FIFA World Cup 2026 draw: What it means for City players | OneFootball

The draw has been made for the FIFA World Cup 2026, with many in our squad learning who they’ll face in Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer.

This edition will be the first played with 48 teams, stepping up from 32 countries in the last seven tournaments.

All the sides will enter a group stage beginning on 11 June, where they have been split into 12 groups of four.

The top two in each group, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, will go into the Round of 32.

From that point on, they will play single leg knockout ties all the way through to the final in New Jersey on 19 July.

FIFA will confirm the match dates, times and venues in another ceremony on Saturday.

Squads will be announced in the weeks leading up to the tournament, meaning we can’t yet be sure exactly how many of our players will feature in North America.

Group A

Mexico

South Africa

Korea Republic

Denmark/North Macedonia/Czechia/Republic of Ireland

Group B

Canada

Italy/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Northern Ireland/Wales

Qatar

Switzerland

Gianluigi Donnarumma’s Italy will need to get past Northern Ireland, Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-offs in March to reach the finals itself.

The goalkeeper is already a legend in his homeland after a star turn in Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph.

Group C

Brazil

Morocco

Haiti

Scotland

Savinho has played 13 times for his native Brazil since making his debut in March 2024.

Group D

USA

Paraguay

Australia

Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo

Group E

Germany

Curacao

Ivory Coast

Ecuador

Group F

Netherlands

Japan

Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania

Tunisia

Nathan Ake and Tijjani Reijnders are both established members of the Netherlands squad, with Ake having picked up 57 caps since his debut in 2017 and Reijnders having played 29 times since September 2023.

Group G

Belgium

Egypt

IR Iran

New Zealand

23-year-old winger Jeremy Doku is one of Belgium’s key players, scoring five goals in their qualification campaign. He’s played 39 times in total for his country.

Omar Marmoush has eight goals in his 40 appearances for Egypt since his senior debut in 2021.

Group H

Spain

Cabo Verde

Saudi Arabia

Uruguay

Rodri will be hoping to back up his Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament award at next summer’s tournament.

Group I

France

Senegal

Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname

Norway

22-year-old Rayan Cherki is making his first steps with the senior French side, having played four times since his debut this June.

Erling Haaland and Oscar Bobb have been central figures in taking Norway to their first World Cup finals since 1998. Haaland in particular has stood out so far in his senior international career, scoring a whopping 55 goals in just 48 caps.

Group J

Argentina

Algeria

Austria

Jordan

24-year-old Rayan Ait-Nouri has played 20 times for Algeria since making his senior debut in March 2023.

Group K

Portugal

Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia

Uzbekistan

Colombia

Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes and Bernardo Silva are all vastly experienced in international football for Portugal and will be hoping to claim the big prize for the first time in their country’s history.

Abdukodir Khusanov is already part of footballing folklore in Uzbekistan, having played a key role in helping his country to their first ever World Cup. He’s played 23 times since his debut in June 2023.

Group L

England

Ghana

Croatia

Panama

John Stones is one of England’s leaders, having played 87 times for his country in the last 11 years.

Phil Foden also has significant experience at this level, with 47 England caps.

Fresher on the scene are the likes of Nico O’Reilly and James Trafford, while Rico Lewis has also been part of the senior squad in the recent past.

Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic were crucial in Croatia’s run to the semi-finals in 2022 and are likely to remain integral this time around.

Despite being just 23, Gvardiol has already played 46 full internationals while the more senior Kovacic has played 111 times for his country.