FIFA world cup draw 2026: How it works, what you need to know

The path to soccer’s ultimate prize will become clear on Friday, December 5, as FIFA conducts a draw for the 2026 World Cup, setting the stage for the largest and most complex tournament in history.

What’s happening and when?

• Date and Time: Friday, December 5, 2025 at 17:00 GMT (12:00 ET)
• Location: John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
• Duration: Approximately 90 minutes
• Hosts: Supermodel Heidi Klum, comedian and actor Kevin Hart, and actor Danny Ramirez
• Draw conductors: Former England defender Rio Ferdinand, with assistance from sporting legends like Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Gretzky, and Aaron Judge.

A tournament of firsts

2026 edition breaks all previous molds:

• 48 teams (previously 32) across 12 groups of four
• 104 matches (previously 64), running from June 11 to July 19
• 16 host cities across the United States (11), Canada (2), and Mexico (3)
• 78 games in the U.S., including all knockout rounds from the quarterfinals onward
• The final will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, featuring a halftime show for the first time.

Who’s in, who’s out, who’s new

42 out of 48 spots are secured. Headlining the tournament are defending champion Argentina led by Lionel Messi and 2018 champion France.

They are joined by the three automatic top-seeded co-hosts i.e,. United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Among the other favourites are reigning European Champion Spain and 2024 European finalist England.

While Morocco returns with significant momentum following its historic run as Africa’s first semifinalist in 2022.

The lineup also features several teams for the first time including Jordan, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Curaçao.

However, six finals sports are still undecided as they will be determined through playoffs in March 2026.

The European playoffs feature heavyweights such as Italy, which risks missing their third consecutive World Cup alongside Wales, Denmark, and Ukraine.

A notable absence is the African powerhouse Nigeria which shockingly failed to secure its place.

How the draw works: Pots, restrictions, and new rules

Based on FIFA rankings except hosts, the pots are:

• Pot 1: Co-hosts including USA, Canada, Mexico plus top-ranked nations including Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium, Germany.
• Pots 2, 3, and 4: Remainder of qualified and playoff placeholder teams

Key draw mechanics

Host teams are assigned to their groups i.e., USA (Group D), Canada (Group B), and Mexico (Group A). Additionally, the top four ranked teams are Spain, Argentina, France, and England and are placed in the separated quadrants of the knockout bracket if they win their groups. This makes sure they can’t meet until the semi-finals.

No groups may have more than one team from any confederation except UEFA (Europe) which can have per group due to having 16 teams.

There’s also a placeholder complexity as six playoff winners (drawn as placeholders) create complex “deadlock” scenarios that FIFA’s computer will navigate to ensure a valid draw.

What happens after the draw?

Teams will learn opponents and match dates on Friday, December 5. While on Saturday, December 6, exact venues and kick-off time for all teams except host groups will be announced. A live broadcast will be done to unveil the match schedules.