Sir Gareth Southgate has identified three nations he believes would pose particular challenges for England at next summer's World Cup 2026.
When asked which teams England should hope to avoid in tomorrow's draw, the former Three Lions manager singled out Japan, Colombia, and home nations rivals Scotland as his "tricky" selections.
Southgate also revealed he has no plans to travel to the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the tournament, stating his priority now is giving the current squad room to operate.
Explaining his choices, Southgate described Japan as opponents who would present a genuinely difficult fixture for England.
Regarding Colombia, whom England faced at the 2018 World Cup, he highlighted the significant advantage their supporters would create at venues across North America.
He told Heart Breakfast this morning: "If you're thinking about the amount of Colombians that will go to those games in the States or Mexico, what an atmosphere that will be!"
On the prospect of meeting Scotland, Southgate acknowledged England's strong historical record against their neighbours but noted the unique pressure such encounters bring.
He joked: "There's always that thing that if you lose to Scotland that Dalglish and Souness and Ferguson will be going on about it for decades!"
Sir Gareth Southgate has identified three nations he believes would pose particular challenges for England at next summer's World Cup 2026
|GETTY
Southgate admitted he probably won't even tune in to watch tomorrow's draw, describing the period since leaving his role as "strange."
The 54-year-old confirmed he hasn't attended a single match this season and caught only some of England's recent qualifiers while travelling abroad.
When asked directly whether he would make the trip to support his former players next summer, he was unequivocal.
He said: "No, I don't think I will."
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Gareth Southgate guided England to two major finals during his time in the dugout | PAHe said: "I'm not going to do any media during the tournament. I think I've got to give them space."
He added: "My role now is to keep out of the way!"
The expanded 48-team format, this draw marks one of the most anticipated moments in modern football, setting the tone for the tournament to come.
The draw begins 5:00pm, bringing together officials, media, and supporters from across the globe.
Gareth Southgate took England to back-to-back European Championship finals | PATeams will be placed into four pots of 12, based on FIFA rankings and host-nation status.
The three hosts, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, are included in Pot 1 alongside the nine highest-ranked teams.
From these pots, 12 groups of four will be drawn.
Fifa will maintain confederation balance by ensuring most groups do not feature two teams from the same region, with some flexibility given to Europe’s larger contingent.
Gareth Southgate resigned from the England Job in 2024 following the Three Lions' loss to Spain | Getty This edition also introduces a "tennis-style” bracket designed to keep top-ranked nations apart until the later rounds.
That means favourites such as France, Argentina, Spain, and England are unlikely to meet before the semifinals or final, adding layers of intrigue to potential matchups later in the tournament.
Of the 48 total spots, 42 have already been secured.
The remaining six will be filled through playoffs in March 2026, though placeholders for those positions will already appear in Friday’s draw, most likely in Pot 4.
With the groups confirmed, Fifa is expected to publish the full match schedule, including venues and kick-off times, the following day.
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