Recommended
Below are the main reactions following the World Cup draw for North America 2026, which was held this Friday in Washington.
The biggest football event will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 of next year.
Lionel Scaloni, Argentina head coach, to Telefe:
"There is no easy opponent". Algeria "is a good team, I think they have great players, they have a very large talent pool that also nourishes France and other countries."
Austria "had a great qualifying campaign and is a difficult opponent as well."
"We don't take anything for granted; if they got there, there must be a reason," he said about Jordan.
- TAMBIÉN LEE: Mbappé vs Haaland, Modric vs Bellingham y la venganza de Salah: los duelos más explosivos del Mundial 2026
Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil head coach, to the SporTV channel:
"We have to do well and try to finish in first place in the group. We have to prepare well for the beginning; the first game, above all, is going to be very important."
"We have to think about winning all three games. Morocco first, which is the most difficult game, but we have two other opponents. We have to have confidence."
Luis de la Fuente, Spain head coach, in the mixed zone:
"Flattery is not going to weaken us, quite the opposite. It is a great responsibility. We want to do something important in this World Cup, and that involves having a good group stage and continuing to move forward. Then the matches will become more difficult."
"There are many teams that are candidates to be champions and we feel just like them, no more, no less, but that doesn't guarantee you anything."
- TAMBIÉN LEE: Fin de una era: Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo y otras leyendas del futbol que se despedirán en el Mundial 2026
Deschamps, France head coach, to reporters:
"It is a solid, compact group. We still don't know who the last opponent will be, but with Senegal and Norway, it is clear that Group I is one of the hardest, if not the hardest. But well, it's the World Cup, we know what awaits us."
On the duel between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland: "It's a nice duel. (...) Both Kylian and Haaland are world-renowned and recognized players, so they are in the running and will be until the end for the top scorer title."
Thomas Tuchel, England head coach, to the BBC:
"I have only experienced group stages in the (European) Champions League format, and the way to approach it was by treating them with the utmost respect and focusing on winning the group."
"It always seems difficult, but we are confident and will be well prepared when the time comes."
Javier Aguirre, Mexico head coach, to the Televisa network:
"I hope we all have the same illusion that I have, that the people have; that there is no small opponent, that you cannot be overconfident."
Sebastián Beccacece, Ecuador head coach, to the Teleamazonas channel:
"I always like challenges and I think it is a nice opportunity to make history."
Néstor Lorenzo, Colombia head coach, to the media:
"We are calm (...) It gives me confidence when I see that the team is doing well."
Portugal is "one of the best teams in the world at the moment (...) We are happy to compete and face that type of team."
Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay head coach, to ABC:
On the debut against the United States: "It is a very big emotional burden, because obviously the spotlight of an entire country is on a host that has the obligation to start well."
Thomas Christiansen, Panama head coach, in the mixed zone:
"It is a very difficult group, but all the teams that were on the panel are very good teams and it was impossible not to get a difficult group."
"We are going to try to do our best and improve on Russia (2018)."
Ståle Solbakken, Norway head coach, in the mixed zone:
"Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are 'on fire', they are perhaps the two best players in Europe (...) I hope Erling continues in that form."
"France (their opponent in Group I) is the strongest team in Europe along with Spain."
Steve Clarke, Scotland head coach, to the BBC:
"Bring on (Brazil). The draw is fantastic." "One of the most important things for me was that there were no European teams. We are going to play against three top-tier teams from three different continents, and that is what characterizes the World Cup. It's a really good draw."
[Publicidad]