Football fans around the world will turn their attention to North America on Friday, December 5, as FIFA conducts the draw for the first-ever 48-team World Cup.
The expanded FIFA World Cup, scheduled from 11 June to 19 July in 2026 across the United States, Mexico and Canada, marks a major shift in the competition’s format. The draw sets the groups for all 48 countries and shapes the early path for the favourites.
Below is everything you need to know about how the 2026 FIFA World Cup will unfold:
Top Seeds Kept Apart
FIFA will divide the 48 teams into four pots of 12, determined by the latest world rankings. Each group will contain one team from each pot.
For the first time, the governing body has designed the draw to prevent the four highest-ranked nations from clashing too early.
Spain, Argentina, France and England will all be kept apart until at least the semi-finals, provided each one tops their group.
No group can feature more than one team from the same confederation, except in the case of Europe. With 16 UEFA nations expected to qualify, four groups will include two European sides.
Host Nations Already Assigned
The three host nations will avoid the draw entirely, as each has already been placed into a group.
The United States will lead Group D, playing twice in Los Angeles and once in Seattle. Mexico will headline Group A and will enjoy a strong home atmosphere, especially at the Azteca Stadium, where they will kick off the tournament on 11 June before travelling to Guadalajara for their third group game.
Canada takes their place in Group B, with one match in Toronto and two in Vancouver.
Extra Knockout Round
The expanded format introduces an additional knockout stage. After the group phase, the tournament will move to a round of 32, featuring the first and second-placed teams in each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides.
That means 32 nations will progress beyond the group stage, with only 16 eliminated after the opening 72 matches.
How the Pots Look
Pot 1: United States, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four UEFA play-off winners, two intercontinental play-off winners.
UEFA Play-Off Paths
Sixteen European teams will fight for the final four places:
Path A: Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina v Italy or Northern Ireland
Path B: Ukraine or Sweden v Poland or Albania
Path C: Slovakia or Kosovo v Turkey or Romania
Path D: Czech Republic or Ireland v Denmark or North Macedonia
All semi-finals will take place on 26 March, with the finals on 31 March.
Intercontinental Play-Offs
Six remaining teams will compete for two World Cup spots. Both play-off paths will be held in Mexico.
Path 1: New Caledonia or Jamaica v DR Congo
Path 2: Bolivia or Suriname v Iraq
The semi-finals are scheduled for 26 March, with the final matches on 31 March.
Note that the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will commence in the United States at 3 p.m. Nigerian time.
