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Jeff Carlisle
The 2026 World Cup draw is set for December 5th, featuring the four top-ranked teams: Spain, Argentina, France, and England. These teams will occupy separate sections in the new tennis-style seeded tournament bracket.
According to FIFA, the four highest-ranked teams will be placed in different groups for the round-robin stage and will avoid facing each other until the semifinals of the tournament, taking place from June 11 to July 19, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
As defending champion, Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, along with top-ranked European champion Spain featuring Lamine Yamal, can potentially meet only in the final at MetLife Stadium near New York.
In previous tournaments, the knockout phase paths were determined by group placements. This upcoming draw, taking place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will distribute 48 teams from four pots into 12 groups of four. The match schedule, including stadium assignments and kickoff times, will be released on Saturday, December 6. The draw is expected to last about 45 minutes within a one-and-a-half-hour show, as stated by FIFA.
The three host nations are included in Pot 1, along with the nine other top-ranked teams per FIFA’s rankings, which comprise Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
The list of 42 already qualified teams includes Iran and Haiti. FIFA expects these teams to play wherever they are drawn, despite any political tensions with the U.S. The tournament will feature 104 matches held at 16 venues, including 11 NFL stadiums in the U.S., as well as three in Mexico and two in Canada.
The final six spots will be determined in March during playoffs in Europe and globally, with these teams entering the draw pot of lower-ranked teams. Notably, four-time champion Italy could be a formidable opponent in the upcoming draw that will finalize the 12 round-robin groups.
Pot 1 will feature Canada, Mexico, and the United States as hosts, all identified by distinct colored balls in the draw. When selected, they will be placed in specific positions: Mexico (green ball) at A1, Canada (red ball) at B1, and USA (blue ball) at D1.
The nine other top-ranked teams in Pot 1 will have their positions determined through colored balls as well. The subsequent 12 highest-ranked teams will fall into Pot 2, including Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, and Australia.
Pot 3 will include the next 12 highest teams: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.
Pot 4 will gather the remaining teams and the six intercontinental playoff winners. This pot includes Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, and New Zealand.
The playoff qualifiers will consist of four UEFA teams and two from other confederations.
The draw will ensure that no teams from the same confederation are placed together in a group, with the exception of Europe, which has 16 teams competing for 12 spots.
This arrangement will result in some groups containing two European teams, while others will have one. To promote competitive balance, the top-ranked teams Spain and Argentina will be assigned to opposite pathways, as will France and England, preventing any of these leading teams from clashing before the final.
The United States, which was previously assigned to Group D, will play its opening match against a Pot 3 team on June 12 in Inglewood, California. This will be followed by a game against a Pot 2 team on June 19 in Seattle, finishing the group stage against a Pot 4 team back in Inglewood. The second match is anticipated to be the toughest, given the higher ranking of the opponent from Pot 2.
Meanwhile, Mexico, placed in Group A, will kick off the tournament on June 11 against a Pot 3 team at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, followed by another match against a Pot 2 team on June 18 in Guadalajara, and their final group stage game against a Pot 4 team back in Mexico City six days later.
Canada’s schedule will differ slightly, starting on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto against a Pot 4 team. Their next match will be in Vancouver against a Pot 3 team on June 18, concluding the group stages against a Pot 2 team in Vancouver as well.
World Cup 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, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Playoff A, B, C, and D, FIFA Playoff Tournament 1 and 2
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.