FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw: All you need to know - teams, pots, format, venue and timings
Posted on: Dec 05, 2025 09:51 IST | Posted by: Hindustantimes
The FIFA World Cup is once again in the spotlight as football fans gear up for the 2026 edition, set to be one of the biggest sporting spectacles. The excitement will officially kick off with the tournament’s draw ceremony on Friday, December 5, setting the stage for all the fixtures, group dynamics, and early tournament predictions. The draw will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a landmark edition, featuring 48 teams for the first time, with the USA, Canada, and Mexico serving as co-hosts. The teams will be divided into 12 groups, labelled A to L, with four teams in each. Pot 1 will include the top nine seeds along with the three host nations. Following tradition, the hosts have already been placed in their respective groups: Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the USA in Group D. The world’s top 11-ranked teams have all qualified, with No. 12 Italy among 22 nations competing in playoffs for the final six berths to be decided March 31.
Following arrangements to host this month’s event in Las Vegas, FIFA selected the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the venue, now under the oversight of President Donald Trump and his team. Trump, who previously mingled with Chelsea players on the awards podium after last summer’s Club World Cup final, is expected to attend the draw, alongside Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, 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, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, Ghana, Haiti, New Zealand, plus four European playoff winners and two intercontinental playoff winners
For the 2026 World Cup, every side will play three group-stage matches in the expanded round-robin format. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will move straight into the knockouts, while the eight strongest third-placed finishers will also progress, filling out the revamped Round of 32 and setting up an extended elimination bracket for the first time in tournament history.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw will take place on Friday, December 5, at 10:30 PM IST.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw will not be telecast on any TV channels in India.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw can be streamed live on the FIFA+ app and the social media handles of the FIFA World Cup.
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