The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw will be held on December 5 in Washington, D.C.
The groups will be unveiled for the largest edition in tournament history, featuring 48 teams
Draw begins at 10:30 PM IST, streamed live on FIFA+ and official FIFA channels
The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw ceremony will take place on Friday, December 5, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., setting the stage for the largest World Cup ever held.
The upcoming edition of the quadrennial event, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, expands the field to 48 teams, which marks an increase of 16 compared to the 2022 tournament.
A total of 42 nations have already qualified, while the final six places will be claimed through playoff matches in March.
How The FIFA World Cup Draw Works
At the ceremony, all 48 teams will be split into 12 groups (A-L) of four. The highest-ranked nations form Pot 1, which also includes the three co-hosts. Under standard procedure, each co-host is immediately assigned to a group: Mexico to Group A, Canada to Group B, and USA to Group D.
Pot 1 also features defending champions and global heavyweights such as Argentina, Spain, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw Pots
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, 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, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, Ghana, Haiti, New Zealand, plus four European playoff winners and two intercontinental playoff winners
Draw rules restrict each group to a maximum of two UEFA teams. All other confederations (AFC, CONCACAF, CAF, CONMEBOL, OFC) may have only one representative per group.
How The Teams Advance
Pot 1 contains the traditional giants, defending champions and host nations – sides expected to attract both global attention and heavy expectations.
Pots 2 and 3 offer a more competitive mix, blending seasoned international sides with rapidly improving nations across Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe.
Pot 4 features emerging teams and playoff qualifiers, including several debutants. The Uzbekistan national football team appears in Pot 3, while the Jordan national football team and the Cape Verde national football team sit in Pot 4 after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Tournament Format
After the groups are drawn, the competition moves into a revamped knockout format. Each team will play three round-robin matches, with the top two from every group automatically advancing. They will be joined by the eight best third-placed teams, completing a new Round of 32.
Crucially, the draw will also map out the entire knockout bracket, determining every potential path to the final.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw: Date And Time
The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025. The event will start at 10:30 PM IST.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw: Live Streaming Details
The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw will be live-streamed on the FIFA+ app and website, as well as the FIFA World Cup social media channels in India. However, there will be no television broadcast of the event in the country.
