opinion

Canadian draw assistant Wayne Gretzky shows the card reading Denmark, North Macedonia, Czech Republic and Ireland during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup in Washington, DC, on Friday.

Amidst all the low-wattage stars on display at FIFA’s World Cup draw on Friday, only one really shone out – Wayne Gretzky. That’s not a good thing.

It shouldn’t have been this way. Gretzky was only hauled out on stage an hour and a half into proceedings, after you’d already been convinced that this schmaltz-fest couldn’t get any worse. But like the country he occasionally pretends to represent, Gretzky is determined.

Gretzky’s duty was to draw the teams from Pot 4. That pot contained a surplus of nations who are still looking to qualify for the tournament.

They’re not all household n

See Full Page