World Cup Draw Date Revealed: Discover Qualified Teams, Pots, and Essential Details
The anticipation for the 2026 World Cup continues to build as key details emerge about the upcoming tournament. The draw date has been officially announced, along with information about qualified teams and pot allocations.
World Cup Draw Date and Venue
The 2026 World Cup draw will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025. It will be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., starting at noon ET. This event will determine the group arrangements and matchups for the tournament.
2026 World Cup Overview
This edition of the World Cup marks a significant expansion, featuring 48 teams instead of the traditional 32. The tournament will consist of 12 groups of four teams each. From these groups, 32 teams will advance to the knockout stage. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place finishers, will qualify for the Round of 32.
Qualified Teams
As of now, 42 teams have qualified for the tournament, with the remaining six spots to be determined through playoff tournaments scheduled for March. The confirmed qualified teams include:
- Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico, USA
- AFC: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan
- CAF: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
- Concacaf: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
- CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
- OFC: New Zealand
- UEFA: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
World Cup Draw Pots
Teams for the World Cup draw will be arranged into four pots based on FIFA rankings. Co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the USA will be placed in Pot 1. The pots are as follows:
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Croatia | Norway | Jordan |
| Mexico | Morocco | Panama | Cape Verde |
| United States | Colombia | Egypt | Ghana |
| Spain | Uruguay | Algeria | Curaçao |
| Argentina | Switzerland | Scotland | Haiti |
| France | Japan | Paraguay | New Zealand |
| England | Senegal | Tunisia | UEFA playoff winner A |
| Brazil | Iran | Ivory Coast | UEFA playoff winner B |
| Portugal | South Korea | Uzbekistan | UEFA playoff winner C |
| Netherlands | Ecuador | Qatar | UEFA playoff winner D |
| Belgium | Australia | Saudi Arabia | FIFA playoff tournament team 1 |
| Germany | South Africa | FIFA playoff tournament team 2 |
All eyes will be on the draw as fans eagerly await to see how the teams will be grouped. The inaugural matches are set to kick off in June 2026, with the tournament opener hosted by Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.
