after he spotted him in the crowd.

Trump sat in a box with Infantino for the Club World Cup final this summer and the American president stood on stage in the middle of trophy celebrations, much to the bewilderment of players. Trump said that FIFA had actually gifted him the tournament’s original trophy. It made a new one before the match that was won by Chelsea.

In August, Trump hosted Infantino in the Oval Office to announce the Kennedy Center as the host of the World Cup draw. The FIFA president stood by as Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has been banned from the soccer competition since it invaded Ukraine, could attend the 2026 World Cup, which has games in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Infantino also attended the Gaza ceasefire signing ceremony that Trump held in October. He said at the event that was held in Egypt that Trump ‘has broken down barriers and has built bridges’ toward world peace. 

‘This is what we want from a leader. A leader that cares about the people. We want to live in a safe world, in a safe environment. We want to unite, that’s what we do here today, that’s what we do at the World Cup,’ Infantino said at the World Cup draw.

The FIFA boss appeared in the Oval Office again in November to unveil an expedited visa process for World Cup ticket holders. 

Next year’s games will be held in 16 cities across North America, with the first one taking place on June 11, 2026. The final game will be played in the U.S. on July 19. They are expected to be the widest attended games in World Cup history, with an unprecedented 48 teams playing.

‘I don’t need prizes. I need to save lives,’ Trump told a reporter who asked if winning the award conflicts with his pledge to strike Venezuela. ‘I also want to run a great country.’

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also attended the Washington, D.C draw.

Host country presidents have typically been involved in the games. Putin participated in the 2018 World Cup draw in Moscow. Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, was on stage in Doha in 2022.

Infantino has acknowledged his budding relationship with Trump, saying he considers the president a ‘close friend.’

‘He’s very helpful in everything that we do for the World Cup,’ Infantino said of Trump during a business forum in Miami last month. ‘He’s really engaged. He has such incredible energy. He does what he says, and says what he thinks. That’s why he’s so successful.’

Infantino is not alone in the global soccer world as an admirer of the American president, with Trump recently welcoming Cristiano Ronaldo to the White House for a dinner honoring the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr FC.

‘He is one of the guys who can help to change the world,’ Ronaldo said of Trump.

Just when you thought the Penn State coaching search couldn’t take any more twists and turns… It’s gone from getting trumped by the Crumbl Cookie guy to allegedly calling people in Oregon ‘weirdos.’

Penn State has been without a permanent head coach since firing James Franklin on Oct. 12. It’s the biggest job left open in what has been a whirlwind coaching carousel. Penn State has been linked with plenty of coaches, many of whom got new deals to stay put. A two-man 2026 recruiting class has only exasperated the problems in Happy Valley.

On Thursday night, audio leaked on ‘Dead Air Sports’ of an alleged meeting between Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft and Nittany Lions players. The video with the audio recording was edited from a longer conversation.

“I want y’all to know this too: If I don’t get this right, my career is over,’ the person leading the alleged meeting says in the recording. ‘Understand that. If I don’t hire the right person, my career is over. So it’s very serious to me… If I don’t hire the right person, in two years they will fire my ass. And I don’t get another AD job. ‘How could you (expletive) up Penn State?’”

Here are some other highlights from the leaked audio:

∎ “What’s happened here too many times at Penn State, is they (expletive) settle for second-best. That’s why we made the move.”

∎ “I think Oregon are frauds. I think they’re not tough. That’s our edge, our toughness.”

∎ Player: “To be very frank with you, I think the biggest reason why players do not want to come here is we’re in the middle of nowhere, honestly.”

Leader: “Oh, I agree. Our fans, our people don’t understand. It’s a challenge. ‘What am I going to (expletive) do?’ Oregon? Have you all been to Oregon? Ain’t (expletive) going on, it’s a bunch of (expletive) weirdos.”

∎ “Ohio State is Ohio State. But (expletive) A, it’s not like they’re lightyears better than us, talented-wise. Just can’t be able to get over the (expletive) hump! Michigan (expletive) stinks. (Expletive) joke. Cheating their balls off. That’s real by the way what they did. Oregon? Their (expletive) quarterback was shaking in overtime. But we have to win those (expletive) games.”

∎ “Can I tell you a story about NIL? This is one of the highest-paid rosters in the country. From the money that is spent right now… Texas Tech is $40 million because of that billionaire is just dropping money on them, it’s crazy, it’s (expletive) nuts. This roster that is on the field right now, probably top-four. Now how the money is spent is a different story. But money in the program… it’s the strategy behind it.”

As co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, the United States was an automatic qualifier for the 2026 World Cup. It’ll mark the 12th time that the USMNT will compete at the World Cup.

In the World Cup draw on Dec. 5, the U.S. was placed in a group with Paraguay, Australia and the winner of UEFA’s Playoff C – Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania.

The USMNT has made it through the group stage but could not advance past the Round of 16 in three of the last four World Cups (it did not qualify for the 2018 tournament). After a third-place finish at the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the USMNT’s best performance in the tournament came in 2002 when it reached the quarterfinals.

Managed by Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT is captained by defender Tim Ream and features Christian Pulisic as its key player.

Here’s what to know about the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup group and schedule:

USA World Cup group 2026

2026 World Cup Group D

United States of America
Paraguay
Australia
UEFA Playoff C winner – Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania.

USA World Cup schedule

June 12: USA vs. Paraguay – SoFI Stadium, Inglewood, California
June 19: USA vs. Australia – Lumen Field, Seattle
June 25: USA vs. UEFA Playoff C winner – SoFI Stadium

2026 World Cup schedule

Group stage: June 11-June 27
Round of 32: June 28-July 3
Round of 16: July 4-July 7
Quarterfinals: July 9-July 11
Semifinals: July 14-15 – AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) and Mecedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Third-place match: July 18 – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
World Cup final: July 19 – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

WASHINGTON — The nation’s capital hosted the draw for the 2026 World Cup on Friday, Dec. 5, determining the groups, matchups and venues for next summer’s tournament in North America.

The United States men’s national team had already been placed in Group D as a host and learned its three opponents in the draw, a star-studded affair taking place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump attended and was handed the inaugural ‘FIFA peace prize,’ an award that was announced weeks after the president was not named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

‘This will be the greatest World Cup ever, the greatest event mankind will ever see,’ FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on stage.

This edition of the draw featured some new wrinkles as the field expands from 32 to 48 for the first time, with 12 groups of four and separate pathways for the world’s four highest-ranked teams.

Here’s how the 2026 World Cup draw unfolded:

World Cup groups

Group A

Mexico
South Africa
South Korea
UEFA playoff D (Czechia/Ireland/Denmark/North Macedonia)

Group B

Canada
UEFA playoff A (Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Italy/Northern Ireland)
Qatar
Switzerland

Group C

Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland

Group D

United States
Paraguay
Australia
UEFA playoff C (Türkiye/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo)

Group E

Germany
Curaçao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador

Group F

Netherlands
Japan
UEFA playoff B (Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania)
Tunisia

Group G

Belgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand

Group H

Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay

Group I

France
Senegal
FIFA playoff 2 (Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname)
Norway

Group J

Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan

Group K

Portugal
FIFA playoff 1 (New Caledonia/Jamaica/Congo)
Uzbekistan
Colombia

Group L

England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama

USMNT gets best-case World Cup draw

The United States men’s national team got a very favorable draw for next summer’s World Cup.

The Americans will play Paraguay, Australia and the winner of a European playoff in the tournament they are co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. They have winning records against both Paraguay and Australia, including 2-1 victories over both teams this fall.

World Cup group of death? England get nightmare draw

WASHINGTON — Critics of the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup will say the tournament has become watered down but several groups are loaded with heavy-hitters who may have a tougher time than expected to advance to the knockout stage.

What time is World Cup draw today?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony starts at noon ET on Friday, Dec. 5.

How to watch World Cup draw: TV channel, live stream

TV channel: Fox
Streaming: Live on FIFA.com and Fubo

2026 World Cup qualified teams

Entering the draw, 42 of the 48 spots in the field have been clinched. The final six spots will be decided in March’s qualification playoffs.

Here are the teams qualified entering the draw:

Host nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Concacaf: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Oceania: New Zealand
South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

World Cup draw security ramped up

WASHINGTON — With President Trump and other heads of state and dignitaries scheduled to attend the World Cup draw, security is tight around the Kennedy Center in the nation’s capital.

Neighboring streets have been shut down all morning and media members are waiting in an hour-long line in the snow to get into the security perimeter.

How does World Cup draw work? Format, pots explained

Entering the draw, the 48 teams – 42 already clinched – are placed into four pots of 12 based on the November FIFA world rankings. The final six countries are in the fourth pot by default, no matter who ends up qualifying.

As the co-hosts, the USA, Canada and Mexico were placed into the first pot by default with the tournament’s nine highest-ranked teams.

Other than Europe (16 places), no continental federation may have more than one team in each group.

World Cup draw pots

Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, UEFA playoff A, B, C and D, FIFA playoff tournament 1 and 2

Donald Trump wins inaugural FIFA peace prize

WASHINGTON — It wasn’t the one he had in mind but Donald Trump did finally take home a peace prize.

Trump was the winner of the inaugural ‘FIFA Peace Prize,’ which the soccer organization awarded during its World Cup draw in Washington. 

The award winner was hardly a surprise. Trump has been the assumed victor since FIFA announced the creation of the prize a month ago that it said would ‘reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.’

Donald Trump accepts ‘great honor’ of FIFA Peace Prize

WASHINGTON — Before the drawing of teams began, Trump was awarded the inaugural ‘FIFA peace prize,’ a new annual honor that was announced after Trump didn’t win the  Nobel Peace Prize. After an extended video honoring Trump, Infantino presented him with a medal and the trophy, gushing over the American president before handing him the mic.

‘This is truly one of the great honors of my life,’ Trump said after receiving the award.

YMCA and a ‘peace prize.’ FIFA shoots for a Goooal! in Trump courtship

It’s showtime for world soccer’s courtship of President Donald Trump, complete with a performance by one of his favorite bands and a glitzy, celebrity-laden ceremony loaded with anticipation and a prize targeted to appeal to a president who styles himself as a peacemaker.

The FIFA World Cup is coming to North America next year, and FIFA has been laying the groundwork for the massive sporting event by cozying up to Trump. — Zac Anderson

See the Donald Trump soccer ball

Among the sights at the 2026 World Cup draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. was a soccer ball with a painted face of United States of America President Donald Trump.

2026 World Cup odds to win

Here are the latest odds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, from BetMGM.com:

Spain +400
England +600
France +650
Brazil +750
Argentina +800
Portugal +1100
Germany +1200
Netherlands +1600
Norway +2500
Italy/Colombia +3300

Note: Host nations Canada, Mexico and the United States are all +6600

2026 World Cup schedule

Group stage: June 11-June 27
Round of 32: June 28-July 3
Round of 16: July 4-July 7
Quarterfinals: July 9-July 11
Semifinals: July 14-15 – AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) and Mecedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Third-place match: July 18 – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
World Cup final: July 19 – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

What does FIFA stand for?

FIFA is the governing body for international soccer (football), most notably orchestrating events such as the men’s and women’s World Cups. FIFA is an acronym for Federation Internationale de Football Association. FIFA was founded in 1904 and has 211 members.

World Cup draw gets assist from Tom Brady and other sports mega-stars

The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw, which will take place at the iconic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 5, will feature a star-studded lineup of athletes assisting former England captain Rio Ferdinand.

The event, which will be broadcast on Fox, features Ferdinand and Samantha Johnson as hosts.

They will have notable assistants for the draw, including seven-time NFL Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, four-time NBA championship winner and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, NHL Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup champion Wayne Gretzky, and seven-time MLB All-Star Aaron Judge. Additionally, two-time NFL Super Bowl champion Eli Manning will serve as the red carpet host, making a special appearance to enhance the unique experience for fans watching.

2026 World Cup weather will be a concern

England manager Thomas Tuchel said he might keep his substitutes in the dressing room during matches at the 2026 World Cup next summer in an attempt to mitigate the impact of extreme heat.

‘If this helps the players later in the match, we have to consider it,’ Tuchel told BBC Sport on Thursday.

‘Nobody likes it because I want the players to be out there, feeling the energy and bringing it from the bench on to the pitch. But I saw players doing this at the Club World Cup. Hopefully we can avoid it,’ the manager added.

Tuchel admitted that this would be problematic for high-level football, saying it would reduce the intensity of matches in the global event co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. — Reuters

Has MLS become a ‘league of choice’?

MLS commissioner Don Garber said the arrival of elite players such as Lionel Messi have helped the sport cement its place in a crowded U.S. market, as anticipation builds across the country for Friday’s World Cup draw in Washington.

Garber said real progress had been made in recent years, fueled in part by the arrival of Lionel Messi in 2023.

‘On the field, our league is more global than ever before,’ Garber said at a news conference on Thursday.

‘Our roster features players from 80 different countries. More than any other league in any sport around the world. And global superstars, as we all know, are making MLS their league of choice,’ — Reuters

New World Cup was necessary, FIFA says

FIFA’s chief of global football development Arsene Wenger backed the move to 48 teams, saying demand to participate was growing and that the quality gap between nations had narrowed.

‘The evolution is always more teams want to participate. And now I believe that 48 teams is the right number,’ he said, noting it still represented less than a quarter of FIFA’s 211 member associations.

‘I was a bit scared before because maybe the difference between the teams will be too big. In fact, we realized that the difference quality-wise has been reduced.’ – Reuters

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham recently divulged several details about new basketball startup Project B, including that she asked teammate Caitlin Clark to join.

On her podcast, Show Me Something, Sophie Cunningham & West Wilson, Cunningham talked about the growing number of other leagues outside of the WNBA. The Fever guard admitted that most American players would likely play basketball in the offseason for organizations such as Project B, Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited. However, Clark was not on that list. The veteran revealed that she attempted to recruit Clark, but was unsuccessful.’All these leagues are great, but at the end of the day, if you don’t have the [WNBA], you don’t have the platform. So, you don’t have the eyes. You don’t have the recognition,’ Cunningham said, acknowledging that the WNBA is still the preferred choice for many players, including Clark. ‘I tried to get her to play in [Project B]. She was like ‘No.”

USA TODAY reached out to Cunningham for comment.

Despite Clark turning down Cunninham’s pitch, she says she is ‘super excited’ to play with teammate Kelsey Mitchell. Cunningham gushed that after turning down Project B twice, she eventually signed on once learning more details, including having access to top treatment, charter flights and more. She also shot down the notion that Project B has ties to Saudi Arabia (a growing concern among many in basketball circles), sharing that the league was backed by four wealthy tech companies.

‘I think the people that are running it are just good, good people, ‘she said. ‘What a great time to expand my brand globally. I get to play year-round, which will help me stay in shape … I’m hitting my prime.’

In addition to Cunningham and Mitchell, several other WNBA players have joined the organization founded by former Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice. The ever-expanding announced list includes Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, New York Liberty forwards Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich, Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd, Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, former Washington Mystics guard Li Meng, and Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun and guard Juste Joycte.

Project B, slated to run from November 2026 to April 2027, is expected to be made up of six teams of 11 players and played on a traveling circuit overseas. The new league has emphasized player compensation, a point of contention in the WNBA’s ongoing CBA negotiations, reportedly promising to pay players salaries starting at $2 million annually.