Although the initial plan for three-team groups was abandoned in favor of the traditional four-team groups, this World Cup draw will still be unprecedented, featuring a record 48 teams.
Here is everything you should know about it.
When and where will the 2026 World Cup draw take place?
Date: December 5, 2025, at 18:00 CET
Venue: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, USA
In Washington DC, it will be decided which of the twelve groups (A–L) each team will join and the venues where they will play. The complete match schedule is expected to be announced on December 6.
Which teams are placed in each pot?
As usual, the draw pots are mostly based on the FIFA World Rankings. However, the three host countries—the USA, Canada, and Mexico—are automatically assigned to Pot 1, while the playoff winners will be placed in Pot 4 regardless of their ranking.
Pot 1: USA, Canada, Mexico, 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, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, the four victors of the European Play-Offs, and the two winners from the Inter-Confederation FIFA Play-Off Tournament
Click here for all details about the European Play-Offs
What are the rules for the draw?
FIFA will mostly adhere to the existing rules, with some modifications due to the expanded 48-team format.
No more than two European teams can be drawn into the same group, and no two non-European teams from the same confederation can share a group.
Pots will be emptied sequentially, beginning with the seeded teams from Pot 1. If a team cannot be placed in a drawn group (for example, because of confederation restrictions), it will be assigned to the next available group.
A new rule states that the two highest-ranked teams globally, Spain and Argentina, can only meet in the final if both top their groups, as they will be positioned on opposite sides of the bracket, similar to Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The same applies to France and England, ranked third and fourth respectively.
Everything you need to know about the FIFA Play-Off Tournament
How will a 48-team World Cup operate?
With the expansion to 48 teams, the World Cup’s format changes significantly.
For the first time, there will be twelve groups of four teams each. The top two from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the first knockout round of 32.
The wide geographical spread of the host countries also creates logistical challenges for teams and supporters. Due to the long distances between venues, FIFA may group matches regionally to reduce travel.
The larger tournament allows many more nations to participate, making the 2026 World Cup feature several newcomers, including Curacao, Cape Verde, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, who have already qualified.
You can see the list of all qualified teams here.
Will there be a Group of Death?
Even with more teams than ever, the draw could still produce a feared Group of Death.
Teams likeCroatia, Morocco, and Colombia are among the world’s top sides, yet their rankings place them in Pot 2. Meanwhile, Pot 3 includes challenging opponents like Norway and Ivory Coast, while Ghana waits in Pot 4 and might be joined by Italy.
Therefore, despite the limit of two European teams per group, some very strong groups could form, such as:
- Argentina, Morocco, Norway, Italy
- Brazil, Japan, Ivory Coast, Denmark
- Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Ghana
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