2026 World Cup Draw: How one can Watch? How Does It Work? What Are Pots?

Your country has qualified for the 2026 World Cup. You’re excited about seeing your nation play with the best of the best. But the biggest question is, how will each team know their opponents?

The biggest edition ever of the world’s marquee sporting event is next summer, running from June 11 through July 19, 2026.

We know that 42 of the 48 teams are in. Six more teams will qualify in March 2026. But the next phase will be dividing up all 48 spots into 12 groups of four. From there, it’ll be about reaching the knockout stage with an eye on the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 

So let’s answer some questions about how today’s draw will work. 

JUMP TO: Time/Date | Pots | Procedure | Co-Hosts | Playoffs?! | Schedule | Qualified Teams 

When and Where is the Draw? How to Watch?

The draw will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT and will air live on FOX. The draw will be streamed on FOX One, FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App.

What Are Pots? How Does It Determine Groups? 

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

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, 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. 

What’s the Draw Process? Are There Precise Pots?

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

For pot 1, Canada, Mexico and the USA, because the host international locations, can be recognized by totally different coloured balls and, when drawn, can be assigned to place A1 for Mexico (inexperienced ball), B1 for Canada (purple ball) and D1 for the USA (blue ball), as already established per the match schedule launched. The remaining 9 top-ranked groups in pot 1 can be recognized by 9 balls of the identical coloration and routinely allotted to the highest place of the group into which they’re drawn.

FIFA introduced that the highest-ranked staff (Spain) and the second highest-ranked staff (Argentina) can be randomly drawn into reverse sides of the bracket, in addition to the third (France) and fourth (England) highest-ranked groups. This may be sure that, ought to these 4 groups win their teams, they will not meet till the semifinals.

No group may have multiple staff from the identical confederation drawn into it, and no group can have greater than two European (UEFA) groups drawn into it. All groups will even know who their group-stage opponents are, the schedule of these video games in addition to the situation and stadium.

Are the USA, Canada, and Mexico Already in Teams?

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 accomplished 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 can 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 can be on June 12 (in Toronto), June 18 (Vancouver), and June 24 (Vancouver). 

For Mexico, the three-group stage video games can 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 L, have but to be assigned. 

What’s the Intercontinental Playoff? 

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

These six groups can be positioned in two separate three-team brackets, with the very 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 would have its personal playoff event to finalize the final 4 groups from the area who will go to the World Cup. 

Bear in mind, 12 European groups will head on to the World Cup, having gained their respective four-team qualifying teams. The runner-ups of these 12 teams can 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 resolve these remaining 4 World Cup spots. All eight semifinals can 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

Closing – 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

Closing – 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

Closing – 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

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

What’s the Schedule for the World Cup?

Which Groups Have Certified for the World Cup? 

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

Asia (AFC; 8 groups)

• Australia (7 appearances)
• Iran (7 appearances)
• Japan (8 appearances)
• Jordan (will make debut in 2026)
• Qatar (2 appearances)
• South Korea (12 appearances)
• Uzbekistan (will make debut in 2026)

Africa (CAF; 9 groups)

• Algeria (5 appearances)
• Cape Verde (will make debut in 2026)
• Egypt (4 appearances)
• Ghana (5 appearances)
• Ivory Coast (4 appearances)
• Morocco (7 appearances)
• Senegal (4 appearances)
• South Africa (4 appearances)
• Tunisia (7 appearances)

Europe (UEFA; 12 groups)

• Austria (6 appearances)
• Belgium (15 appearances)
• Croatia (6 appearances)
• England (16 appearances)
• France (17 appearances)
• Germany (21 appearances)
• Netherlands (12 appearances)
• Norway (4 appearances)
• Scotland (9 appearances)
• Spain (17 appearances)
• Switzerland (13 appearances)
• Portugal (9 appearances)

North America, Central America, Caribbean (CONCACAF; 6 groups)

• Canada (co-hosts; 3 appearances)
• Mexico (co-hosts; 18 appearances)
• United States (co-hosts; 12 appearances)
• Haiti (2 appearances)
• Curaçao (will make debut in 2026)
• Panama (2 appearances)

South America (CONMEBOL; 6 groups)

• Argentina (19 appearances)
• Brazil (23 appearances)
• Colombia (6 appearances)
• Ecuador (5 appearances)
• Paraguay (8 appearances)
• Uruguay (14 appearances)

Oceania (OFA; 1 staff)

• New Zealand (3 appearances)

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