2026 FIFA World Cup: What you need to know about Friday’s draw

The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will officially mark the start of the biggest tournament in football history.

Featuring 48 teams, three host nations, and a restructured competition format, the ceremony in Washington, D.C. will set the stage for an unprecedented World Cup.

The event is scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. ET, and will take place at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the U.S. capital.

FIFA has organised the teams into four pots based on rankings and qualification criteria, ensuring balanced distribution across the 12 groups.

Each group will include one team from each pot.

Pot 1 – Top Seeds includes the three hosts and the highest-ranked nations: Canada, Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

Pot 2 features Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, and Australia.

Pot 3 is made up of Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.

Pot 4 is reserved for the lowest-ranked teams and those that qualify through intercontinental and UEFA playoffs.

The draw will follow strict rules to maintain geographical balance and avoid repeat confederation matchups during the group stage.

Exceptions are allowed for UEFA, which can have up to two teams per group due to its larger pool of qualifiers.

Host nations are already assigned specific group positions: Mexico → A1, Canada → B1, and United States → D1.

The tournament will feature 12 groups of four teams each, with the top two from each group advancing, along with the eight best third-place teams to form a round of 32.

This expanded group stage is the largest in World Cup history, designed to offer more matches, richer storylines, and greater competitive balance.

After the draw, FIFA will release the official match schedule, including dates, kickoff times, stadium assignments, and host cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

This announcement will provide teams, fans, and broadcasters with the final roadmap for the tournament.

The draw is an indication of the official countdown to the most ambitious World Cup ever, defining the path for 48 nations as they prepare to compete on football’s biggest global stage.