The World Cup 2026 draw — just hearing it makes the hearts of football fans race. Before heading to the World Cup, a country’s confidence often hinges on the outcome of this draw. The group they end up in, the difficulty or ease of their journey — all of it is decided here!
The 23rd World Cup kicks off next summer, 11 June 2026. Exactly 188 days before the tournament, the draw will take place in Washington, D.C. For those countries that have already secured their World Cup spots, this is a thrilling wait. Even for football fans who have already bought tickets through the lottery, it’s a chance to find out which stadium they’ll be lucky (or unlucky) to attend!
When and Where
The draw ceremony will take place next Friday, 5 December, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The event will begin at 12:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. Bangladesh time).
FIFA has confirmed that the full match schedule will be released on Saturday, 6 December.
How to Watch
You can watch the draw live on FIFA’s official website and YouTube channel.
Who’s in the Draw
So far, 42 countries have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
- Host Nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
- AFC (Asia): Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan
- CAF (Africa): Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
- CONCACAF (North & Central America): Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
- CONMEBOL (South America): Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
- OFC (Oceania): New Zealand
- UEFA (Europe): Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Six Teams Still to Qualify
With the tournament expanding to 48 teams, six spots remain open. Four of these will be filled by the UEFA play-off, which will involve 16 teams: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, Poland, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, and Wales.
The final two spots will be fixed through a separate play-off between six teams: Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Suriname.
How the Draw Works
The 48 qualified teams will be divided into four pots, based primarily on FIFA rankings, with 12 teams in each pot. The three host nations (USA, Mexico, and Canada) will be placed in Pot 1. The six play-off winners will be placed in Pot 4, although some may rank higher than specific teams in Pot 3.
FIFA has confirmed that top-ranked teams, such as Spain (the highest seed) and Argentina (the second seed), will be placed in opposite halves of the draw, ensuring they cannot meet until the final. The same arrangement applies for France (third seed) and England (fourth seed).
Pot Distribution:
- Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
- Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
- Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
- Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, and six play-off winners
The draw will start with Pot 1; teams in this pot will be assigned to groups A-L. Then, teams from the other pots will be drawn to fill the groups. The rule is that no two teams from the same confederation (except Europe) can be placed in the same group. In Europe, no more than two teams from the same region can be placed in the same group.
Additionally, it has already been decided that Mexico will be placed in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the United States in Group D.
Star-Studded Entertainment
The draw will be hosted by one of the best defenders and former England captain Rio Ferdinand. The celebrity presenter Samantha Johnson will accompany him. Other sports legends and celebrities joining them include NFL superstar Tom Brady, NHL Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup winner Wayne Gretzky, Major League Baseball’s seven-time All-Star Aaron Judge, and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
The entertainment will also feature supermodel and TV personality Heidi Klum, popular comedian and actor Kevin Hart, actor and producer Danny Ramirez, and musical performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, and Nicole Scherzinger.
FIFA Peace Award
On the same day as the draw, FIFA President Gianni Infantino will announce the winner of the inaugural FIFA Peace Award. The identity of the recipient is still under wraps. Still, MarvelFlights anticipates that U.S. President Donald Trump might be a candidate for the award.