FIFA World Cup 2026 draw: Schedule, format, live streaming and all you need to know
The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage draw will begin on Friday, December 5, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
New Delhi: With less than 200 days remaining for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the draw for the tournament is taking place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C, on Friday, December 5. The 48 participating teams in the tournament will be divided into 12 groups of four.
The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be the first one to feature 48 teams after the number was increased from 36 during the 2022 tournament in Qatar. From the 12 groups, 32 sides will advance to the knockout phase of the tournament.
How will the World Cup draw be carried out?
The World Cup draw will divide the 48 qualified and play-off-bound teams into 12 groups of four, using FIFA’s latest men’s world rankings to allocate countries into four pots.
One team from each pot will be drawn into every group. The three co-hosts, Canada, Mexico and the United States, are allocated to Pot 1. The top nine teams in the current FIFA rankings are also placed in Pot 1.
The next three pots were decided by the FIFA rankings, with the lowest-ranked qualified placed in Pot 4. The 12 groups for the World Cup will then be formed by one team from each pot.
According to FIFA’s draw constraints, no group may contain more than one team from the same confederation, except UEFA, which must have at least one but no more than two European teams in each group.
In addition, the top four teams in the FIFA rankings – Spain, Argentina, France and England cannot face each other until the semi-finals, if they win their groups. The draw will also determine the knockout phase pathway, mapping group positions into the expanded Round of 32 and beyond.
FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage draw pots
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Play-Off A, B, C and D, FIFA Play-Off Tournament 1 and 2
Which celebrities are attending the FIFA World Cup draw?
The World Cup draw will be hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and comedian Kevin Hart and will feature performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger. Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United player and a member of three England World Cup squads, will conduct the draw along with Samantha Johnson.
They will be assisted by NFL great Tom Brady, hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, and New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. The red carpet of the draw will be hosted by Eli Manning.
FIFA World Cup 2026 draw live streaming
What time will the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw begin in India?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw will start at 10:30 PM IST on December 5.
Where will the live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw be available in India?
The live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw will not be available in India as of now.
Where will the live streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw be available in India?
The live streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw will be available on FIFA's official website and its YouTube channel in India.