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FIFA World Cup 2026 draw sets stage for biggest event ever

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FIFA World Cup 2026 draw sets stage for biggest event ever


FIFA President Gianni Infantino, US President Donald Trump, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney during the draw Pool at John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, US on December 5, 2025. — Reuters
  • Trump, Sheinbaum, Carney join Infantino for the expanded WC launch.
  • Star-studded event features Bocelli, Klum, Hart, multiple sports icons.
  • 6 spots undecided ahead of March playoffs; full schedule out Saturday.

The 48 nations participating in the largest FIFA World Cup ever, next summer in North America, were placed into 12 groups on Friday.

The drawing ceremony took place at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC, where US President Donald J. Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino to represent the three countries co-hosting the expanded global soccer tournament.

“This will be the greatest FIFA World Cup ever. The greatest event humanity will ever see,” Infantino said before the draw.

“I will put it in terms that the American audience will understand,” he added. “The World Cup is like 104 Super Bowls in one month.”

Friday’s festivities were hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and actor/comedian Kevin Hart and kicked off with a performance by legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger sang the official FIFA anthem “Desire,” followed by the presentation of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to Trump. Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal and Aaron Judge participated in the drawing.

Forty-two nations have qualified. The other six participants are still to be determined through UEFA and inter-confederation playoffs being held in March.

In 188 days, Mexico will play the first match of the tournament on June 11 against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

The complete World Cup schedule, including venues and kickoff times, will be confirmed at noon ET on Saturday.

The United States is in Group D along with Australia, Paraguay and a yet-to-be-determined European playoff team (Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo).

Team USA will play Paraguay on June 12 (Inglewood, Calif.), Australia on June 19 (Seattle) and the third group member on June 25 (Inglewood, Calif).

Mexico is in Group A with South Korea, South Africa and a yet-to-be-determined European playoff team (Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or Ireland).

Joining Canada in Group B are Switzerland, Qatar and a yet-to-be-determined European playoff team (Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina).

The top two finishers from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will advance to the final 32 for the knockout stage.

The championship match will take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

Matches are taking place in 16 cities across North America, including two in Canada (Toronto, Vancouver) and three in Mexico (Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara).

Locations across the US are Atlanta, Boston (Foxborough, Mass.), Dallas (Arlington, Texas), Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles (Inglewood, Calif.), Miami (Miami Gardens, Fla.), New York/New Jersey (East Rutherford, N.J.), Philadelphia, San Francisco (Santa Clara, Calif.) and Seattle.

The pre-tournament favourites, according to DraftKings, are Spain (+450), England (+600), France (+700), Brazil (+800) and Argentina (+800).

Argentina is the defending World Cup champion, with superstar Lionel Messi leading the team to a championship in the 32-team tournament in Qatar in 2022.

The rest of the 2026 FIFA World Cup groups:

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti

Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, TBD (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania)

Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cabo Verde

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, TBD (Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq)

Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan

Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, TBD (New Caledonia, Jamaica or Congo DR)

Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana





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Barbie Ferreira reveals where she stands with ‘Euphoria’ girls after exit

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Barbie Ferreira reveals where she stands with ‘Euphoria’ girls after exit


The actress played Kat on the first two seasons of ‘Euphoria’ 

Barbie Ferreira hasn’t lost touch with her Euphoria girls.

In a new interview on the SiriusXM radio show The Morning Mashup published Friday, April 3, the actress — who portrayed Kat — opened up about where she stands with her former co-stars after exiting the HBO series following season 2, three years ago. While promoting her latest work, Ferreira was asked how closely she keeps up with her former colleagues — including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, and Maude Apatow — now that she’s no longer part of the show.

“Yeah, totally. People always ask me questions about season 3. I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ I don’t even think the girls know,” she said when host Ben Harlum asked how closely she follows the show now, ahead of its season 3 premiere on April 12. 

Ferreira, 29, revealed she still chats with her former co-stars but isn’t looped into the details. In fact, she joked about how little even the cast seems to know about upcoming storylines.

“I was like, ‘Is Trisha Paytas in Euphoria?’ And they’re like, ‘I don’t know.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re in it. How did you not know?'” she said. “So, I haven’t seen anything until the trailers this week. They look amazing. I’m excited to see what the girls are gonna do.”

Ferreira has previously addressed speculation surrounding her exit, pushing back on rumors of on-set drama.

“When people ask me about season 2, they come at me like I was some sort of victim to season 2, and I’m always like, ‘No, it’s okay, promise. It’s good,'” she said on Dax Shepherd’s Armchair podcast. “I kind of got sucked into this drama that I never asked to be in and that I’ve never talked about. I’m of the mindset that if it doesn’t exist, I’m not going to address it because then I’m adding fuel to it.”





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Blake Lively reacts to harassment claims dismissal against Justin Baldoni

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Blake Lively reacts to harassment claims dismissal against Justin Baldoni


Blake Lively reacts to harassment claims dismissal against Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively’s legal team has hit back after a federal judge dismissed her sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni, insisting the ruling was a legal technicality rather than any kind of vindication for the It Ends With Us director.

Attorney Michael Gottlieb said in a statement shared with PEOPLE that Lively’s harassment allegations “have always been the beating heart of Ms. Lively’s case. They are why she filed her lawsuit.” 

He was clear that the dismissal did not reflect the merits of those allegations. 

“The Court’s ruling that Ms. Lively’s state and federal harassment claims could not go to trial was about legal issues rather than an endorsement of the defendants’ conduct,” he said, explaining that the claims were barred on technical grounds, Lively had not signed a contract, was classified as an independent contractor rather than an employee, and the alleged conduct took place in New Jersey rather than California.

Federal judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed ten of the thirteen claims Lively filed against Baldoni on Thursday, 2 April, including the harassment allegations, ahead of the trial scheduled for 18 May in New York. 

What remains, breach of contract and a retaliation claim under the Fair Employment and Housing Act against Baldoni’s company Wayfarer Studios, will go before a jury. 

Both Lively and Baldoni are expected to testify.

Baldoni’s side wasted no time framing the ruling as a significant win. 

His lawyers described themselves as “very pleased” that all harassment claims and every claim against the individual defendants had been dismissed, calling what remained “a significantly narrowed case.” 

In a separate statement to TMZ, attorney Bryan Freedman went further.

“Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath nor any of the other defendants have engaged in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively,” he said, adding that his clients had “deserved a vigorous defense which was led through transparency.”

Gottlieb fired back sharply. 

“Claiming exoneration based on legal technicalities while facing trial next month tells you everything you need to know,” he said, pointing out that Freedman had not even argued the summary judgment motion he was now publicly spinning, had brought in another firm for the trial, and had been reprimanded by the court the previous week for filing legally frivolous claims. 

“What the Court actually decided yesterday is that Blake Lively provided evidence to go to trial on her core claims,” Gottlieb said.

Lively first filed her sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni in December 2024, alleging misconduct on set and a coordinated retaliatory smear campaign, which Baldoni has denied. 

Baldoni’s own counterclaims against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging extortion and defamation, were dismissed by the same judge in June 2025, with his legal team choosing not to refile.





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Joe Jonas shares candid glimpse into parenthood with Sophie Turner

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Joe Jonas shares candid glimpse into parenthood with Sophie Turner


Joe Jonas shares two daughters Delphine and Willa with ex-wife Sophie Turner

Joe Jonas is documenting his life as a dad on social media and shared the latest update featuring his daughters’ progress on spelling and writing.

The 36-year-old musician took to Instagram and shared a picture of a wholesome message written down by one of his daughters – Delphine, 3, or Willa, 5, on his Stories.

The handwritten note read, “dad” with an extra “a” to the word. Below the word, was written “I love you” with hearts all across the page.

The Jonas Brothers bandmate has been vocal about his gratitude for being a father. He welcomed his firstborn with former wife Sophie Turner in 2020.

Joe Jonas shares candid glimpse into parenthood with Sophie Turner

During a podcast appearance at Amy Poehler’s Good Hang, Joe and his brothers, Nick, 33, and Kevin, 38, talked about their experiences as parents.

As four kids to who grew up together, Joe detailed that he experienced a cultural shock in raising the girls, “Boys are so different than girls. I’ll watch my kids on the playground and it’s, like, delicate. And then this kid will be like, ‘Ahh!’ And dive off the top of the slide. And you’re just like, ‘That is a boy,’” he said.

The Camp Rock alum credited their “superstar” mom for raising the boys, saying, “She was the boss, you know…Growing up, we needed a loud voice like her to be able to control us and also make sure that we weren’t, like, pieces of s—t.”





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