Who will have the better 2022 FIFA World Cup: USA, Canada, or Mexico?

Kyle Bonn

Who will have the better 2022 FIFA World Cup: USA, Canada, or Mexico? image

The three CONCACAF automatic qualifiers at the 2022 World Cup have been drawn into groups and now know their first three opponents at the tournament this winter in Qatar.

None of the three teams — the United States, Mexico and Canada — could be drawn together in the same group thanks to the geographic rules crafted by FIFA to create more intrigue and save intra-continental matchups for the knockout stages.

The United States was drawn into Group B alongside England, Iran, and the undetermined UEFA playoff qualifier, creating plenty of intrigue around the U.S. and its history against European opponents, specifically England. Mexico was pulled into Group C with Argentina, Poland, and Saudi Arabia as matchups against Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski loom. Canada, meanwhile, was placed into Group F with Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco.

So which of the three CONCACAF giants will have the best tournament? Projecting this event can be extremely difficult, but there are ways to parse out which team could advance the farthest.

WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

Who does the USA, Canada, Mexico play at the World Cup?

The United States was drawn into Group B alongside Pot 1 giants England, a team on a 22-match unbeaten streak.

U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter called it a "great draw" and expressed excitement at matching up against the Group B teams, while the English media expressed an air of relief at what it called the "Group of Life."

The matchups will be tough, as any World Cup games are, but ultimately the U.S. should have a good chance to escape the group with a second-place finish even with a loss to England.

MORE: England route to FIFA World Cup Final: Will football be finally coming home in 2022?

Group B match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Mon, Nov. 21 England vs. Iran TBD TBD
Mon, Nov. 21 United States vs. Scotland/Wales/Ukraine TBD TBD
Fri, Nov. 25 England vs. United States TBD TBD
Fri, Nov. 25 Scotland/Wales/Ukraine vs. Iran TBD TBD
Tues, Nov. 29 Scotland/Wales/Ukraine vs. England TBD TBD
Tues, Nov. 29 Iran vs. United States TBD TBD

Mexico, meanwhile, pulled an extremely difficult Group C. El Tri will play a pair of world-class strikers in Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi, while a final game against Saudi Arabia could be Mexico's only chance at a win in group stage play.

It will probably take at least a draw, if not a win, against an experienced Poland side for Mexico to advance, which could make things extremely difficult.

Group C match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Tues, Nov. 22 Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia TBD TBD
Tues, Nov. 22 Mexico vs. Poland TBD TBD
Sat, Nov. 26 Argentina vs. Mexico TBD TBD
Sat, Nov. 26 Poland vs. Saudi Arabia TBD TBD
Wed, Nov. 30 Poland vs. Argentina TBD TBD
Wed, Nov. 30 Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico TBD TBD

Canada, drawn from Pot 4, was placed with Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco. Like the United States, Canada was drawn into a group with two European sides, which always makes life difficult. Still, Croatia is beatable, not what the 2018 World Cup finalists once were, while a result against Morocco could also be on the cards.

A game against Belgium is always a tough task, but Canada's counter-attack style could be perfect against a possession-oriented team like Belgium.

Group F match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Wed, Nov. 23 Belgium vs. Canada TBD TBD
Wed, Nov. 23 Morocco vs. Croatia TBD TBD
Sun, Nov. 27 Belgium vs. Morocco TBD TBD
Sun, Nov. 27 Croatia vs. Canada TBD TBD
Thurs, Dec. 1 Croatia vs. Belgium TBD TBD
Thurs, Dec. 1 Canada vs. Morocco TBD TBD

How will the USA do at the 2022 World Cup?

The United States has a tough draw, but it's still manageable. A matchup with England will be highly anticipated, but even if that game ends in a defeat, the U.S. still should have a shot at winning its other two matches and exiting the group.

The unknown of the UEFA playoff qualifier presents mystery, and a matchup with Wales could be an extremely challenging Pot 4 game, but the U.S. will like its chances against whoever escapes that knockout tournament with a World Cup spot.

A kicker for the U.S. in this tournament is its potential Round of 16 opponent. Should the U.S. secure a top-two spot in the group and reach the knockout stage, it would meet a Group A opponent in the first knockout match. Group A does not feature a true Pot 1-caliber team, meaning that if the U.S. finishes second in its group and draws the Group A winner in the Round of 16, a strong yet beatable opponent like the Netherlands or Senegal would await, rather than an upper-echelon team like Brazil, France, or Argentina.

The quarterfinals are a reachable goal for the United States.

MORE: USA draws England in World Cup: USMNT set up for historical Group B matchup for Black Friday

How will Canada do at the 2022 World Cup?

Placed into Group F for its first World Cup in 36 years, Canada has an excellent opportunity to escape the group and reach the knockout stage.

Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final and will be the second-favorites to reach the knockout stage alongside Belgium, but the team is ripe for an upset. Recent draws with Slovenia and Slovakia plus losses to Spain, Belgium, and England last year prove this team is not the top side it once was.

Morocco is also a beatable team for Canada, and while the team had a stunningly good defensive record through 2021, the Atlas Lions conceded two goals to defensive-minded Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations and drew 1-1 with DR Congo in their first World Cup qualifying leg in March.

Finally, while a game against second-ranked Belgium is a formidable task, it's also a good matchup for Canada stylistically, and the likes of Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David should be able to feast on the counter. There are enough points available for Canada to have a chance at reaching the knockout stage.

Sadly, in the knockout round, a matchup with a Group E participant is on the cards, which means a possible matchup with either Spain or Germany, which would likely mark the end of Canada's journey.

MORE: Can Messi win the World Cup? Argentina route to Qatar 2022 final

How will Mexico do at the 2022 World Cup?

Mexico has the toughest draw of any of the three CONCACAF automatic qualifiers with a spot in Group C.

While Saudi Arabia is considered one of the weaker sides in the tournament, El Tri will still need a result against either Lionel Messi and Argentina or Robert Lewandowski to claim a spot in the knockout stage.

Argentina won the 2021 Copa America to give Messi his first major international trophy, but the team still does have weaknesses for Mexico to exploit. Still, a win or even a point from that match are unlikely, so the match with Poland will be the critical game.

Poland, led by Lewandowski plus experienced veterans like Wojciech Szczesny and Kamil Glik, had a difficult Euro 2020 campaign but revived its fortunes in World Cup qualifying and topped Sweden in the playoff Path C final to confirm a place in Qatar. The team is certainly beatable, as the likes of Hungary and Slovakia have proven over the last year, but it will take a high-quality performance.

Should Mexico advance to the knockout stage, a meeting with France or Denmark could be on the cards, but it seems unlikely that El Tri will make it that far.

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.