Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAYTue, December 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM UTC·2 min readThe 2026 World Cup draw is set for Friday, Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C. determining the groups and matchups for next summer's tournament in North America.
This edition of the World Cup has expanded to 48 teams from 32, meaning there will be 12 groups of four with 32 teams advancing to the knockout stage. The top two teams in each group – and the eight best third-place finishers – move on to the Round of 32.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCo-hosts Canada (Group A), Mexico (Group B) and the United States (Group D) already know their schedules, with Mexico playing in the tournament opener at the Estadio Azteca on June 11. The USMNT's first game is set for June 12 at SoFi Stadium in California.
All the venues and kickoff times for the group stage will be announced on Saturday, Dec. 6, a day after the draw.
Brazil – 23rd appearance
United States of America – 12th appearance
Mexico – 18th appearance
England – 17th appearance
Portugal – ninth appearance
France – 17th appearance
Spain – 17th appearance
Iran – seventh appearance
Switzerland – 13th appearance
Croatia – seventh appearance
Australia – seventh appearance
Morocco – seventh appearance
Austria – eighth appearance
Ecuador – fifth appearance
Senegal – fourth appearance
South Korea – 12th appearance
Japan – eighth appearance
Colombia – seventh appearance
Netherlands – 12th appearance
Germany – 21st appearance
Belgium – 15th appearance
Canada – third appearance
Saudi Arabia – seventh appearance
Uzbekistan – first appearance
Jordan – first appearance
Tunisia – seventh appearance
South Africa – fourth appearance
Ivory Coast – fourth appearance
Scotland – ninth appearance
Algeria – fifth appearance
New Zealand – third appearance
Paraguay – ninth appearance
Egypt – fourth appearance
Cape Verde – first appearance
Qatar – second appearance
Norway – fourth appearance
Panama – second appearance
Curacao – first appearance
Ghana – fifth appearance
Haiti – second appearance
1 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Brazil – 23rd appearance
1 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Brazil – 23rd appearance
2 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
United States of America – 12th appearance
3 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Mexico – 18th appearance
4 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
England – 17th appearance
5 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Portugal – ninth appearance
6 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
France – 17th appearance
7 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Spain – 17th appearance
8 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Iran – seventh appearance
9 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Switzerland – 13th appearance
10 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Croatia – seventh appearance
11 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Australia – seventh appearance
12 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Morocco – seventh appearance
13 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Austria – eighth appearance
14 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ecuador – fifth appearance
15 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Senegal – fourth appearance
16 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
South Korea – 12th appearance
17 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Japan – eighth appearance
18 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Colombia – seventh appearance
19 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Netherlands – 12th appearance
20 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Germany – 21st appearance
21 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Belgium – 15th appearance
22 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Canada – third appearance
23 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Saudi Arabia – seventh appearance
24 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Uzbekistan – first appearance
25 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Jordan – first appearance
26 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Tunisia – seventh appearance
27 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
South Africa – fourth appearance
28 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ivory Coast – fourth appearance
29 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Scotland – ninth appearance
30 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Algeria – fifth appearance
31 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
New Zealand – third appearance
32 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Paraguay – ninth appearance
33 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Egypt – fourth appearance
34 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Cape Verde – first appearance
35 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Qatar – second appearance
36 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Norway – fourth appearance
37 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Panama – second appearance
38 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Curacao – first appearance
39 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ghana – fifth appearance
40 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Haiti – second appearance
When is the World Cup draw?
Date: Friday, Dec. 5
Time: Noon ET
Location: Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
Teams that have qualified for the World Cup
The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 countries, with 42 already clinched. The final six places will be decided during playoff tournaments in March.
Here's who is officially qualified entering the draw:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCo-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
MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (hosting World Cup final)
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City
Estadio BBVA – Monterrey, Mexico
Estadio Akron –Guadalajara, Mexico
BMO Field – Toronto
SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, California
BC Place – Vancouver, Canada
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida
Lumen Field – Seattle
NRG Stadium – Houston
Levi's Stadium – Santa Clara, California
Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia
Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, Massachusetts
1 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (hosting World Cup final)
1 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (hosting World Cup final)
2 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
3 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
4 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City
5 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Estadio BBVA – Monterrey, Mexico
6 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Estadio Akron –Guadalajara, Mexico
7 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
BMO Field – Toronto
8 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, California
9 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
BC Place – Vancouver, Canada
10 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida
11 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Lumen Field – Seattle
12 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
NRG Stadium – Houston
13 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Levi's Stadium – Santa Clara, California
14 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia
15 / 15What stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup? See all 16 in North America
Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, Massachusetts
World Cup draw pots 2026
The draw for the 2026 World Cup includes 12 teams in each group sorted by FIFA ranking, with hosts Canada, Mexico and USA being placed in Pot 1.
Pot 1
Canada
Mexico
United States
Spain
Argentina
France
England
Brazil
Portugal
Netherlands
Belgium
Germany
Pot 2
Croatia
Morocco
Colombia
Uruguay
Switzerland
Japan
Senegal
Iran
South Korea
Ecuador
Austria
Australia
Pot 3
Norway
Panama
Egypt
Algeria
Scotland
Paraguay
Tunisia
Ivory Coast
Uzbekistan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
Pot 4
Jordan
Cape Verde
Ghana
Curacao
Haiti
New Zealand
UEFA playoff winner A
UEFA playoff winner B
UEFA playoff winner C
UEFA playoff winner D
FIFA playoff tournament team 1
FIFA playoff tournament team 2
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.
ARGENTINA: Lionel Messi. This certainly is the last ride for the one of the greatest players to ever do it. He led La Albiceleste to World Cup glory in 2022 and is still defying Father Time at 38 years old (he'll turn 39 during the tournament).
FRANCE: Desire Doue. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are the stars of France's attack, but don't forget the 20-year-old Doue, who is a key piece in Paris Saint-Germain's midfield. He's a tricky player who is constantly putting defenses under pressure.
ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger is already a well-known commodity. He's appeared more than 200 times for Arsenal and has 14 England goals already. His left foot is a wand cutting in off the right and he consistently puts defenders on their heels.
GERMANY: Jamal Musiala. The 22-year-old Bayern Munich attacker is coming off a serious ankle injury suffered at July's FIFA Club World Cup. He should be go good to go this summer and his trickery and dribbling give the Germans an added dimension in midfield.
BELGIUM: Jeremy Doku. This 23-year-old Manchester City winger is electric. He's among the best dribblers in the Premier League and is a nightmare when he's running at defenders with the ball at his feet.
PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo. At 40 years old, he's still not slowing down. Ronaldo has scored 109 goals since moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia four years ago and has transferred that form to Portugal, with eight goals in nine games for the national team in 2025.
JAPAN: Takefusa Kubo. The 24-year-old Real Sociedad right winger (ESP) will consistently run at defenders, putting opponents on their heels. He led Japan in goals+assists in qualifying (11) and will be key to Samurai Blue's attack.
NORWAY: Erling Haaland. An unstoppable force, the 25-year-old striker led Norway to its first World Cup since 1998. He's a scoring machine with 55 goals in 48 games for Norway and is fast approaching 150 career goals for Manchester City in just over 160 games played.
MOROCCO: Abde Ezzalzouli. A 23-year-old left winger who plays for Real Betis in Spain, gets goals and assists and isn't afraid to get stuck in. He scored in Morocco's 6-0 win over Egypt in the 2024 bronze medal game in the Paris Olympics.
USA: Christian Pulisic. A lot falls on the shoulders of Captain America, and the 27-year-old winger has been building to this moment. He's played for some of Europe's biggest clubs (Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and now AC Milan) and has 32 goals in 82 caps for the US.
ENGLAND: Phil Foden. The 25-year-old midfielder was named 2024 English Premier League Player of the Year, scoring 19 goals in Manchester CIty's title-winning season. He dropped off a bit last season, but is still one of the most creative players in the EPL.
NETHERLANDS: Cody Gakpo. The 26-year-old Liverpool forward has already scored 19 goals for Holland in just 46 caps.Memphis Depay is still the focal point of the Dutch attack, but Gakpo provides plenty of skill and speed to open up defenses.
ARGENTINA: Nico Paz. Part of La Albiceleste's next generation, the 21-year-old midfielder is off to a flier this season for Como in Italy's Serie A. He'll likely head back to Real Madrid next season and is the future midfield maestro for Argentina.
SPAIN: Nico Williams. With Lamine Yamal on one side and Williams on the other, Spain's wingers give defenses sleepless nights. The 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger has six goals in 30 Spain caps and is electric with the ball at his feet.
AUSTRALIA: Nestory Irankunda. Diminutive but dynamic, this 19-year-old forward has blistering pace, great dribbling ability and rocket for a shot. He had a brief spell with Bayern Munich's reserves, but now plays for Watford in The EFL Championship (England's second tier).
CANADA: Tajon Buchanan. The 26-year-old winger has featured 57 times for Canada and is among its most dangerous attacking options. He's scored four times this season for Villareal in Spain.
SWITZERLAND: Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old midfielder who plays for Freiburg in Germany has eight caps for the Swiss team (all this year) and scored against the U.S. in a 4-0 win last June.
SENEGAL: Ismaila Sarr. The 27-year-old winger has scored four goals in seven matches for the national team in 2025 and is a key part to the overachieving Crystal Palace team in England.1 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.1 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.2 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ARGENTINA: Lionel Messi. This certainly is the last ride for the one of the greatest players to ever do it. He led La Albiceleste to World Cup glory in 2022 and is still defying Father Time at 38 years old (he'll turn 39 during the tournament).3 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
FRANCE: Desire Doue. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are the stars of France's attack, but don't forget the 20-year-old Doue, who is a key piece in Paris Saint-Germain's midfield. He's a tricky player who is constantly putting defenses under pressure.4 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger is already a well-known commodity. He's appeared more than 200 times for Arsenal and has 14 England goals already. His left foot is a wand cutting in off the right and he consistently puts defenders on their heels.5 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
GERMANY: Jamal Musiala. The 22-year-old Bayern Munich attacker is coming off a serious ankle injury suffered at July's FIFA Club World Cup. He should be go good to go this summer and his trickery and dribbling give the Germans an added dimension in midfield.6 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
BELGIUM: Jeremy Doku. This 23-year-old Manchester City winger is electric. He's among the best dribblers in the Premier League and is a nightmare when he's running at defenders with the ball at his feet.7 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo. At 40 years old, he's still not slowing down. Ronaldo has scored 109 goals since moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia four years ago and has transferred that form to Portugal, with eight goals in nine games for the national team in 2025.8 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
JAPAN: Takefusa Kubo. The 24-year-old Real Sociedad right winger (ESP) will consistently run at defenders, putting opponents on their heels. He led Japan in goals+assists in qualifying (11) and will be key to Samurai Blue's attack.9 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
NORWAY: Erling Haaland. An unstoppable force, the 25-year-old striker led Norway to its first World Cup since 1998. He's a scoring machine with 55 goals in 48 games for Norway and is fast approaching 150 career goals for Manchester City in just over 160 games played.10 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
MOROCCO: Abde Ezzalzouli. A 23-year-old left winger who plays for Real Betis in Spain, gets goals and assists and isn't afraid to get stuck in. He scored in Morocco's 6-0 win over Egypt in the 2024 bronze medal game in the Paris Olympics.11 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
USA: Christian Pulisic. A lot falls on the shoulders of Captain America, and the 27-year-old winger has been building to this moment. He's played for some of Europe's biggest clubs (Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and now AC Milan) and has 32 goals in 82 caps for the US.12 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ENGLAND: Phil Foden. The 25-year-old midfielder was named 2024 English Premier League Player of the Year, scoring 19 goals in Manchester CIty's title-winning season. He dropped off a bit last season, but is still one of the most creative players in the EPL.13 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
NETHERLANDS: Cody Gakpo. The 26-year-old Liverpool forward has already scored 19 goals for Holland in just 46 caps.Memphis Depay is still the focal point of the Dutch attack, but Gakpo provides plenty of skill and speed to open up defenses.14 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ARGENTINA: Nico Paz. Part of La Albiceleste's next generation, the 21-year-old midfielder is off to a flier this season for Como in Italy's Serie A. He'll likely head back to Real Madrid next season and is the future midfield maestro for Argentina.15 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Nico Williams. With Lamine Yamal on one side and Williams on the other, Spain's wingers give defenses sleepless nights. The 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger has six goals in 30 Spain caps and is electric with the ball at his feet.16 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
AUSTRALIA: Nestory Irankunda. Diminutive but dynamic, this 19-year-old forward has blistering pace, great dribbling ability and rocket for a shot. He had a brief spell with Bayern Munich's reserves, but now plays for Watford in The EFL Championship (England's second tier).17 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
CANADA: Tajon Buchanan. The 26-year-old winger has featured 57 times for Canada and is among its most dangerous attacking options. He's scored four times this season for Villareal in Spain.18 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SWITZERLAND: Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old midfielder who plays for Freiburg in Germany has eight caps for the Swiss team (all this year) and scored against the U.S. in a 4-0 win last June.19 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SENEGAL: Ismaila Sarr. The 27-year-old winger has scored four goals in seven matches for the national team in 2025 and is a key part to the overachieving Crystal Palace team in England.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is World Cup draw? Qualified teams, pots for 2026
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