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The 2026 World Cup in North America is a little over six months away, but excitement is already building for the biggest FIFA tournament in history.
A total of 48 teams will compete across the United States, Canada and Mexico for the right to claim the most coveted prize in soccer, which was won by Lionel Messi and Argentina four years ago
The group-stage draw will determine each nation’s route to a possible final, as it will lay out both the make-up of the opening phase of the competition and the bracket for the knockout phase. In other words, it’s about the most important thing for the teams involved until the actual tournament gets underway.
The Sporting News is following the draw live from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and will provide all the most important updates below.
2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets
World Cup groups 2026
| Group A | A1: Mexico | A2: _ | A3: _ | A4: _ |
| Group B | B1: Canada | B2: _ | B3: _ | B4: _ |
| Group C | C1: _ | C2: _ | C3: _ | C4: _ |
| Group D | D1: United States | D2: _ | D3: _ | D4: _ |
| Group E | E1: _ | E2: _ | E3: _ | E4: _ |
| Group F | F1: _ | F2: _ | F3: _ | F4: _ |
| Group G | G1: _ | G2: _ | G3: _ | G4: _ |
| Group H | H1: _ | H2: _ | H3: _ | H4: _ |
| Group I | I1: _ | I2: _ | I3: _ | I4: _ |
| Group J | J1: _ | J2: _ | J3: _ | J4: _ |
| Group K | K1: _ | K2: _ | K3: _ | K4: _ |
| Group L | L1: _ | L2: _ | L3: _ | L4: _ |
WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F
Group G | Group H | Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L
World Cup 2026 draw live updates, highlights from Washington D.C.
(All times ET)
3 a.m: We’re still a few hours way from the show getting underway in Washington, D.C., so if you’re still confused as to how it all works, take a look at our complete guide to the draw.
2 a.m: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of the group stage draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
How to watch the FIFA World Cup draw
- Date: Friday, Dec. 5 | Time: Noon ET, 9 a.m. PT
- TV channel: Fox (U.S.), TSN/RDS (CA), BBC (UK), SBS (AU)
- Live stream: Fubo (free trial)
The World Cup draw is scheduled to start at noon ET on Friday, Dec. 5 from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. TV coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. ET on Fox (U.S.) with 3 1/2 hours of live programming.
The draw is co-hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, model Heidi Klum and actor Danny Ramirez and will also feature musical performances by Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams. Rio Ferdinand will serve as the draw conductor.
Viewers in the United States can stream the draw live with Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
The World Cup draw will also be televised by TSN/RDS in Canada, BBC in the United Kingdom and SBS in Australia.
FIFA will also be providing live coverage, with a live stream on the official FIFA Youtube channel.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:
How does the World Cup draw work?
The 42 teams already qualified for the 2026 World Cup have been split into four pots. Each pot features 12 teams and is based upon most recent FIFA World Rankings published in November.
The exception to this is Pot 1, which features the three co-hosts, along with the top nine seeded teams in the world. Pot 4 will be completed by the winners of the UEFA and intercontinental playoffs next March.
- Pot 1: nine highest-ranked teams + hosts Canada, Mexico and USA
- Pot 2: next 12 ranked teams according to FIFA
- Pot 3: next 12 ranked teams according to FIFA
- Pot 4: six lowest-ranked teams + six playoff winners
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
| USA (14)* | Croatia (10) | Norway (29) | Jordan (66) |
| Mexico (15)* | Morocco (11) | Panama (30) | Cape Verde (68) |
| Canada (27)* | Colombia (13) | Egypt (34) | Ghana (72) |
| Spain (1) | Uruguay (16) | Algeria (35) | Curacao (82) |
| Argentina (2) | Switzerland (17) | Scotland (36) | Haiti (84) |
| France (3) | Japan (18) | Paraguay (39) | New Zealand (86) |
| England (4) | Senegal (19) | Tunisia (40) | Intercont’l Playoff 1 |
| Brazil (5) | Iran (20) | Ivory Coast (42) | Intercont’l Playoff 2 |
| Portugal (6) | South Korea (22) | Uzbekistan (50) | UEFA Playoff 1 |
| Netherlands (7) | Ecuador (23) | Qatar (51) | UEFA Playoff 2 |
| Belgium (8) | Austria (24) | Saudi Arabia (60) | UEFA Playoff 3 |
| Germany (9) | Australia (26) | South Africa (61) | UEFA Playoff 4 |
Geographic restrictions: Teams from the same region cannot be drawn in the same group with the exception of Europe. Since there are 16 European slots in the draw and 12 groups (A-H), a maximum two European nations are permitted in a single group. If there’s a geographic clash, the team drawn is simply moved to the next group in sequence.
After a team is selected and the group is identified, the slot within that group is determined from a different pot. Teams drawn from Pot 1 into a group will automatically occupy the first slot in a group (Ex. A1, B1, C1, etc.), but the other slots will be drawn at random.
World Cup bracket 2026
This section will be updated with a full World Cup bracket when the groups are announced.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:
When are final World Cup berths decided?
Six of the 48 participating nations at the World Cup will be determined three months after the draw via the UEFA and FIFA inter-confederation playoff paths.
- UEFA teams that can still qualify: Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, Ukraine, Turkey, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, Wales, Albania, Czechia, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland
- Teams that can still qualify via intercontinental playoffs: DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, New Caledonia.
All playoff games will be concluded between March 26 and March 31, 2026.
World Cup schedule 2026
- Group stage: June 11-27
- Round of 32: June 28-July 3
- Round of 16: July 4-7
- Quarterfinals: July 9-11
- Semifinals: July 14-15
- Final: July 19
The first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played Thursday, June 11 between Mexico and a Group A opponent in Mexico City. Group stage matches through June 27 followed by the Round of 32 (June 28-July 3) and the Round of 16 (July 4-7) played at stadiums scattered across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
World Cup quarterfinals matches will be played in four U.S. cities — Los Angeles, Kansas City, Atlanta and Boston — between July 9-11. Dallas and Atlanta will host the semifinals on July 14-15.
The World Cup will conclude July 19 with the final match from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
World Cup 2026 knockout stage
Round of 32
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 28 | M1: 2nd, Group A vs. 2nd, Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M2: 1st, Group E vs. 3rd place finisher | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M3: 1st, Group F vs. 2nd, Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M4: 1st, Group C vs. 2nd, Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M5: 1st, Group I vs. 3rd place finisher | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M6: 2nd, Group E vs. 2nd, Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M7: 1st, Group A vs. 3rd place finisher | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M8: 1st, Group L vs. 3rd place finisher | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M9: 1st, Group D vs. 3rd place finisher | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M10: 1st, Group G vs. 3rd place finisher | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M11: 2nd, Group K vs. 2nd, Group L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M12: 1st, Group H vs. 2nd, Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M13: 1st, Group B vs. 3rd place finisher | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M14: 1st, Group J vs. 2nd, Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M15: 1st, Group K vs. 3rd place finisher | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
| Fr, Jul. 3 | M16: 2nd, Group D vs. 2nd, Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M1: Winner, R32 M2 vs. Winner, R32 M5 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M2: Winner, R32 M1 vs. Winner, R32 M3 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M3: Winner, R32 M4 vs. Winner, R32 M6 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M4: Winner, R32 M7 vs. Winner, R32 M8 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M5: Winner, R32 M11 vs. Winner, R32 M12 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M6: Winner, R32 M9 vs. Winner, R32 M10 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M7: Winner, R32 M14 vs. Winner, R32 M16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M8: Winner, R32 M13 vs. Winner, R32 M15 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jul. 9 | QF1: Winner, R16 M1 vs. Winner, R16 M2 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Fri, Jul. 10 | QF2: Winner, R16 M5 vs. Winner, R16 M6 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF3: Winner, R16 M3 vs. Winner, R16 M4 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF4: Winner, R16 M7 vs. Winner, R16 M8 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Semifinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jul. 14 | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Wed, Jul. 15 | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Third place match
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 18 | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jul. 19 | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
