2026 World Cup Group Stage Draw: How to Watch? How Does It Work?

Your country has qualified for the 2026 World Cup. You're excited about seeing your nation play with the best of the best.  But the biggest question is, how will each team know their opponents?

The biggest edition ever of the world's marquee sporting event is next summer, running from June 11 through July 19, 2026.

Several teams have booked their spots, and plenty more will do in the coming weeks. Once the field is set, the next phase will be dividing up the 48 places into 12 groups of four.  From there, it'll be about reaching the knockout stage with an eye on the final. 

So let's answer some questions about how the draw will work. 

JUMP TO: Time/Date | Seeds | Procedure | Co-Hosts | Pots | Playoffs | Schedule | Qualified Teams 

When and Where is the Draw?

The draw will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on December 5 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT and will air live on FOX.

How Are the Teams Placed into Groups?

The 48 participating teams (or qualifying slots) will be placed into "pots" based on criteria such as FIFA rankings and confederation constraints. We will know 42 of those 48 teams ahead of the draft. The other six teams will be known by March 2026.

Each of these 48 teams will be ranked by FIFA. Each of the four pots will have 12 teams. And each group will therefore have one team from each pot. 

The three host nations (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) are already placed into specific groups to ensure their matches occur in their home country.

Teams from the same qualification zone — except for the European confederation (UEFA) — cannot be drawn into the same group. So don't expect two South American teams (CONMEBOL), for example, in the same group. However, you could see up to two UEFA teams in one. 

What is the Actual Draw Procedure?

Team names during the 2022 World Cup draw in Qatar. (Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Each team's name is written on a slip of paper inside a plastic ball and put in large glass bowls (pots) numbered 1-4. A representative (often a soccer legend or celebrity) will then draw one ball from each pot, open it up, and call out the country's name. 

A computer then allocates each team drawn at random to its appropriate group based on the geographical restrictions in place for the event.

All teams will know who their group-stage opponents are, the schedule of those games as well as the location and stadium.

Are the USA, Canada, and Mexico Already in Groups?

The three mascots of the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup. (FIFA/Getty Imags)

The three co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup are already placed in respective groups, even if we still don't know their opponents. This was done to ensure that the teams would play their group stage matches in their respective countries. 

For the USA, the three group-stage games will be on June 12 (in Los Angeles), June 19 (in Seattle), and June 25 (in Los Angeles. 

For Canada, the three-group stage games will be on June 12 (in Toronto), June 18 (Vancouver), and June 24 (Vancouver). For Mexico, the three-group stage games will be on June 11 (in Mexico City), June 18 (Guadalajara), and June 24 (Mexico City. 

Group A: Canada, TBD, TBD, TBD
Group B: Mexico, TBD, TBD, TBD
Group D: United States, TBD, TBD, TBD

Group C, along with Groups E through L, have yet to be assigned. 

Which Teams are in Each Pot?

Pot 1 

Pot 1 will include the three host nations (United States, Canada, Mexico) plus the nine highest‐ranked qualified teams based on FIFA's rankings, which are expected to be released on November 18. 

As of now, those teams include some powerhouses: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium, and Italy. 

And that all depends on if these teams actually qualify. For example, Italy has yet to book its World Cup. It remains to be seen if the team remains in Pot 1 if they do - or if it drops to one of the lower pots. 

Pots 2, 3 & 4

After Pot 1 is defined, the remaining qualified teams will be distributed in order into Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4 based on their rankings. Each of these pots will also have 12 teams.

When the draw is held on December 5, Pot 4 will also have six placeholders for the teams that will emerge from various playoff rounds across the globe that will be played in March. Two of those spots will come via an intercontinental playoff, and four will come from a playoff round featuring just European teams. 

What is the Intercontinental Playoff? 

Six teams will participate in a mini-tournament of their own to qualify for the big stage, with Europe (UEFA) not taking part in this event. This event will take place in March 2026, and reportedly will take place at two neutral venues in Mexico. 

• 1 Africa (DR Congo)
• 1 Asia (Iraq or United Arab Emirates)
• 2 North and Central America/Caribbean (TBD)
• 1 Oceania (New Caledonia)
• 1 South America (Bolivia)

These six teams will be placed in two separate three-team brackets. The two teams with the highest FIFA rankings will get byes to the two separate finals. The other four teams will face each other to reach those finalists. The two teams to emerge from this playoff round will go to the World Cup. 

What is the UEFA Playoff?

As for Europe (UEFA), it will have its own playoff tournament to finalize the last four teams from Europe who will go to the World Cup. 

Remember, 12 European teams will head directly to the World Cup, having won their respective four-team qualifying groups. The runner-ups of those 12 groups will be joined by four other lower-ranked European teams. These 16 teams will then be bracketed into a mini-tournament of their own in March 2026 to decide those remaining four World Cup spots.

Teams that are confirmed to be in the UEFA playoff include:

• Albania
• Czechia
• Italy
• Ireland
• Ukraine

What is the Schedule for the World Cup?

Which Teams Have Qualified for the World Cup? 

 Listed by geographical region, with their appearance total including the 2026 World Cup:

Asia (AFC)

• Australia (7 appearances)
• Iran (7 appearances)
• Japan (8 appearances)
• Jordan (will make debut in 2026)
• Qatar (2 appearances)
• Tunisia (7 appearances)
• Uzbekistan (will make debut in 2026)

Africa (CAF)

• Algeria (5 appearances)
• Cape Verde (will make debut in 2026)
• Egypt (4 appearances)
• Ghana (5 appearances)
• Ivory Coast (4 appearances)
• Morocco (7 appearances)
• Senegal (4 appearances)
• South Africa (4 appearances)
• South Korea (12 appearances)

Europe (UEFA)

• Croatia (6 appearances)
• England (16 appearances)
• France (17 appearances)
• Norway (4 appearances)
• Portugal (9 appearances)

North America, Central America, Caribbean (CONCACAF)

• Canada (co-hosts; 3 appearances)
• Mexico (co-hosts; 18 appearances)
• United States (co-hosts; 12 appearances)

South America (CONMEBOL)

• Argentina (19 appearances)
• Brazil (23 appearances)
• Colombia (6 appearances)
• Ecuador (5 appearances)
• Paraguay (8 appearances)
• Uruguay (14 appearances)

Oceania (OFC)

• New Zealand (3 appearances)

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