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FIFA World Cup 2026: Canada will face Qatar, Switzerland and winner of playoff A

Posted on: Dec 05, 2025 05:17 IST | Posted by: Cbc
FIFA World Cup 2026: Canada will face Qatar, Switzerland and winner of playoff A

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We're heading into the final draw. Here's a breakdown of the teams in Pot 4, which isn't fully set yet: Jordan (66), Cape Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curacao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86), UEFA Playoff A, UEFA Playoff B, UEFA Playoff C, UEFA Playoff D, FIFA Playoff 1, FIFA Playoff.

As mentioned earlier, those last six spots that won't be determined until March.

Four European teams will qualify via the UEFA playoffs, and the additional two FIFA playoffs will include teams from all over the world.

Qatar is close to an ideal pick for Canada out of Pot 3. The 2022 host is the 51st-ranked side in the world and was the first team eliminated from its own World Cup. Only Saudi Arabia and South Africa were lower seeds in Pot 3.

This eliminates Jordan from the possibilities for Canada in Pot 4. Canada also can’t draw Haiti, Curacao or either FIFA Playoff lot, because Jamaica and Suriname are in contention there. That leaves three of the weakest teams — Cape Verde, Ghana and New Zealand — or one of the UEFA Playoff lots available.

Aaron Judge was in charge of picking for Pot 3. Here’s what he pulled:


As a reminder: Paraguay, Tunisia, Cote D’Ivoire and Egypt couldn’t go to Group C because only one team per football confederation, save for UEFA, can be placed in a group.

The same thing happened to Algeria, originally pulled for Group I; Algeria and Senegal can’t be in the same group.

Canada does not want Norway out of Pot 3. The Norwegians went undefeated in qualifying, relegating Italy to the playoffs, thanks to the goal-scoring heroics of Erling Haaland, one of the titans of the game.

Even though Canada drew Switzerland out of Pot 2, another European team is still possible. Panama is the only team that isn't.

The weakest teams, by a considerable margin, are Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Jesse Marsch, Canada's head coach, would be just fine to see their lots pulled.

We're more than halfway through the draw.

Here's who is in Pot 3: Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (40), Ivory Coast (42), Uzbekistan (60), Qatar (51), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61).

Switzerland is a mixed result for Canada out of Pot 2. Every group has to have a European team, and it could have been worse. (Croatia would have been a brutal draw for Canada.)

But the Swiss are ranked 17th in the world, 10 places above Canada, and a result against them in what will likely be Canada's final group-stage game won’t be a given.

Shaquille O'Neal drew from Pot 2. Here's how it went:


Group L looks stacked now that Croatia was picked. England, ranked fourth, and Croatia, ranked 10th, will face off early on in the World Cup. In fact, England’s first game will be against Croatia.

A quick reminder of the teams in Pot 2, with rankings: Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), South Korea (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26).

Now, as we move on to Pot 2, things get nervy for Canada. Every team is seeded higher, but this is not a pot of equals.

The worst possible draw for Canada would be Croatia, semi-finalists in Qatar in 2022 and the victors in a 4-1 thumping of Canada in the group stage. Morocco, another semifinalist in 2022, and Colombia, the 13th-ranked team in the world, would also be less than ideal.

Australia would be a fantastic pick for Canada. Although the Australians beat Canada 1-0 in a scrappy October friendly in Montreal, each side would like its chances against the other. Australia is ranked 26th, one place above Canada.

Iran presents challenges both on and off the pitch. The 20th-ranked side would be a tough opponent; the U.S. Travel ban on Iranian citizens and its effect on the World Cup's usual fan migrations would also add to the complexity of a Canada-Iran matchup.

Tom Brady drew Brazil first for Group C.

Here's how the rest went:


Argentina was placed in Group J, despite initially being pulled for I, because Argentina and Spain have to be placed in separate pathways as the top two ranked teams.

That means the scariest teams are officially placed in their respective groups. Next we'll find out who will play against them.

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