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World Cup 2026 draw results: Final groups, teams, match schedule, fixtures revealed for FIFA soccer tournament

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Co-hosts United States received a favourable draw as the group-stage bracket was set for World Cup 2026 in Washington D.C.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side will face Paraguay, Australia and the winner of the UEFA playoff path featuring Turkey, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo .Fellow hosts Mexico and Canada were also drawn with UEFA playoff winners, although that could mean four-time winners Italy being the first game for Jesse Marsch’s men.

Mexico face South Africa in the tournament opener and are in Group A alongside 2002 semifinalists South Korea and one of Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia and the Republic of Ireland.

Lionel Messi and Argentina will begin their title defence against Algeria in Group J, while the World Cup’s smallest ever nation, Curacao, will open up against four-time winners Germany.

Brazil’s quest for a record-extending sixth World Cup success must come through a tasty group alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.

European champions Spain will take on both the winner of the first ever World Cup, Uruguay and tournament debutants Cape Verde.

Read on for the draw in full and The Sporting News’ live coverage of events at the Kennedy Center as they happened.

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World Cup groups 2026

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 bracket 2026

World Cup bracket 2026

The 2026 World Cup’s knockout stage bracket will be determined after group play. Here are the pathways for each group. 

Group A A1: Mexico A2:   South Africa A3: South Korea  A4: Denmark/ North Macedonia/ Czechia/ Republic of Ireland
Group B B1: Canada B2:  Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia & Herzegovina B3:  Qatar B4: Switzerland
Group C C1: Brazil C2:  Morocco C3:  Haiti C4:  Scotland
Group D D1: United States D2:  Paraguay D3:  Australia D4:  Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo
Group E E1:  Germany E2:  Curacao E3:  Ivory Coast E4:  Ecuador
Group F F1:  Netherlands F2:  Japan F3:  Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania F4:  Tunisia
Group G G1:  Belgium G2:  Egypt G3:  Iran G4:  New Zealand
Group H H1: Spain H2:  Cape Verde H3: Saudi Arabia H4: Uruguay
Group I I1: France I2: Senegal I3: Bolivia/Iraq/Suriname I4: Norway
Group J J1: Argentina J2: Algeria J3: Austria J4: Jordan
Group K K1: Portugal K2: Jamaica/New Caledonia/DR Congo K3: Uzbekistan K4: Colombia
Group L L1: England L2: Croatia L3: Ghana L4: Panama

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

World Cup 2026 draw highlights from Washington D.C.

(All times ET)

2:22 p.m.: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for sticking with us through, frankly, a pretty weird couple of hours. But, look – it’s real now. All those fixtures can go in your diary, all your family’s summer plans can be torpedoed. That’s the good stuff, right? We’ll catch you real soon.

2:15 p.m.: And here are the Village People! What japes. Trump is doing that dance he does. Former Germany striker Rudi Voller is also (sort of) dancing. Lock up your sons and daughters. 

2:11 p.m.: Kevin and Heidi are back up for some painfully forced bantz. But there we are, the first draw for a 48-team World Cup is done. The United States will be pretty happy with how the draw has panned out for them. Brazil, France and Spain all have fairly tasty groups.

2:06 p.m.: A UEFA playoff winner will complete the United States’ group, with the remaining UEFA playoff contestants playing for a spot in Group F. Jordan are into Argentina’s group. The other FIFA playoff path will go into Group K and be Portugal’s opening game. Cristiano Ronaldo’s not banned for that one. Ghana are a competitive addition to the Croatia, Panama and England group. New Zealand are the last team out and complete Group G

2:03 p.m.: Pot 4, which could confuse weaker minds than Rio Ferdinand. Six teams in it and six placeholders for the playoff participants. Group A and B get UEFA playoff winners before Haiti complete Group C. Curacao, the World Cup’s smallest ever nation, get Group E and an opening game against Germany. Due to confederation clashes, the winner of the Bolivia/Iraq/Suriname playoff are into Group I. Debutants Cape Verde will play Spain in the Group H opener.

1:55 p.m.: Panama will try to avoid the absolute pasting they got from England in 2018 when they compete in Group L. Norway, Erling Haaland and the lads, join France and Senegal in a tasty-looking Group I

1:53 p.m.: Ivory Coast go into Group E with Germany and Ecuador, while Tunisia get Group F with Netherlands and Japan. That could be a fun group. Egypt head into Group G, where they will face Belgium in their opening match. Scotland get the Group C gig alongside Brazil and Morocco, who they also faced on their previous participation in 1998. Saudi Arabia get a shot at some more heavyweights in the form of Spain and Uruguay. Algeria jump into Group J and will be the first game of Argentina’s title defence. Tournament debutants Uzbekistan get Portugal and Colombia in Group K on their World Cup debut.

1:49 p.m.: We’re rattling through this now. South Africa will play in the opening game in Mexico City against the co-hosts. Group A, with South Korea, looks wide open. Talking of former hosts, Qatar are in Group B with Canada and Switzerland. Paraguay go into Group D because they can’t be paired with Brazil. That means they’ll be the USA’s opening game.

1:45 p.m.: Senegal get France in Group I, a re-run of that unforgettable World Cup 2002 opener. Austria are in Argentina’s group, while Colombia get Portugal and England have familiar foes Croatia.

1:42 p.m.: Ecuador and Japan into Groups E and F respectively to take on Germany and the Netherlands. Iran will face Belgium in Group G. Oooh, and the winners of the inaugural World Cup face the No. 1 team on the planet right now. Uruguay get Spain in Group H.

1:36 p.m.: Into Pot 2, with Shaq instructed to get his hand in amongst the balls. South Korea first out at their 11th World Cup, joining co-hosts Mexico in Group A. Switzerland get the draw everyone in Pot 2 probably wanted, paired with Canada. Morocco, Africa’s first World Cup semifinalists last time around, join Brazil. A saucy Group C opener. Australia join the USA in Group D.

1:31 p.m.: Spain in Group H and Argentina in Group J. Remember, if those two each win their groups, they will not meet until the final. That’s why we skipped Group I, to put them both on separate sides of the draw. That’s where two-time winners and 2022 runners-up France have landed. 

Portugal in Group K and England in Group L round off Pot 1.

1:28 p.m.: Brazil and Germany the first teams out and placed in Groups C and E. Netherlands in Group F and their neighbors Belgium in Group G.

1:24 p.m.: Ferdinand says he needs a pen. Brady goes to throw it to him. Shaq blocks him. People were paid to write this. Anyway, here we go with Pot 1!

1:20 p.m.: That fiasco went on far too long and was greeted by non-laughter when we went back to the room. Talking of things that have gone on far too long… any danger of drawing some teams for the World Cup?!?! Oh, here’s Wayne Gretzky and Aaron Judge. An Shaq, who is more or less twice as tall as Kevin Hart. 

Now Tom Brady. “Wow, where did this come from?” says Rio, who obviously knew about this beforehand. He’ll make an actor yet.

1:16 p.m.: After Rio flubbed his way through a few prepared lines (Football? Soccer? Oh, Lord, there goes another rib!) we’re now watching another video of him with some children in suits explaining the draw rules. Who signed off on this? Was no one else available? 

1:13 p.m.: We’re now watching a pre-recorded video with various celebrities talking Rio Ferdinand through his pre-draw nerves. An elegant, stylish defender back in his day with England and Manchester United, Ferdinand the actor is more wooden than a forest full of redwood.

1:07 p.m.: Hill is now into her brilliant 1998 hit Doo Wop (That Thing). I wonder whether back then she thought she’d be performing it at a ceremony where President Donald Trump had just received the FIFA Peace Prize. What a life.

1:04 p.m.: “Who knows Bob Marley?” Lauryn asks. Another deep cut to sit alongside Trump’s Pele shout-out.

1:02 p.m.: Here’s Lauryn Hill. Great singer, fabulous headwear.

12:52 p.m.: Trump just told us Pele was good. Dude knows ball. Anyway, the heads of government are on stage to ceremonially draw Canada, Mexico and the United States, who have already been allocated to groups A, B and D respectively.

12:46 p.m. Back on stage… Gianni Infantino! Remember him?! He’s shown some self-awareness by assuring the audience this is his last time on stage tonight. It’s also his third time in 45 minutes. Let’s see if you stick to that, big man. Anyway, he now has Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney and the Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. Trump’s back too. 

12:43 p.m.: Right, good. Back to football. Roberto Carlos is talking about this stone-cold banger.

12:39 p.m.: “Truly one of the great honours of my life,” says the twice elected President of the United States, upon receiving an award that was invented especially for him. “We’ve saved millions and millions of lives, so many different wars we were able to end, in some cases, before they started.”

Congo, India and Pakistan are all cited, following a video that gave due attention to the Abraham Accords. In the next breath, Trump brings up record ticket sales. Then another soccer/football gag. Chug your drink if you’re playing along. Now he thanks his wife, who isn’t always at these sorts of events, to be fair. 

In conclusion: “The world is a safer place now. A year ago, the United States wasn’t doing too well. Now we’re the hottest country in the world.”  Of course, our readers will have various political leanings and each to their own. But, honestly, what an objectively bizarre human.

12:35 p.m.: Trump is on stage wearing his medal next to a big trophy. Infantino also has a certificate. Like the biggest boy at the shiniest school assembly.

Listen, we’re all grown-ups who can see exactly what’s going on here, so take it as you see fit.

12:31 p.m.: President Trump is now about to receive the inaugural and absolutely not at all contrived FIFA Peace Prize. After a 10-minute break from being on stage, Gianni is back on stage to present.

12:25 p.m.: Each to their own, but this is a faux-inspirational dirge. Lyrics seemingly drawn “Live. Laugh. Love” style motivational postcards.

12:22 p.m.: Now performing Desire (“The new football anthem,” says Heidi Klum) are Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger. 

12:19 p.m.: Infantino wraps up his first slot of the evening (I doubt it’s the last) by getting the audience members to chant for their respective host nations. Actually, he’s still on stage riffing with Hart and Klum. A natural. Available for weddings, baptisms and bar mitzvahs for a good fee.

12:16 p.m.: The expanded World Cup will have a bumper 104 games. Infantino says this will be like “104 Super Bowls in one month”, which is ludicrously overselling things. Next summer, there will be absolutely awful games between two nations you’ve never watched before that you’re glued to when you should be at work. Reader, that’s the magic of the World Cup, too. It’s also why I don’t work in PR for FIFA.

12:13 p.m.: Gianni Infantino is introduced on stage as “football’s number one fan”. He’s also the president of FIFA. Isn’t that a lovely coincidence?! “FIFA is the official happiness provider for humanity since over 100 years,” Infantino says, in a remarkable retrofitting of his organisation’s remit. He then welcomes President Trump and the First Lady.

12:06 p.m.: Tell you what, some set of pipes on him for a 67-year-old has Signore Bocelli. And he’s given Kevin Hart goosebumps, apparently, which is a story to tell. The American comedian is underway with hosting duties along with Heidi Klum. We’re already into some “it’s not soccer it’s football lol” material.

12:01 a.m.: Here we go, then. Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma to get us underway. The aria from the final act of Puccini’s operate Turandot became part of the football cannon when it featured prominently in coverage of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, arguably the tournament that did more than any other to put soccer on the track towards this modern era.

11:56 a.m.: Guests at the Kennedy Center are being told to take their seats. In fairness, it looks like most of them already have. The room is packed.

11:45 a.m.: U.S. President Donald Trump has been on. “It’s a big day and it’s a great sport. It really is coming to America. Nobody ever thought a thing like this could happen.” Commendable bombast, which overlooks the fact the USA literally hosted the World Cup in 1994, but hey, who’s keeping track? Trump also noted an “all-time record on ticket sales” at this early stage. That could very well be the case, unlike the record inauguration crowds he mentioned a while back.

11 a.m.: Just an hour to go until the festivities get underway at the Kennedy Center. FIFA’s live steam will be up at 11:30 a.m. ET, If you’re a fan of forced banter between Gianni Infantino and Shaq, there’s only one place for you to be today.

10:20 a.m: For those worried that global sports governing bodies did not have their finger on the pulse of popular culture, FIFA have booked the Village People to perform Y.M.C.A. at today’s ceremony.

9:46 a.m: The United States are seeded in Pot 1 as one of the co-hosts. Mauricio Pochettino has garnered mixed reviews during his USMNT tenure, but an emphatic 5-1 win over Uruguay in November has ignited hopes that his team could do something memorable on home soil.

9:21 a.m.: The past seven World Cups have taken place in a 32-team format. That meant eight groups of four and the top two from each group going through to the Round of 16. Nice and simple. For the new 48-team tournament, groups of four remain. That means the top two will still progress to account for 24 of the new Round of 32. The remaining eight spots will be taken up by the best eight third-place teams.

8:45 a.m.: Even with Lionel Messi in tow, Argentina have what feels like close to an impossible task in terms of retaining their title. Italy are the only country to have won back-to-back World Cups and accomplished this when the tournament was in its infancy back in 1934 and 1938.

8:10 a.m.: The expanded format has allowed some countries, such as Uzbekistan. Jordan and Cape Verde, to book places at their first-ever World Cups. Then there’s Curacao, the Caribbean nation that will become the smallest country in history to compete at the tournament.

MORE: Smallest countries in the World Cup: How Curacao, Cape Verde will make history in 2026

7:24 a.m.: Although 48 teams will compete at the 2026 World Cup, only 42 have rubber-stamped their place on draw day. The remaining six places will be decided next March in the UEFA and inter-confederation playoff rounds. For those six places, there are still 22 countries in the mix.

Here’s everything you need to know about the final playoff rounds for the 2026 World Cup.

6:38 a.m.: Who remembers the 2022 final? Some guy called Messi was involved…

5:30 a.m.: There is all manner of special guests attending today’s draw. Here’s why the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady and more are all involved.

4:15 a.m.: Want to know more about who’s in the draw today? Here’s an up-to-date list of all the teams to have qualified for the World Cup.

The remaining six spots will be filled by one of these playoff winners.

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.

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.

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)

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