World Cup 2026 groups drawn: pots, teams and all the details | OneFootball

Starting at 2:00 PM (Argentina time) in Washington, the Scaloneta will learn its path in pursuit of a second consecutive championship.

The 2026 World Cup takes center stage as the group stage draw begins to shape the map of a historic World Cup. This Friday, December 5, from the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and starting at 2:00 PM Argentina time, FIFA will organize the 12 groups of four teams that will make up the first edition with 48 national teams. The event can be followed on Telefé, TyC Sports, DSports, and FIFA+.

The ceremony will feature a rarely seen production: Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart will be the hosts, accompanied by Danny Ramírez. On the artistic side, Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, and a closing performance by Village People will shine, in a prelude aiming to match the scale of an unprecedented World Cup.

The new format will include 104 matches and will increase the chances of qualification. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 32, ensuring parity and surprises from the start. The final is scheduled for July 29 at the MetLife Stadium in New York.

The draw will feature four pots of 12 teams, distributed according to the FIFA ranking and host status. Mexico, Canada, and United States already have assigned groups (A, B, and D, respectively), and the rest of the top seeds will come from Pot 1, which includes Argentina, the reigning champion and second in the ranking. This guarantees avoiding powerhouses like Spain, France, and England in the initial phase.

So far, 42 teams have secured their tickets, with six spots remaining: four from the European playoffs and two from the intercontinental playoffs, which will be decided between March 26 and 31 in Guadalajara and Monterrey. Among the notable teams seeking qualification is Italy, forced to play playoffs despite its ranking position, and also Bolivia, which will go to the world playoff, first facing Suriname and then, if it advances, Iraq.

FIFA will maintain confederation restrictions to avoid early matchups, except for UEFA, which will have 16 representatives. Each group will have between one and two European teams, meaning four groups will feature two teams from that confederation. Additionally, independent paths will be implemented for the highest-ranked powerhouses, aiming to ensure that Argentina and Spain do not meet before a potential final. The same will apply to France and England.

The hosts already have their schedules set: Mexico will open the Cup on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca, Canada will debut on Friday the 12th in Toronto, and United States will do the same that day at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. All will complete their group stage before June 25.

The pots feature heavyweight teams: in Pot 2, teams like Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Japan, or Switzerland; in Pot 3, names such as Norway, Egypt, Scotland, Paraguay, and Ivory Coast; and in Pot 4, already qualified countries like Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, and New Zealand, with the remaining spots to be filled by the playoffs.

The United States will be the country with the most venues, with 11 stadiums spread across cities like Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, and New York/New Jersey. Mexico will have three venues and Canada two, completing a lineup that will host the largest World Cup ever organized.

Draw Details

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.