USMNT draw England in Group B

It had to happen, didn’t it? 

The U.S. Men’s National Team learned of its World Cup 2022 opponents, and the headliner is one they share a history with in the tournament. 

The U.S. drew into Group B in the World Cup draw, pitting them against England, who already had been drawn into the group. 

Iran was the third team in Group B, whom the U.S. share World Cup history with as well. Dubbed the “mother of all games” by then-president of the U.S. Soccer Federation Alan Rothenberg, the U.S. and Iran faced off in a politically-charged matchup in the 1998 World Cup. Iran defeated the U.S. 2-1 for its first-ever World Cup victory, which led to wide-scale celebrations in the country. 

The U.S. will have to wait a little longer to learn all of its opponents, however. The winner of a European playoff will occupy the fourth spot in the group. Ukraine, Scotland and Wales are still alive for that spot. 

Since they were in Pot 1, the Three Lions are the best team, on paper, in the group. 

The U.S. will play on opening day on Nov. 21 and then on Nov. 25, meaning the Americans miss out on a potential Thanksgiving Day match. 

The USMNT and England were in the same group during the 2010 World Cup, and a 1-1 tie in the last group stage match helped secure a spot in the knockout round for the Americans. 

“It’s amazing,” USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter said on the broadcast after the draw. “England has a big history in the World Cup, and it’s great for us to be able to play them. I remember when we played them in 2010 it was a great moment. Great performance by the team, and now we get a chance to do it again against a strong team.” 

After eight long years on the sidelines of the biggest competition in sports, the U.S. is back in the World Cup, having earned qualification with their result against Costa Rica Wednesday night. 

The Americans finished CONCACAF qualifying in third place — the last spot in the region that earns an automatic berth in the World Cup. 

The U.S. was in Pot 2 (the second-best group of teams that have qualified) for the draw, meaning on paper, they are the second-best team in Group B. The pots were determined based on FIFA’s latest international rankings, which had the USMNT ranked No. 15 in the world following CONCACAF qualifying. 

“We’re here. A little bit tired, but I think more excited than tired,” Berhalter said before the draw. “We knew it was going to be a difficult road, we talked about it beforehand, qualifying is always difficult, but the guys persevered and got through it, and now we’re looking forward to the draw and our eventual opponents. 

“You get to look at it, you start planning, thinking about the opponents, thinking about the particular players that shine for the teams you’re playing, it’s just an exciting moment.” 

England certainly has plenty of players that fit that description —ranked No. 5 in FIFA’s rankings, the team finished as runners-up in the 2021 Euros, losing to Italy in penalty shootout in the final. The Three Lions breezed through UEFA qualification, winning eight games and drawing two. 

The U.S. was perhaps unlucky with the final Group B team. Wales will face the winner of Ukraine-Scotland to determine who gets to go to Qatar. Ranked No. 27, 18 and 39, respectively, those three teams were considered among the best possible opponents in Pot 4. Iran is ranked No. 21. 

“The exciting thing is, when you get to these world stages, when you get to these platforms, to be able to play, you want to play against the best,” USMNT star Weston McKennie said on the broadcast after the draw. “They’re gonna challenge you, that’s only going to bring out sides of a team or a player that you haven’t seen before, it’s going to challenge you. 

“The thing about the USA, in general for the years and years we’ve been involved, we like a challenge. The USA is a team that likes to show grit. We’re a team that doesn’t give up. I definitely think it’s gonna be an exciting tournament.” 

Canada, which finished in first place in the CONCACAF region, was ranked No. 38, forcing them into Pot 4 with the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament. They drew into Group F. Mexico, who finished above the U.S. in CONCACAF, was also in Pot 2 with the U.S., and drew into Group C.