The stage is almost set for the 2026 World Cup, which begins June 11 and concludes with the final July 19. Here’s what to know about the draw.
When is the World Cup draw?
The draw ceremony will be held at noon ET (5 p.m. GMT) at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5.
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Who has qualified for the World Cup?
So far, 42 of the 48 qualifiers are known. You can check out who’s in, and who else is still in the running.
Why are the identities of six teams still unknown?
The six teams to qualify through the UEFA and interconfederation playoffs will not be known until March, when the final matches of those competitions will be held.
Pot 4 will contain placeholders for those four UEFA playoff qualifiers and two interconfederation playoff qualifiers, as has been the case in past World Cups.
Details on the playoffs can be found below.
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How does the draw seeding work?
The 48 teams or placeholders will be divided into four pots of 12 teams, using the FIFA World Rankings list published Nov. 19. Each World Cup group will consist of one team from each pot.
The hosts — United States, Canada and Mexico — will be placed in Pot 1, as always, and have already been assigned to specific groups. The top nine countries will join the three hosts in Pot 1, with the next 12 in Pot 2, and so on.
Teams in the same pot cannot face each other in the group stage.
Below are the pot assignments for the draw:
How will the draw work?
The draw will start with Pot 1, though hosts United States, Mexico and Canada have been already allocated to groups and know the dates and locations of their group stage matches. Mexico, for example, will play in the first match of tournament June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. When drawn, each of the hosts will be assigned to its preestablished group position.
The rest of Pot 1 will then be allocated, one team in each group, in alphabetical order through to Group L. The same process is then completed for Pots 2, 3 and 4. Each pot will be drawn in its entirety before moving on to the next pot.
According to FIFA, the draw is scheduled to take about 45 minutes during a show lasting about an hour and a half.
Are there any special conditions for the draw?
Yes: For the first time in World Cup history, the four highest-seeded countries will not be able to face each other until the semifinals, assuming all four win their groups. When drawn, Spain (No. 1 seed) and Argentina (2) will be randomly assigned to opposite pathways to the semis, as will France (3) and England (4). According to FIFA, this is to ensure a balanced distribution of teams.
In addition, two countries from the same confederation cannot be drawn into the same group, as has been the case. The one caveat is Europe, from which 16 countries will qualify, making it impossible to prevent a clash. Therefore, four groups will contain two UEFA teams. This constraint will also be applied to all three teams within each pathway of the interconfederation playoffs, for the two placeholders.
When will the full match schedule be finalized?
The updated schedule, including each match’s venue and kickoff time, will be confirmed at noon ET on Dec. 6, the day after the draw.
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How will the remaining qualifiers be determined?
The UEFA and interconfederation playoff paths were determined Nov. 20 when the draws were held.
For the UEFA playoffs, four paths were created. Each path consists of four teams contesting two semifinals, with the winners facing off in the final to book a place at the World Cup.
The four paths are listed below. The semifinals will be played March 26 (teams listed first will host), and the finals March 31.
UEFA PLAYOFFS
Playoff path A: Italy vs. Northern Ireland, Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina; winner of Wales-Bosnia hosts final
Playoff path B: Ukraine vs. Sweden, Poland vs. Albania; winner of Ukraine-Sweden hosts final
Playoff path C: Turkey vs. Romania, Slovakia vs. Kosovo; winner of Slovakia-Kosovo hosts final
Playoff path D: Denmark vs. North Macedonia, Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland; winner of Czechia-Republic of Ireland hosts final
For the interconfederation playoffs, two paths were created for six total teams. The two teams with the highest FIFA ranking — DR Congo and Iraq — were seeded and advanced directly to each path’s final. The remaining four teams will contest two semifinals, with the winners facing the seeded teams. Jamaica and Suriname, the two Concacaf teams, could not be drawn into the same path.
The two paths are listed below. The matches will be played in March and held in Mexico — two matches in Guadalajara, and two in Monterrey.
INTERCONFEDERATION PLAYOFFS
Playoff path A: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica, winner plays DR Congo
Playoff path B: Bolivia vs. Suriname, winner plays Iraq
