When it comes to how the World Cup shook out, these are our picks of the early winners and losers

We are almost a week removed from the FIFA World Cup draw, and in the aftermath, a proverbial ball is beginning to roll on several fronts. FIFA will open its latest presale ticket lottery on Thursday for fans to enter the random selection phase of the tournament, the latest chance to hope and wish your name will be called to purchase tickets — ones that might still be priced in the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars by the time it’s your turn.

These past few days have provided a greater opportunity to examine FIFA’s ways and which nations, cities, and fans benefited or flopped as next steps begin to trickle out.

With that said, these are our picks for winners and losers post-draw.

For many fans, it’s going to be a breathing into a brown bag moment watching players like Brazil and Real Madrid’s Vinicús Jr., Croatian midfield maestro Luka Modric, and countless players on France’s squad, undoubtedly headlined by forward sensation Kylian Mbappè, chasing World Cup glory at Lincoln Financial Field. Especially when you consider the French are one of the early favorites to win next summer’s spectacle at +700, according to futures odds on FanDuel.

For some reason, it just seems counterintuitive for FIFA to stress its desire to grow the game — and then turn around and make the world’s biggest sporting event available only to those who still have expendable cash in this current economic climate.

This is the first time in the history of the tournament that soccer’s governing body has opted to use dynamic pricing for tickets, and some of the early price tags to secure a seat, even during presale, are laughable. Now, some matchups could see prices fall slightly, but it’s the World Cup; demand will always be higher than supply, and that holds for the bulk of the 72 group-stage matches beginning June 11.

» READ MORE: Your next chance to get FIFA World Cup tickets starts Thursday

It was already one thing that MetLife Stadium will be the center of the soccer universe next summer as host for the World Cup final. But after Friday’s draw, it could be argued that the New York-New Jersey delegation hit the jackpot with the group-stage matches and nations coming to East Rutherford, N.J.

First up, Brazil-Morocco (June 13, 8 p.m.), when Morocco is one of the hottest nations in the world, with its senior team just one place outside the Top 10 in FIFA’s latest world rankings. Additionally, MetLife will also host European giants Germany (June 25), England (June 27), and one of the most highly anticipated rematches in France-Senegal (June 16, 3 p.m.). The Senegalese defeated a star-studded French side in the 2002 World Cup, and it’s been the talk since this match got paired.

Some fans won’t be able to see their team play live in the United States due to immigration rules and restrictions. Nations like Iran and Haiti will find out just how strong their expat communities are here in the States, but both coaches wouldn’t mind a little diplomacy.

“[President Donald Trump] is a peace prize winner,” Migné said after the event, alluding to the U.S. president winning FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize award. “Maybe he will continue, and it will open the possibility for our fans to come here.”

In addition to the big nations like France, Brazil, and Croatia, Philly will host matches featuring the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Curaçao. Having matches here in Philly that feature the first two bode well for the city’s sizable West African population situated primarily in the West and Southwest sections of the city. They’re also among the top teams in Africa, with Ghana consistently fielding a strong national team, and the Ivory Coast, the defending AFCON champions, ran through qualifying without conceding a goal.

» READ MORE: There are 72 group stage games in next summer’s FIFA World Cup. Here are 10 of the best.

As for Curaçao, the nation with the smallest population competing in the World Cup, despite making Jamaica’s road a bit harder by defeating them in November and forcing the Reggae Boyz into a three-team FIFA playoff in March, people will naturally root for the underdog in a city where the underdog mantra has been fully embraced.

The Club World Cup served as a litmus test of how active U.S. immigration and customs enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol would be in detaining fans attending the event, specifically in Philadelphia. Before that tournament, there were legitimate fears that ICE would be stationed outside arenas targeting fans.

While there were instances, and still could be next year, for the most part, it wasn’t as large as some led people to believe. During the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was explicitly asked in a room full of reporters if he had any concerns about the enforcement and harassment of fans, to which he replied: “I don’t have any concerns about anything ... most important for us is to be able to guarantee safety for the fans who come to the game.”

It’s important to know that a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told The Inquirer via a statement in June that ”U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners ... as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged.”

While planning for the next phase of the process is still forthcoming, the revival of the Lemon Hill Mansion and grounds in Brewerytown ahead of the World Cup is promising as FIFA will use the park and grounds as the Philadelphia chapter of its fan festival.

A storied park with incredible views of the city will receive a much-needed facelift and serve as the side stage on matchdays for the six games scheduled to come through Philly. It’s steps from the larger Art Museum area and the Parkway, which will be a fun time to navigate for visitors from around the world, said Meg Kane, the host city executive for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, responsible for planning the event in the city. However, questions still remain on things like transportation, logistics, vendors, and more, but it’s December, so we’re just going to ride out on the excitement of what’s to come.

» READ MORE: Follow the Inquirer's complete coverage of World Cup soccer right here!