The countdown to the biggest event in the world of football has begun, practically from Washington, D.C., which will host the draw for the 2026 World Cup. This will be a historic, expanded tournament featuring 48 teams for the first time ever.
With the increase in the number of participating teams, FIFA has had to expand the groups to 12 instead of 8. The draw ceremony for the 2026 edition will take place while not all qualified teams have been determined, pending the final six spots to be decided during the international break in March.
The 2026 World Cup will see the participation of many teams for the first time, including the largest Arab contingent in history. It will also feature the usual powerhouses, led by the defending champions, Argentina, and their neighbors, Brazil, as well as the European giants.
This report highlights everything you need to know about the 2026 World Cup draw: the date, broadcasters, format, rankings, and more.
World Cup 2026 Draw Date
The 2026 World Cup draw will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The draw is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM Mecca and Qatar time, 7:00 PM Egypt time, and 6:00 PM Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia time.
World Cup 2026 Draw Broadcasting Channels
beIN SPORTS has secured the exclusive broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Cup draw in the Middle East and North Africa and will broadcast the highly anticipated event on its free-to-air beIN SPORTS NEWS HD channel.
A live stream of the draw will also be available online for free through the Qatari network’s YouTube, Facebook, and X accounts, as well as via FIFA+.
World Cup 2026 Draw System
The 2026 World Cup draw system divides the qualified teams into four pots based on the FIFA rankings of November 2025.
The three host nations – the United States, Canada, and Mexico – will be placed in Pot 1, each containing a different colored ball. When drawn, Mexico will be placed at the top of Group A (green ball), Canada at the top of Group B (red ball), and the United States at the top of Group D (blue ball).
The six teams that qualify through the intercontinental play-offs will all be placed in Pot 4, regardless of their FIFA ranking, as their qualification will be decided in March.
The balls from Pot 1 will be drawn first, followed by Pots 2, 3, and 4, ultimately creating 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 32, along with the eight best third-placed teams.
One of the restrictions of the 2026 World Cup group stage draw is that no two teams from the same confederation can be drawn into the same group, even if they are in different pots, with the exception of Europe, which has 16 participating teams.
Another new feature of the draw is that it will create two separate paths to the semi-finals. Specific restrictions will apply to the highest-ranked teams in the FIFA World Ranking, meaning that the two highest-ranked teams, Spain (first) and Argentina (second), will be randomly drawn into two different paths. The same principle will apply to France (third) and England (fourth). This restriction will prevent the two highest-ranked teams from facing each other in the semi-finals if they finish first in their respective groups.
The seedings for the World Cup 2026 draw:
Pot 1: USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, France, Brazil, Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Morocco, Croatia, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Norway, Panama, Scotland, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Paraguay
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, 4 European teams, 2 teams from the intercontinental play-offs
