2026 World Cup Group Stage Draw: How to Watch? How Does It Work?

The 48 participating teams (or qualifying slots) will be placed into “pots” based on criteria such as FIFA rankings and confederation constraints. We will know 42 of those 48 teams ahead of the draw. The other six teams will be known by March 2026.

Each of these teams will be ranked by FIFA. Each of the four pots will have 12 teams (with placeholders for those six March teams). And each group will therefore have one team from each pot. 

The three host nations (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) are already placed into specific groups to ensure their matches occur in their home country.

Teams from the same qualification zone — except for the European confederation (UEFA) — cannot be drawn into the same group. So don’t expect two South American teams (CONMEBOL), for example, in the same group. However, you could see up to two UEFA teams in one. 

Pot 1 

Pot 1 will include the three host nations (United States, Canada, Mexico) plus the nine highest‐ranked qualified teams based on FIFA’s rankings, which were released Nov. 19. That list includes Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. 

Pots 2, 3 & 4

With Pot 1 defined, the remaining qualified teams will be distributed in order into Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4 based on their rankings. Each of these pots will also have 12 teams.

When the draw is held on Dec. 5, there will be six placeholders for the teams that will emerge from various playoff rounds across the globe that will be played in March. Two of those spots will come via an intercontinental playoff, and four will come from a playoff round featuring just European teams. We will explain that later. 

FIFA announced the pots on Nov. 25, so each of the 12 groups at the World Cup will have one team from each pot. 

Staff names throughout the 2022 World Cup attract Qatar. (Picture by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA by way of Getty Pictures)

Every group’s identify is written on a slip of paper inside a plastic ball and put in giant glass bowls (pots) numbered 1-4. A consultant (typically a soccer legend or superstar) will then draw one ball from every pot, open it up, and name out the nation’s identify. 

A pc then allocates every group drawn at random to its applicable group based mostly on the geographical restrictions in place for the occasion.

All groups will know who their group-stage opponents are, the schedule of these video games in addition to the placement and stadium.

The three co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup are already positioned in respective teams, even when we nonetheless do not know their opponents. This was achieved to make sure that the groups would play their group stage matches of their respective international locations. 

For the USA, the three group-stage video games will likely be on June 12 (in Los Angeles), June 19 (in Seattle), and June 25 (in Los Angeles). 

For Canada, the three-group stage video games will likely be on June 12 (in Toronto), June 18 (Vancouver), and June 24 (Vancouver). For Mexico, the three-group stage video games will likely be on June 11 (in Mexico Metropolis), June 18 (Guadalajara), and June 24 (Mexico Metropolis). 

Group A: Canada, TBD, TBD, TBD
Group B: Mexico, TBD, TBD, TBD
Group D: United States, TBD, TBD, TBD

Group C, together with Teams E by way of L, have but to be assigned. 

Six groups who did not straight qualify will take part in a mini-tournament of their very own to achieve the large stage.  This occasion will happen in March 2026, and can happen within the Mexican cities of Monterrey and Guadalajara. All areas will likely be represented at this match, besides Europe (UEFA).

These six groups will likely be positioned in two separate three-team brackets, with the best ranked groups getting a bye. The 2 groups to emerge from these brackets will go to the World Cup. 

Semifinals — March 26, 2026
New Caledonia vs. Jamaica (in Guadalajara, Mexico)
Bolivia vs. Suriname (in Monterrey, Mexico)

Finals — March 31, 2026
New Caledonia/ Jamaica vs. DR Congo (in Guadalajara, Mexico; winner advances to World Cup)
Bolivia/Suriname vs. Iraq (in Monterrey, Mexico; winner advances to the World Cup)

What’s the UEFA Playoff?

As for Europe (UEFA), it’ll have its personal playoff match to finalize the final 4 groups from the area who will go to the World Cup. 

Keep in mind, 12 European groups will head on to the World Cup, having received their respective four-team qualifying teams. The runner-ups of these 12 teams will likely be joined by 4 different lower-ranked European groups based mostly on their Nations Leagues standings. These 16 groups will then be bracketed right into a mini-tournament of their very own to determine these remaining 4 World Cup spots. All eight semifinals will likely be performed on March 26, 2026, and the 4 finals on March 31.

Path A

Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Northern Eire at Italy
Bosnia and Herzegovina at Wales

Ultimate – March 31, 2026
Northern Eire/Italy at Bosnia and Herzegovia/Wales (winner advances to the World Cup)

Path B

Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Sweden at Ukraine
Albania at Poland

Ultimate – March 31, 2026
Albania/Poland at Sweden/Ukraine (winner advances to the World Cup)

Path C

Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Romania at Turkey
Kosovo at Slovakia

Ultimate – March 31, 2026
Romania/Turkey at Kosovo/Slovakia (winner advances to the World Cup)

Path D

Semifinals – March 26, 2026
North Macedonia at Denmark
Republic of Eire at Czechia

Ultimate – March 31, 2026
North Macedonia/Denmark at Eire/Czechia (winner advances to the World Cup)

 Listed by geographical area, with their look whole together with the 2026 World Cup:

Asia (AFC; 8 groups)