Albania heads to the USA, learns potential World Cup rivals today. What you need to know before the draw

Today at 18:00, the draw for the group stage of the 2026 World Cup will be made. For the first time in history, we will also be curious, as we will have our chance to be at the World Cup.

The Kennedy Center in Washington will have the attention of the whole world tomorrow as the path of the participating teams, or aspirants in the case of Albania, in the 2026 World Cup will be decided there. Albania will play its last chance in March where it will first face Poland in the semifinals, and then will have the winner of the Ukraine-Sweden pair in the grand final.

SHORTI-  For the draw in Washington, there will be 4 pots with 12 teams in each pot. There will be a total of 48 teams, divided into 12 groups of four teams each. Initially, all the teams from the first pot will be taken and divided into different groups, from Group A to Group L. Then, the teams from the second pot will be taken and so on until the fourth pot, where Albania will also be part if it manages to secure a ticket to next year's World Cup, which will be held in America, Mexico and Canada.

FORMAT -  For the first time in history, there will be 48 teams in the final phase of a World Cup, up from 32 teams previously, increasing the chances of 16 more teams qualifying. This has given more teams the opportunity to try the World Cup for the first time and of course there is no shortage of innovations and surprises. Currently, a full 42 teams have qualified and there are 6 places left, of which 4 will be from the European "Play Off".

ALBANIA -  The Red and Blacks have managed to rank second in the World Cup qualifiers for the first time, which gives them the opportunity to be in the "Play Off" to try for a ticket. Albania came from a very difficult group with England and Serbia among others, but the victories they achieved, especially the one in Leskovac, enabled Albania to qualify. Both in the "Play Off" and in the World Cup if Albania goes, it is expected to have a difficult group since it is positioned in the fourth pot and theoretically, the three teams that we will have in the group will be stronger. With a little luck, Albania can fish for easier opponents at least on paper and avoid big names, with whom it would certainly be a luxury to play.

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