Washington dresses with courtesy (and a lot of football)
Well, planet Earth, or at least the part that doesn’t live under a rock and loves football, has its eyes on the North American triad. Mexico, the United States and Canada are not only the partners of the T-MEC, they are now the hosts of the World Cup 2026 and this Friday they have the first big show: the final draw. And no, it’s not just any giveaway. It is the moment when 48 teams (yes, 48, because FIFA decided that the more, the better, like in a buffet) discover who they will have to suffer with, or enjoy, in the group stage. All this will happen at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., a place normally dedicated to opera and ballet, but today it will change the violin for the raffle balls. The appointment is at 11:00 a.m. Mexico time. Prepare your coffee, because this is promising.
FIFA, in its infinite wisdom, describes this ritual as “one of the most exciting moments” on the road to the title. Basically, it is the first reality show of the tournament, where the technicians fake a poker smile regardless of whether they landed in the group of death or the country walk. But the real plot twist is not sporting, but political. For the first time, the heads of state of the three host countries will meet in person. There will be Claudia Sheinbaum, Donald Trump and Mark Carney. A selfie of that trio is worth more than any round of 16 ticket. The meme potential is simply astronomical.
The bass drums, the groups and the colored ball (so as not to get confused)
How does this giveaway work? Imagine an extremely organized lottery with rules that only a FIFA committee can understand (and sometimes not even them). There are four drums, which are basically luxury urns with miniature balls. In Pot 1, the VIPs: the three host countries and the seeds such as Argentina, France, Brazil or Spain. Mexico, the US and Canada, because they are the owners of the party, are given special treatment with colored balls and fixed positions: Mexico in A1 (green ball), Canada in B1 (red) and the United States in D1 (blue). The rest of the teams in Pot 1 will be assigned to groups A to L.
Then comes Bombo 2, with heavy selections like Croatia, Uruguay, Colombia or Morocco, which are the equivalent of that guest who arrives and revolutionizes the party. The Bombo 3 and the Bombo 4 complete the cast with combinations that can range from the interesting to the “and where did this team come from?”. The final result will be 12 groups of 4 teams. The calendar with exact stadiums and schedules will be announced the next day, Saturday, December 6, because FIFA loves to keep us in suspense until the last second.
Sheinbaum’s agenda: football, politics and community
While the balls are spinning, the Mexican president is not just going to smile at the camera. His agenda in the American capital is a diplomatic sprint. He arrived on Thursday on a plane from the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) and, in addition to the draw, he has planned lightning bilateral meetings (of about 20 minutes, because time is money) with Carney and Trump. The meeting with the American president could take place at the Kennedy Center itself. For the afternoon, the agenda changes tone, with a possible meeting with the Mexican migrant community in the United States, as she herself announced. And not to miss a beat, he will return to Mexico that same Friday night to headline Saturday’s events at the Zócalo for the 7 years of the “transformation.” Someone give the president a double coffee, please.
In summary, this Friday in Washington the unpredictability of the draw is mixed with the carefully choreographed script of diplomacy. We will see football groups being born and, incidentally, political gestures that we will analyze ad nauseam on networks. It is the perfect prelude to the glorious chaos that will be the World Cup 2026.
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