One commentator said: 'I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but it seems the United States got preferential treatment in the draw, perhaps because the host nation's team seems set to sail through the first round, which led some to suspect that FIFA President Gianni Infantino granted an advantage to his friend, U.S. President Donald Trump.' Among the comments was: 'The U.S. team got the weakest opponent from Pot 2, Australia.' The U.S. team, led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, landed in the easiest group following the draw for the 2026 World Cup. They will face Australia, Paraguay, and one of the qualifiers from the playoff that includes Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo from Group 4.
