Where to watch: All you need to know about the 2026 World Cup draw | OneFootball

The 48 teams will be distributed into four different pots based on their position in the FIFA ranking, from which 12 groups of 4 teams each will be formed.

Additionally, for the first time, a rule will be applied that prevents Spain and Argentina from facing each other before the final if they lead their groups, as both teams occupy the first and second positions in the ranking. The same situation applies to England and France (positions three and four) and with the United States twice over, which should not clash with Mexico and Canada until the decisive match, provided the mentioned teams top their groups.

The host teams will be assigned to different groups to ensure that each plays matches in their own country during the group stage. Furthermore, the highest-ranked teams will be designated as seeds, allowing them to avoid facing each other in the first phase.

A regulation returning after 32 years is that the eight best third-placed teams will qualify for the next stage, where they will face the leaders of groups E, G, I, L, and K. Meanwhile, the remaining teams will face the leaders of groups A, B, and D, where the seeds have already been confirmed (Mexico, Canada, and the United States, respectively).

As usual, FIFA establishes rules to prevent teams from the same confederation from facing each other in the same group, except in the case of UEFA, where up to two are allowed. With this in mind, Bolivia, situated in Playoff 2 along with Suriname and Iraq, could not face teams from CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, or AFC, therefore, it will definitely go against an African and two European teams, one of which will belong to Pot 1.

In the case of Playoff 2, composed of Jamaica, New Caledonia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the restrictions prevent clashes with CONCACAF, OFC, and CAF, so if paired with a South American team from the first pot (Argentina or Brazil), the other two teams will necessarily come from Europe and Asia.

The event can be watched live in Argentina and Latin America through D Sports:

Channels 610 (SD) and 1610 (HD)

Additionally, it can be followed online through D GO, the streaming service offered by the channel, which requires prior subscription.

The draw can also be watched live in Argentina through Telefé:

Channel 10 on Cablevisión (Digital) and 1001 (HD)

Channel 10 on Telecentro (Digital)

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