With performances by Andrea Bocelli and Village People, the draw that will determine the 12 groups for the 2026 World Cup will take place on Friday (5), at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, United States, from 2 pm (Brasilia time).
The 42 teams that have already qualified for the World Cup and the remaining six places – which will be decided through European and intercontinental qualifiers in March – have been divided into four pots.
The standings of the pots, each containing 12 teams, take into account the teams’ standings in the FIFA (International Football Association) rankings, with the exception of the three host nations – the United States, Canada and Mexico – that were in first place, reserved for ranked teams.
In Pot 1, in addition to the countries that will host the World Cup, there are also Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
In the second pot, there are Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia.
The teams of Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa are part of Pot 3.
In the fourth pot, there are Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti and New Zealand. The six places still to be decided by replay are also in the final pot of the draw.
The draw will begin with Pot 1. After all teams from that group have been allocated to one of the 12 groups A to L, the draw will move to Pot 2, and so on. The host countries will again be the exceptions. Mexico is already a member of Group 1, Canada is in Group 2, and the United States is in Group 4.
According to the rules set by FIFA, no group will include more than one team from the same regional association, with the exception of UEFA, which will have 16 representatives and can place up to two teams in the group.
Moreover, to “ensure competitive balance”, the leader and placeholder – Spain and Argentina – will be on opposite sides of the bracket. The same principle will be applied to the teams ranked third and fourth in the standings – France and England, respectively.
This way, if they win their groups, the two top-seeded teams will not face each other before the final. Even if these teams do not top their group, they will not be able to meet before the semi-finals.
The top two teams in each group qualify, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, with 32 teams now facing each other in knockout matches. There will be, in total, 104 matches.
The teams’ gathering places, stadiums, and times for each match will not be announced until Saturday (6).
A replay in March determines the final six places
In addition to the 12 European teams already guaranteed for the World Cup, 16 other teams are still competing in the regional qualifiers, between March 26 and 31. The teams face each other in a knockout tournament, with two rounds, for the four remaining World Cup places.
Italy, four-time world champions, will face Northern Ireland in the first round. If they qualify, they will face the winner from Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ukraine will face Sweden, with the winner facing whoever passes through Poland and Albania. Ireland faces the Czech Republic for the right to face Denmark or North Macedonia. Türkiye will play against Romania. Whoever passes faces Slovakia or Kosovo.
For the intercontinental replay tournament, six teams will be divided into two main draws, giving each the right to a place in the World Cup. The matches will also be held between March 26 and 31, in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey.
In one of the brackets, Iraq will wait for the winner of the match between Bolivia and Suriname. In the other group, New Caledonia and Jamaica are competing for the right to confront the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 2026 World Cup begins on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, with the final match taking place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.