FIFA has confirmed the draw procedure for the 2026 World Cup

• The draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place on December 5 in Washington.
• FIFA has divided the teams into four pots based on ranking.
• Spain and Argentina cannot meet until the final.

On November 25, 2025, FIFA announced the completion of the draw procedure for the 2026 World Cup. This tournament, which will take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, has been expanded to 48 teams. The draw will occur on December 5, 2025, in Washington.

According to the new rules, FIFA has divided the teams into four groups, or "pots," with 12 teams in each based on their FIFA ranking as of November 2025. Teams from each pot will be distributed into 12 groups.

In pot 1, there are such teams as the USA, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Pot 2 includes Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, and Australia. In pot 3 are Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. Pot 4 consists of Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, and six teams that will advance through the playoffs in the spring.

FIFA also confirmed that Spain and Argentina, as the highest-seeded teams, will be placed in separate parts of the draw, meaning they cannot meet until the final. The same applies to France and England, who will also be separated if they win their groups.

The draw allows for unique encounters between the strongest teams in the early stages, which should ensure more interesting matches in the later rounds. The first matches of the tournament will take place on June 25, 2026, and the schedule of matches will be announced approximately 24 hours after the draw is completed.

Tags: Sport/Football