The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was conducted on 5th December 2026 at the John F. Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C, with the competition played in three nations for the first time in the USA, Canada and Mexico. For the first time in history, the global showpiece will be contested by 48 teams, an expansion from the previous 32 teams, with 42 teams securing qualification to the finals at the time of the draw. The remaining six joined later via the playoffs played in March 2026, with four coming from the UEFA and two from the FIFA inter-confederation playoffs. The teams are divided into an unprecedented 12 groups drawn from four pots, each containing 12 teams, with one team selected from each pot to form a group. The hosts are drawn into Pot 1 alongside the top nine-ranked qualified teams in the FIFA rankings, followed by the next best-ranked teams qualified for the tournament in Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4. The latter also contains the places for the six playoff teams, irrespective of their FIFA rankings.
The draw started with Pot 1, where the host took the top position in each group, i.e Mexico in A1, Canada in B1 and the USA in D1. Two teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn against each other, except UEFA, for which there must be at least one but no more than two teams in each group. The constraints also apply to teams that are advancing through the inter-confederation playoffs. For the first time in World Cup draw history, there will be pathways, with FIFA announcing there will be two, with the top four-ranked teams, namely Spain, Argentina, France and England, to be drawn in the opposite side of the knockout bracket to ensure competitive balance. This means top-ranked Spain could not meet second-ranked Argentina until the final of the competition, should they win their groups and so do France and England, while all four could not face each other until the semifinals. Each team's group position will be determined according to a predefined allocation pattern, even for unseeded teams, unlike the previous editions.
The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will qualify for a new knockout stage, the Round of 32, followed by the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and the final itself. The largest and longest Men’s World Cup in the competition's history will kick off on 11 June 2026 with Mexico playing the opening game in Mexico City. El Tri will have two more venues in the overall 16, two in Canada, with the USA hosting the majority of the games in 11 stadiums. Estadio Azteca is the only stadium in this tournament that was used in the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, while none of the stadiums used in the 1994 edition hosted by the USA has been selected as a venue. The latter will also host the final in MetLife Stadium, located in New Jersey, on 19 July 2026. The total number of games played will increase from 64 to 104, with the competition lasting 39 days, an increase from 32 days in the previous two editions. Argentina are the defending champion after winning their third crown in Qatar in 2022.
Here is the result of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw:
Group Stage
Group A
Mexico (Pot 1 team, Host)
South Africa (Pot 3 team)
South Korea (Pot 2 team)
Czech Republic - UEFA Playoff Path D winner (Pot 4 team)
For the first time, there will be a repeat of a previous World Cup opener as one of the co-hosts of the 2026 edition, Mexico, takes on South Africa, in the tournament’s curtain raiser, as they did in 2010. El Tri are making their 18th appearance in the premier competition, ninth straight since 1994 and playing the tournament on home soil for the third time. Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana are making their fourth appearance at the World Cup stage and first since hosting it 16 years ago.
The other members in Group A are South Korea, who went unbeaten in their qualifiers and the Czech Republic, returning to the global stage for the first time since 2006 after defeating tournament regulars Denmark on penalties in the UEFA playoffs.
Fixtures
Friday, 12 June 2026
Mexico vs South Africa - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (00:30)
South Korea vs Czech Republic - Estadio Akron, Zapopan (07:30)
Thursday, 18 June 2026
Czech Republic vs South Africa - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (21:30)
Friday, 19 June 2026
Mexico vs South Korea - Estadio Akron, Zapopan (06:30)
Thursday, 25 June 2026
Czech Republic vs Mexico - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (06:30)
South Africa vs South Korea - Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe (06:30)
Group B
Canada (Pot 1 team, Host)
Bosnia and Herzegovina - UEFA Playoff Path A winner (Pot 4 team)
Qatar (Pot 3 team)
Switzerland (Pot 2 team)
Group B consists of another host, Canada, making their third appearance at the World Cup and back-to-back times after ending their 34-year-wait in 2022. The previous edition’s hosts Qatar has also qualified for this tournament, but on merit this time by topping their group in the AFC qualifiers fourth round. Also ending as winners in their UEFA qualifying group, unbeaten, Switzerland will be making their 13th appearance at the World Cup stage and for the sixth straight time since 2006. Joining them is the other European nation in the group, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who shocked four-time winners Italy in the playoffs to make their first appearance at this stage since 2014.
Fixtures
Saturday, 13 June 2026
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - BMO Field, Toronto (00:30)
Sunday, 14 June 2026
Qatar vs Switzerland - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara (00:30)
Friday, 19 June 2026
Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (00:30)
Canada vs Qatar - BC Place, Vancouver (03:30)
Thursday, 25 June 2026
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar - Lumen Field, Seattle (00:30)
Switzerland vs Canada - BC Place, Vancouver (00:30)
Group C
Brazil (Pot 1 team)
Morocco (Pot 2 team)
Haiti (Pot 4 team)
Scotland (Pot 3 team)
An exciting group to look forward to, Group C will contain heavy hitters like five-time record winners Brazil, hoping to reignite their best under their first foreign coach in history, Carlo Ancelotti, with last edition’s fairytale scripters and semifinalist Morocco also making the ranks this time as a force. Making a return to the stage after a 28-year hiatus is Scotland, who will be embroiled in a historic battle with the Selecao to demonstrate their rise over the last decade. There is also the CONCACAF nation, Haiti, in the group, who are appearing in the World Cup for only the second time in their history after their debut in 1974, with the fairytale success arriving even after playing away from home because of a civil war in the nation.
Fixtures
Sunday, 14 June 2026
Brazil vs Morocco - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (03:30)
Haiti vs Scotland - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (06:30)
Saturday, 20 June 2026
Scotland vs Morocco - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (03:30)
Brazil vs Haiti - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (06:30)
Thursday, 25 June 2026
Morocco vs Haiti - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (03:30)
Scotland vs Brazil - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami (03:30)
Group D
USA (Pot 1 team, Host)
Paraguay (Pot 3 team)
Australia (Pot 2 team)
Turkey - UEFA Playoff Path C Winner (Pot 4 team)
The third co-hosts, the USA, where the majority of the tournament will be played, are drawn in Group D, marking the second time they will play the premier competition on their home soil and the most crucial one after the expansion to 48 teams. Mauricio Pochettino’s side is participating in their 12th World Cup and it will be another challenging one as they face an Asian powerhouse and two returning nations in the group stage. Australia have made it to this stage for the seventh time, having managed to qualify for every edition since 2010, while Paraguay are making a return since their last appearance in 2010 following an excellent qualifying campaign. So is Turkey, who finally end their 24-year-wait to be in the group stage of the finals, winning their UEFA playoffs path.
Fixtures
Saturday, 13 June 2026
USA vs Paraguay - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (06:30)
Sunday, 14 June 2026
Australia vs Turkey - BC Place, Vancouver (09:30)
Saturday, 20 June 2026
USA vs Australia - Lumen Field, Seattle (00:30)
Turkey vs Paraguay - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara (09:30)
Friday, 26 June 2026
Paraguay vs Australia - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara (07:30)
Turkey vs USA - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (07:30)
Group E
Germany (Pot 1 team)
Curacao (Pot 4 team)
Ivory Coast (Pot 3 team)
Ecuador (Pot 2 team)
Group E could also produce some stunning results, as it contains Germany, who will be desperate to overcome their disappointing group stage exits in the previous two editions since lifting the trophy for the fourth time in 2014. They will face a solid Ecuador team for a battle for the top two spot in the group, who had an incredible journey by finishing only behind Argentina in the CONMEBOL qualifiers to book a place in their fourth World Cup in history. Ivory Coast is also a strong opponent in the group after becoming the first African side to qualify for the finals without conceding a single goal, with this being their first tournament since 2014. The underdog team in Group E is undoubtedly Curacao, who are making their debut as the smallest nation ever to play at the world stage.
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Fixtures
Sunday, 14 June 2026
Germany vs Curaçao - NRG Stadium, Houston (22:30)
Monday, 15 June 2026
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (04:30)
Sunday, 21 June 2026
Germany vs Ivory Coast - BMO Field, Toronto (01:30)
Ecuador vs Curaçao - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City (05:30)
Friday, 26 June 2026
Curaçao vs Ivory Coast - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (01:30)
Ecuador vs Germany - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (01:30)
Group F
Netherlands (Pot 1 team)
Japan (Pot 2 team)
Sweden - UEFA Playoff Path B Winner (Pot 4 team)
Tunisia (Pot 3 team)
Making their 12th appearance at the World Cup, the Netherlands will be facing a challenging Group F, albeit with momentum in hand, having not lost a single game in the qualifiers or any game since October 2024, excluding the penalty loss to Spain in the Nations League. Their streak will be tested against Japan, who are also flying high after topping an intense qualifying group and remaining unbeaten for the past six games, which contains wins against tournament favourites, Brazil and England. This is the Blue Samurai’s eighth straight World Cup, while it is the 13th for Sweden, who are back at the stage after missing out on the last edition, despite finishing bottom in their qualifying group without a single win, but turning their form around in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Tunisia, making their seventh appearance, is hoping to pull off an upset to make their chance count.
Fixtures
Monday, 15 June 2026
Netherlands vs Japan - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (01:30)
Sweden vs Tunisia - Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe (07:30)
Saturday, 20 June 2026
Netherlands vs Sweden - NRG Stadium, Houston (22:30)
Sunday, 21 June 2026
Tunisia vs Japan - Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe (09:30)
Friday, 26 June 2026
Japan vs Sweden - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (04:30)
Tunisia vs Netherlands - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City (04:30)
Group G
Belgium (Pot 1 team)
Egypt (Pot 3 team)
Iran (Pot 2 team)
New Zealand (Pot 4 team)
Belgium might be handed the easiest group in the tournament as they make their 15th appearance at the World Cup and for the fourth straight time since 2014. Rudi Garcia’s men will fight Egypt, Iran and New Zealand in Group G, all of whom have yet to register a single win in the international football’s premier competition. The Pharaohs are playing their fifth World Cup in history since making their debut in 1934 as the first Arab and African team to play in the tournament. The ‘All Blacks’, recently changed their nickname from ‘All Whites’, are making their third appearance at the global stage but have qualified directly for the first time following the expansion of the competition. Meanwhile, Iran is expected to participate in their seventh World Cup and fourth consecutively despite geopolitical tensions.
Fixtures
Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Belgium vs Egypt - Lumen Field, Seattle (00:30)
Iran vs New Zealand - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (06:30)
Monday, 22 June 2026
Belgium vs Iran - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (00:30)
New Zealand vs Egypt - BC Place, Vancouver (06:30)
Saturday, 27 June 2026
Egypt vs Iran - Lumen Field, Seattle (08:30)
New Zealand vs Belgium - BC Place, Vancouver (08:30)
Group H
Spain (Pot 1 team)
Cape Verde (Pot 4 team)
Saudi Arabia (Pot 3 team)
Uruguay (Pot 2 team)
Tournament favourites Spain have also been handed an easy group on paper, with the European champions set to make their 17th appearance at the World Cup without missing a single edition since 1978. The 2010 champions are carrying a huge 28-game unbeaten run in the tournament and will hope to lift the trophy again after a miserable title defence in 2014 and the Round of 16 exits in the previous two editions. The next heavyweight team in the group in terms of history in the competition is two-time winners Uruguay, but their sketchy form ahead of a 15th appearance at the world stage keeps them on their toes. AFC heavyweights Saudi Arabia are also in the group, making their seventh appearance alongside debutants Cape Verde, who are the second smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup.
Fixtures
Monday, 15 June 2026
Spain vs Cape Verde - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (21:30)
Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens (03:30)
Sunday, 21 June 2026
Spain vs Saudi Arabia - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (21:30)
Monday, 22 June 2026
Uruguay or Cape Verde - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens (03:30)
Saturday, 27 June 2026
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia - NRG Stadium, Houston (05:30)
Uruguay or Spain - Estadio Akron, Zapopan (05:30)
Group I
France (Pot 1 team)
Senegal (Pot 2 team)
Iraq - FIFA Inter-Confederation Playoff 2 Winner (Pot 4 team)
Norway (Pot 3 team)
Dubbed as ‘group of death’, Group I consists of three exciting sides going up against each other. Two-time winners France, want to give their departing manager, Didier Deschamps, the perfect send-off by bringing another extremely talented squad with possibly the best attack ever in their 17th World Cup, having reached the showpiece in the last two editions. AFCON winners Senegal, although that title is now stripped from them for now, will want to spoil the party after entering their fourth World Cup with an incredible run of form. The group will also have the team that everyone hopes to avoid in the competition’s darkhorses, Norway, who ended a 25-year wait for not qualifying for any major tournament by pipping Italy to the automatic spot in the qualifiers. The last member of the group is Iraq, who is also returning to the global stage after 1986, having overcome Bolivia’s challenge in the inter-confederation playoffs to book a spot.
Fixtures
Wednesday, 17 June 2026
France vs Senegal - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (00:30)
Iraq vs Norway - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (03:30)
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
France vs Iraq - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (02:30)
Norway vs Senegal - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (05:30)
Saturday, 27 June 2026
Senegal vs Iraq - BMO Field, Toronto (00:30)
Norway vs France - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (00:30)
Group J
Argentina (Pot 1 team)
Algeria (Pot 3 team)
Austria (Pot 2 team)
Jordan (Pot 4 team)
Argentina is hoping to do what only rivals Brazil and Italy have done in the competition’s history, which is to defend the World Cup as they make their 19th appearance at the stage. This is their 14th straight participation in the competition and surely the last one for their all-time great Lionel Messi, who is expected to retire from international duties after the tournament. They will face a tricky side in Austria, making their seventh appearance and first since 1998, alongside Algeria, who are back at this stage after missing the last two editions. The pair will also reignite the memories of the infamous ‘Disgrace of Gijón’ incident in the 1982 World Cup, where the former deliberately suffered a 1-0 defeat to Germany for both European sides to progress, eliminating the African side in the process. Jordan are one of the debutants in the tournament after finishing in the top two in the third round of AFC qualifiers.
Fixtures
Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Argentina vs Algeria - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City (06:30)
Austria vs Jordan - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara (09:30)
Monday, 22 June 2026
Argentina or Austria - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (22:30)
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Jordan or Algeria - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara (08:30)
Sunday, 28 June 2026
Algeria vs Austria - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City (07:30)
Jordan vs Argentina - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (07:30)
Group K
Portugal (Pot 1 team)
DR Congo - FIFA Inter-Confederation Playoff 1 Winner (Pot 4 team)
Uzbekistan (Pot 3 team)
Colombia (Pot 2 team)
The other megastar in football, Cristiano Ronaldo, is also expected to play his last World Cup, hoping to add the only trophy missing from his cabinet in the nation’s ninth appearance at the stage and seventh consecutively. They have the most talented squad for a while now, with coach Roberto Martinez hoping to make a much-needed difference. Their group K opponents will pose a significant threat, especially Colombia, who are bringing a talented squad, albeit some questionable form in their seventh World Cup after failing to qualify for the previous edition. The other side that can cause a lot of issues is DR Congo, who are making their second appearance and has delivered big results both in CAF qualifiers and inter-confederation with unreal solidity to get to this place. Uzbekistan also hopes to cause a suprise after finally ending their wait to debut in the World Cup and led by former winner Fabio Cannavaro.
Fixtures
Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Portugal vs DR Congo - NRG Stadium, Houston (22:30)
Thursday, 18 June 2026
Uzbekistan vs Colombia - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (07:30)
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Portugal vs Uzbekistan - NRG Stadium, Houston (22:30)
Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Colombia vs DR Congo - Estadio Akron, Zapopan (07:30)
Sunday, 28 June 2026
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (05:00)
Colombia vs Portugal - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens (05:00)
Group L
England (Pot 1 team)
Croatia (Pot 2 team)
Ghana (Pot 4 team)
Panama (Pot 3 team)
1966 winners England under Thomas Tuchel are hoping to finally quench their thirst of being world champions again in their eighth straight tournament, 17th overall. As usual, the Three Lions will face a lot of hurdles to fulfil that long-desired dream, facing the side that restricted them from entering a first final since that Wembley triumph in Croatia this time in the group stages. The Checkered Ones, buoyant by ending as runners-up in that edition in 2018 and third place finish four years ago, will be looking for another podium finish in Luka Modric’s last World Cup for his country in their seventh appearance at the stage. Ghana will also want to prove their mettle in their fifth appearance at the stage, while this will be only the second finals for the CONCACAF nation, Panama, after 2018.
Fixtures
Thursday, 18 June 2026
England vs Croatia - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (01:30)
Ghana vs Panama - BMO Field, Toronto (04:30)
Wednesday, 24 June 2026
England vs Ghana - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (01:30)
Panama vs Croatia - BMO Field, Toronto (04:30)
Sunday, 28 June 2026
Croatia vs Ghana - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (02:30)
Panama vs England - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (02:30)
Knockout Stage
Round of 32
Monday, 29 June 2026
Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (00:30)
Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F - NRG Stadium, Houston (22:30)
Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Winner Group E vs 3rd Group A/B/C/D/F - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (02:00)
Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C - Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe (06:30)
Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (22:30)
Wednesday, 1 July 2026
Winner Group I vs 3rd Group C/D/F/G/H - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (02:30)
Winner Group A vs 3rd Group C/E/F/H/I - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (06:30)
Winner Group L vs 3rd Group E/H/I/J/K - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (21:30)
Thursday, 2 July 2026
Winner Group G vs 3rd Group A/E/H/I/J - Lumen Field, Seattle (01:30)
Winner Group D vs 3rd Group B/E/F/I/J - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara (05:30)
Friday, 3 July 2026
Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (00:30)
Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L - BMO Field, Toronto (04:30)
Winner Group B vs 3rd Group E/F/G/I/J - BC Place, Vancouver (08:30)
Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (22:30)
Saturday, 4 July 2026
Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens (03:30)
Winner Group K vs 3rd Group D/E/I/J/L - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City (07:00)
Round of 16
Saturday, 4 July 2026
R32 Match 1 Winner vs R32 Match 4 Winner - NRG Stadium, Houston (22:30)
Sunday, 5 July 2026
R32 Match 3 Winner vs R32 Match 6 Winner - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (02:30)
Monday, 6 July 2026
R32 Match 2 Winner vs R32 Match 5 Winner - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (01:30)
R32 Match 7 Winner vs R32 Match 8 Winner - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (05:30)
Tuesday, 7 July 2026
R32 Match 12 Winner vs R32 Match 11 Winner - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (00:30)
R32 Match 10 Winner vs R32 Match 9 Winner - Lumen Field, Seattle (05:30)
R32 Match 15 Winner vs R32 Match 14 Winner - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (21:30)
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
R32 Match 13 Winner vs R32 Match 16 Winner - BC Place, Vancouver (01:30)
Quarterfinals
Friday, 10 July 2026
R16 Match 1 Winner vs R16 Match 2 Winner - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (01:30)
Saturday, 11 July 2026
R16 Match 5 Winner vs R16 Match 6 Winner - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (00:30)
Sunday, 12 July 2026
R16 Match 3 Winner vs R16 Match 4 Winner - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens (02:30)
R16 Match 7 Winner vs R16 Match 8 Winner - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City (06:30)
Semifinals
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
QF1 Winner vs QF 2 Winner - AT&T Stadium, Arlington (00:30)
Thursday, 16 July 2026
QF4 Winner vs QF 5 Winner - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (00:30)
Third-place
Sunday, 19 July 2026
Loser SF1 vs Loser SF 2 - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens (02:30)
Final
Monday, 20 July 2026
Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2 - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (00:30)
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