The United States will compete against an old enemy and a more recent adversary at this year’s World Cup in Qatar after the men’s national team was drawn against England and Iran, and may end up playing Ukraine.
Team USA were third out of the pot during the World Cup draw on Friday and went into Group B, where top seed England and Iran were already waiting for them.
The fourth team in the group is still to be determined but could end up being Ukraine. Ukraine and Scotland were set to face off on March 24, but that fixture was postponed until June because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The winner of that match will face Wales for the final spot in the tournament. It is unclear if Ukraine will be able to fulfill its fixture given the situation at home.
The U.S. and Iran last faced off in the World Cup in France in 1998. Ahead of the fixture, the match was considered one of the most politically charged World Cup matches ever, with Iran beating the U.S. 2-1. This time, the two will meet amid the backdrop over a controversial Iran nuclear deal, which was scrapped by former President Donald Trump, although the Biden administration is trying to resurrect it.
America’s game against England is scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday. The opening game will be against Ukraine, Scotland, or Wales. The U.S. sealed qualification for the World Cup earlier this week despite losing 2-0 to Costa Rica. They missed out on the tournament in 2018.
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The #FIFAWorldCup groups are set ?
We can’t wait! ?#FinalDraw pic.twitter.com/uaDfdIvbaZ
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) April 1, 2022
Iran’s presence at the World Cup has been a point of contention. Some parties have advocated for Iran to be banned from FIFA over its decision to block as many as 2,000 women attending Iran’s World Cup qualifying match against Lebanon on Tuesday.
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The 2022 World Cup is scheduled to begin on Nov. 21 and end on Dec. 18 in Qatar.
