It is already clear that the three hosts will find themselves in pot one with the top teams. This means: The USA, Canada and Mexico will be one of the twelve group heads. Conversely, it is already clear that the teams that have to make it to the playoffs will end up in pot four. Because: Not all participants have been chosen for the drawing on December 5th. Six lottery balls are therefore only placeholders for the time being. Some teams, some from Europe, will still be fighting for their World Cup ticket in playoffs in spring 2026.
This could actually also apply to the German team. If, contrary to expectations, national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team does not come first in their qualifying group, there is a risk of a detour via the aforementioned playoffs – and thus a fantastic group at the World Cup. Instead of potentially being placed in pot one and avoiding teams like France, Argentina or England for the time being, in the worst case scenario this could be exactly what happens in the preliminary round.