WASHINGTON—All around the globe, eyes focused Friday on the stage where World Cup paths were sorted, nations’ names chosen one by one in a draw that determined Argentina and Lionel Messi will start their title defense against Algeria and the United States will open against Paraguay.
Twenty-seven months after qualifying began, teams from five-time champion Brazil to newcomers Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan learned their group-stage opponents in the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament that starts June 11 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
