FIFA is the official happiness provider of humanity," he said.Here's what happened at the glitzy 2026 FIFA World Cup draw event:Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, along with broadcaster Samantha Johnson and sporting icons such as Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, and Shaquille O'Neal, conducted the draw for 48 national teams, placing them in 12 different groups.O'Neal drew Australia's name for group D, meaning the Socceroos will be playing against one of the hosts, the US (USMNT), and Paraguay.This will be the first time Australia is facing the host nation since 1974 in Germany.The other team in the group will be the winner of playoff C, which will be between Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo.Socceroos Head Coach Tony Popovic, has described the group as "tough", but said the team is "looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead"."Finally finding out exactly who we will be playing at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ makes it all feel a lot more real Now the real planning can begin," he said."There is still a bit of unknown in drawing a team from UEFA Play-Off C and we play them first — but we're excited."The draw means Australia has avoided coming up against the world's top teams in the group stage, including Spain, Argentina, France, and England.Posting on X, a former Australian football player and sports analyst has described Australia's group as "positive but challenging group for Australia"."Playing home nation will be fantastic, great focus and drama, and the US support at a home event will be immense, and exciting," he said.The United States, the world's No.14-ranked team, will be the hardest team Australia is facing