Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By RONALD BLUM, HOWARD FENDRICH and NOAH TRISTER, AP Sports Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Argentina and Lionel Messi will start their World Cup title defense against Algeria, while the U.S. was drawn Friday to open against Paraguay as soccer’s quadrennial championship returns to North America for the first time since 1994.

Three-time champion Argentina also will play Austria and Jordan in Group J of the expanded 48-nation, 104-game festival, spread across 11 NFL stadiums plus three venues in Mexico and two in Canada.

The ceremony included U.S. President Donald Trump receiving a peace prize awarded by FIFA, and balls with team names plucked famous North American athletes Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Wayne Gretzky.

The U.S., which

See Full Page