World Cup 2026 draw summary: teams, pots, schedule, groups, dates, format

Here's Rod doing a proper draw

I couldn't let you go without showing this superb piece of football heritage.

Poch reacts to the USA's group

"My message to the players is: we need to compete better than Paraguay, which is going to be difficult, than Australia, which is difficult. We need to prepare, the last game [in June] is like the final of the World Cup."

"If we start to think 'it's not difficult, we should win', that is the wrong mindset. We need to be strong in our beliefs, keep improving. But before we need to be motivated."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is that

The Village People get a big send-off from the President, who looks delighted to meet his heroes.

The crowd slowly file out of the venue, presumably to lie face first in the snow.

Back to the weirdness.

Here are the Village People, singing YMCA.

It's the World Cup group stage draw never happened.

Group G:

Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group L:

England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

Group K:

Portugal, Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia, Uzbekistan, Colombia

Group J:

Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

Group F:

Netherlands, Japan, Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania, Tunisia

Group D:

USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo

Group H:

Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay

Group I:

France, Senegal, Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname, Norway

Group E:

Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

(Pronounced 'kurako' by Gretzky)

Group C:

Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Group B:

Canada, Euro playoff A winner, Qatar, Switzerland

Group A:

Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, Euro playoff D winner

Time for Pot 4...

We're almost there.

Group I:

France, Senegal, Norway

Group L:

England, Croatia, Panama

Group K:

Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan

Group J:

Argentina, Austria, Algeria

Group H:

Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia

Group C:

Brazil, Morocco, Scotland

Group G:

Belgium, Iran, Egypt

Group F:

Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia

Why we are skipping groups:

Two teams cannot be drawn from the same confederation into the same World Cup group.

Group E:

Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast

Group D:

USA, Australia, Paraguay

Group B:

Canada, Switzerland, Qatar

Group A:

Mexico, Korea Rep, South Africa

Mexico vs South Africa will be the first game at the World Cup, on June 11.

Time for Pot 3!

Here we go, Aaron Judge to draw.

The last time Trump did a cup draw

This draw didn't take forty days and forty nights.

Well, we've had the top 2 pots, and they're beauties

We've got some seriously tough groups being formed here...

Group L:

England, Croatia

Group K:

Portugal, Colombia

Group J:

Argentina, Austria

Group I:

France, Senegal

Group H:

Spain, Uruguay

Group G:

Belgium, Iran

Group F:

Netherlands, Japan

Group E:

Germany, Ecuador

Group D:

USA, Australia

Group C:

Brazil, Morocco

Group B:

Canada, Switzerland

Group A:

Mexico, Korea Republic

Pot 2 draw is underway...

Finally.

Time for Pot 2...

Let's see how things unfold.

Here we go...

Brady goes first.

At last, some football!

Now we've got a presentation of the teams...

We're nearly there, just some more acting

This really is like making the older kids in school act in the play when all they want to do is listen to garage music and smoke behind the bike sheds.

Kevin Hart welcomes sport legends

Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, Tom Brady, and Shaq are all here.

And they've put Shaq next to Kevin Hart.

Can't we just get Rod Stewart to do it?

He'd have had it done in a flash.

Here are the 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

Here's how things are going to work:

48 teams will be split into 12 groups of four. Using the latest FIFA rankings, they have been placed into four seeding pots. One team from Pot 1 will be drawn into each group, followed by one team from Pot 2, and so on through Pots 3 and 4.

The three co-hosts, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, are treated as top seeds, meaning they will avoid Spain, Argentina, England, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium and Germany. Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B) and the USA (Group D) already know which groups they will enter, along with the venues for their three group matches.

Each group can include a maximum of two UEFA teams, and no other confederation may have more than one representative in the same group.

Normally I'd be keen to point out that Rio Ferdinand is a former Leeds United player, but that was awful.

Anyway, the ex-Manchester United and West Ham defender is on stage now, still talking to the other co-hosts like he's chained to a radiator.

My, oh my...

We're now seeing a video of Rio Ferdinand and Gianni Infantino having a fake phone call to confirm his presence at the draw. This is painful.

Opta have put this together

Have a look while Kevin Hart finishes his advertisement for his new show.

I have no problem with Lauryn Hill, or this rendition of 'Doo Wop (That Thing)', but we're an hour into this and we haven't even had a sniff of the group stage. I wonder what Cafu and Del Piero are thinking right now.

What will happen first?

A) The draw begins

B) The World Cup finishes

Vote now!

There's also a strong chance that Donald Trump actually think's Infantino's first name is 'Johnny', and he hasn't been told otherwise.

Now for another performance

Lauryn Hill! OK, I'm up for this one.

I wonder who is going to win the FIFA Peace Prize next year?

The early favourites are: 

Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Darth Vader

The Wicked Witch of the West

The Daleks

It's OK, Rio

We've got the full draw coming up now, that one was just for show.

Ferdinand shouldn't worry about losing his job to Trump.

So we've got the host nations and their groups

Group A: Mexico

Group B: Canada

Group D: USA

Now for a quick video before the full draw...

Infantino takes a selfie with the leaders

Sheinbaum hesitates as Infantino asks her to get close to Trump.

Trump's going to rival Rod Stewart here

"I think [Infantino] knows something I don't," he says, before smiling for the camera

TRUMP PICKS OUT USA

They go into Group D.

MEXICO UP NEXT

They are drawn by Sheinbaum, who go in Group A.

CANADA INTO GROUP B

Carney selects his own nation (!), who go into Group B.

Here we go, time for the draw!

Let's go...

Donald Trump has just taken credit for scouting Pelé before suggesting American football should be renamed

"I remember watching Pelé for the Cosmos, who I assume was one of the greats.

"He scored three goals that day, and I said 'that man can play'.

"Shouldn't we really call this football? When you think about it, we should call this football and we have to think of another name [for NFL]."

Sheinbaum speaks to Infantino:

"We're proud to host the World Cup for the third time, Mexico is a brilliant country, and millions will visit us. We are a hardworking people who have enjoyed football for a long time."

Trump has just walked the wrong way down the stage.

And of course...

Donald Trump is welcomed back on stage.

Infantino welcomes draw hosts

Mark Carney is on stage, as is Claudia Sheinbaum!

Infantino is back on stage

He says: "You can clap because this is the last time you'll see me on stage." I assume he means for tonight.

I think it's time for the draw now

Remember that? The World Cup draw?

Time for another video...

I reckon Gianni could have kept Blockbusters alive with the amount of videos we've seen here.

Robert Carlos takes the microphone

"Winning the World Cup is the best thing in the world, to make so many people happy, it's the maximum for a footballer.

"The most important thing is to train hard and put the ball where the goalkeeper is not.

"Having a coach like Ancelotti for Brazil is fantastic, I wish him the best and I hope he can get Brazil to the final. Good luck to him!"

Lionel Scaloni and the World Cup trophy take to the stage

"I remember the final as an unforgettable game, so much happened, we never thought it could end badly. We will try again to compete and never give up, that's what our people expect of us."

Trump out, Heidi back in

At least that's over. Give us another video.

Trump takes the floor:

"We saved millions and millions of lives... so many wars we were able to end, in some cases before they started.

"I've known Gianni for so long. You set records on ticket sales, not to bring it up, but that's an amazing thing, the numbers are beyond what anyone thought.

"I want to thank my family, Melania, thank you very much, and I think you're going to have an event the likes of which the world has never seen.

"The world is a safer place now, the US 1 year ago wasn't doing well and now we're the hottest country in the world."

Here's a look at the award

It's quite the piece of metal.

This is very strange...

In real school hall fashion, Gianni is now reading out Trump's certificate to him, spelling out FIFA in it's official French name, something that will surely impress the President.

Wow, that is a special trophy indeed

I really am going to struggle the describe this: it's a melted-down Temu attempt at a World Cuptrophy and he's also got a medal, which he's putting on now. He looks delighted. 

Oh, and he gets a certificate, like the ones you get when you learn to swim at the local baths.

Trump wins award

In a stunning turn of events, Donald Trump takes home the FIFA Peace Prize, with no mention of the country of Palestine, only Hamas. 

Infantino says it is "fundamental" that Trump is recognised with this award.

The "honourable" Donald Trump wins!

Well, I never. 

The FIFA Peace Prize has been announced

The award "recognises and individual who has taken extraodinary action" to promote peace. It is honoured to "a dynamic leader" who has "championed the unifying power of football."

Kevin Hart "promises" we'll be singing it later

The two artists have walked off the stage now as we get another video, this time about peace.

I wonder what this could possibly mean...

Here comes the next performance

In case you didn't get enough 2000s music on your Spotify wrapped, here's Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, performing the FIFA 2026 official anthem, 'Desire'.

I swear Williams just did the Cole Palmer 'brrr' celebration.

Be careful what you wish for

We've now got Hugh Jackman (good) and Shakira (good) spliced in between clips of Infantino, who is everywhere all at once, talking about the great things FIFA can do.

Oh my, he's now orchestrating CA-NA-DA, U-S-A, and MEX-I-CO chants from the crowd of football legends. His sleeve cuffs are also way too long. Like Trump's tie levels of too long. Someone please play the next video clip.

Infantino expects constant applause

Between the terrible jokes and awkward flow, Gianni Infantino appears to be expecting an applause after every sentence. It's excruciating.

He's now trying an impromptu chant from the crowd. 

Infantino takes a shot at NFL

"This is 104 Super Bowls in one month," says Gianni Infantino. A reminder that Tom Brady is in the crowd, presumably now fuming.

Gianni welcomes the crowd

Of course, his first welcome message goes to his BFF, before Claudia Sheinbaum and Mark Carney get a mention. 

And now for the President...

Gianni Infantino! 

And now, another video

A lovely montage of some of the best goals we've seen across the various editions of the World Cup, including that James Rodríguez goal against Uruguay that brought my favourite ever headline, in a UK newspaper:

The names Bond, James Rodríguez.

We've even seen Wyclef Jean

Thefounding member of the Fugees is sat there, as one of the hosts quickly scrambles around for someone to pass the microphone to.

The laughs are rolling in

Kevin Hart has already made a 'soccer' joke. Brilliant. 

Didn't see that one coming. 

And now, the hosts...

Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum are on stage, giving us a welcome speech.

Yes, the camera has already cut to Trump and Gianni, sat next to each other, as the President looks around the venue, waiting for Bocelli to finish up.

Up first, Andrea Bocelli

The Italian tenor is giving us a wonderful exposition of his famous vocal chords to get everyone pumped.

Here we go!

We've got a welcome video to get us going, with snazzy shots of the VIP guests, as well as clips of Washington.

Any minute now...

FIFA's event should be getting underway any second now, so stay tuned for the fun!

Trump to reporters on the red carpet:

"It's a great honor to be here. Infantino has done a fantastic job. Can the United States win it? I think they have a small chance, it's a tough competition"

Here's Gianni looking delighted and pointing at a ball

That's actually the TRIONDA, the official World Cup ball for the tournament.

FIFA say: 

The adidas TRIONDA was unveiled as the Official Match Ball for FIFA World Cup 26 on 2 October 2025. The name can be translated from Spanish as “three waves”, and the ball’s vibrant design features a red, green and blue colour scheme that pays homage to the three host countries, while a brand-new four-panel construction with fluid geometry replicates the waves referenced in the ball’s name.

Iconography that represents each host country adorns the ball, with the maple leaf for Canada, an eagle for Mexico and a star for the United States, while gold embellishments pay tribute to the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

A look at the host cities:

Canada

· Toronto 

· Vancouver

Mexico

· Guadalajara 

· Mexico City 

· Monterrey

USA

· Atlanta

· Boston

· Dallas

· Houston

· Kansas City

· Los Angeles

· Miami

· New York New Jersey

· Philadelphia

· San Francisco Bay Area

· Seattle

FIFTEEN MINUTES TO GO!

Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino have just turned up together on the red carpet, and are currently taking cute photos together in front of the reporters.

Not long to go until we finally get going, it should start in around 15 minutes, once Trump's sat down.

A reminder of how it works:

If you've just joined us, here's a reminder of how things are going to work:

The 48 teams will be split into 12 groups of four. Using the latest FIFA rankings, they have been placed into four seeding pots (below).

One team from Pot 1 will be drawn into each group, followed by one team from Pot 2, and so on through Pots 3 and 4.

The three co-hosts, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, are treated as top seeds, meaning they will avoid Spain, Argentina, England, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium and Germany. Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B) and the USA (Group D) already know which groups they will enter, along with the venues for their three group matches.

Each group can include a maximum of two UEFA teams, and no other confederation may have more than one representative in the same group.

The four pots:

Here are the four Pots for the World Cup draw, the only event in the world where the word Pots is capitalised.

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

Don't forget the mascots!

I bet these guys are the warmest of everyone in attendance. In case you are not aware, these are not the managers of the host nations, but the official FIFA mascots for the tournament: Maple the Moose, Zayu the Jaguar, and Clutch the Bald Eagle.

I won't burden you with FIFA's frankly torturous gubbins for what they signify, but it's all lovely and squishy.

Can England go all the way?

The fans will be singing ‘It’s Coming Home’ as they show off to the American population that not everyone looks like Hugh Grant and Daniel Craig, but do this England team have a chance?

Thomas Tuchel is the manager and he’s not exactly known for his expansive style of play that sends shivers, the good kind, up the spines of the fans. But at a tournament, that’s exactly what you might want. If England can be solid at the back and efficient up front, then the talent they have in midfield and attack can rival anyone else in the world.

It feels like finding a system that fits Rice, Foden, and Bellingham has been the question in the papers since Geoff Hurst retired and the pressure is on Tuchel to do so for a nation that believes it can, and should, win every tournament it enters.

Messi set to star once again

Finally, the real favourites. Ireland will be excited to get the playoffs over with and bring back memories of Jackie Charlton as they…

I’m joking, of course. Argentina, the world champions, are inevitably going to be talked up as potential favourites after their stunning 2022 win in Qatar that saw Messi take the trophy for the first time in his career. While the Inter Miami forward is not what he used to be, now playing at a slower pace, his talent is still on show every week and every team in the world would like to have him in their squad.

Speaking of Sporty Spice...

Of course, the President of the United States will be there in what is a real ‘he invited me to his birthday party’ appearance. Gianni was present when Trump signed his Insanely Complex Yet Ultimately Ridiculous Event in which Hamas and Israel signed a peace deal, so why wouldn’t he invite his best friend when he’s having a party with the same theme and dress code? 

The unlikely pair have become friends quicker than Paul Rudd and the guy who does the Hot Ones videos, and they’re simply inseparable now. Poor Elon probably can’t stand to watch. 

The man with the physical record "like nobody has ever seen before" has been to plenty of sporting events so far this year, including the Super Bowl (he managed half of that), the Ryder Cup (a couple of holes at the end), and the US Open (men’s final).

He also invited Juventus to the White House and refused to leave the stage as Chelsea celebrated their Club World Cup win, the trophy he keeps behind him at the Oval Office.

The famous faces keep rolling in

Here's current Spain manager Luis de la Fuente alongside former Deportivo forward, Bebeto.

Sheinbaum and Carney to attend

It's not just Donald who is causing the queues, as FIFA recently confirmed that President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney will also be in attendance today at the draw.

Both are keen climate advocates and are intent on shifting away from a combative, macho politics. I don't think they're in the running for the FIFA peace prize, however.

World Cup 2026

We asked AI to simulate the 2026 World Cup group stage draw: Trump would be delighted with the result for Team USA

Moments before the World Cup draw in Washington, an AI simulation has imagined how the 48-team tournament could take shape.

According to this projection, Team USA would face Ecuador and Saudi Arabia, along with one of the weaker nations in Europe. No doubt Donald Trump would have some fun conversations with his new plane-gifting friends with that!

Spain would be placed in a group with Morocco, Panama and Jordan. They would face Africa’s leading power in the first phase – the team that eliminated them from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – while the other two opponents appear more accessible. Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the reigning champion, would take on Switzerland and Algeria, while Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil would face Austria, Ivory Coast and could potentially meet Italy.

2026 World Cup

2026 FIFA World Cup draw: how many teams from the group stage qualify for the next round?

As mentioned, Gianni has a habit of making normally simple procedures overblown and unnecessarily complicated, and he's not left out the World Cup itself.

Long gone are the typical 4-team groups with 2 teams qualifying for the knockouts, the 2026 version of events is something different.

 Of the 48 teams that qualified, 32 will move on to the first knockout round, while 16 will go home early.

The top two teams from each of the 12 groups, totaling 24 teams, will progress to the round of 32. They will be joined by the eight third-placed teams with the best records in the group stage.

World Cup 2026

Draw for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada: how it works, the teams and the format

OK, this is seriously cool. Check out the AS USA official World Cup 2026 guide, which has a breakdown on all the main talking points of the draw today, as well as some action that will have you singing 'Waka-Waka' just like me. 

Live music performances scheduled

I've had a sneak peak at the running order for today's event, and Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and the Village People will all be performing live, in case you didn't get enough random music on your Spotify wrapped.

Trump has been dancing to YMCA by the Village People for I-don't-know-how-long, so I'm sure his teeth were gleaming when he found out his favourite band were in town.

Favourites: Number 3

Argentina, here we go. The Albiceleste’s main rivals, Brazil, can never be called ‘Dark Horses’ at a tournament they’ve won 5 times, but I’m going to coin them as ‘the mystery team’.

That’s because I’m not really sure if they’ll get out of the groups or storm to a 5-0 win all the way to the final before breaking scoring records in that game like we’ve never seen before. The talent is there and the manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is there, as well as a lot of his old Real Madrid favourites, including Vini Jr, Rodrygo, and Casemiro.

However, serious underperforming in recent editions coupled with things never quite feeling like they’ve clicked into place put some serious doubt into the minds of many when looking at their chances. Having said that, the talent is there, and that yellow shirt at the World Cup turns me on in ways I cannot describe.

A reminder of the key facts:

Venue: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC

Time: 12:00 noon ET/9:00 a.m. PT.

Format: 

48 teams will be split into 12 groups of four. Using the latest FIFA rankings, they have been placed into four seeding pots. One team from Pot 1 will be drawn into each group, followed by one team from Pot 2, and so on through Pots 3 and 4.

The three co-hosts, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, are treated as top seeds, meaning they will avoid Spain, Argentina, England, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium and Germany. Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B) and the USA (Group D) already know which groups they will enter, along with the venues for their three group matches.

Each group can include a maximum of two UEFA teams, and no other confederation may have more than one representative in the same group.

Trump to be presented with 'peace prize'

Modern-day birthday parties for kids now see every child given a present as it's no longer the done thing to let just a few go home with a stuffed bear and a whistle.

That's basically what is happening at the World Cup draw today, as FIFA are set to award a prize that “recognizes exceptional actions for peace” in the world.

I don't know about you, but I have no idea who might win. I haven't even seen the shortlist.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the award is meant to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of those who work to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace, especially “in an increasingly unsettled and divided world.”

New teams to play at the World Cup for the first time...

At least four nations will be making their first appearance at this year's tournament: Jordan and Uzbekistan from Asia, the African island nation of Cape Verde, and the even smaller Curaçao in the Caribbean.

More debutants could still come through the aforementioned intercontinental play-offs, such as New Caledonia or Suriname, while Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia would also be newcomers should they qualify via the European pathway.

For the flag lovers

For you vexillology freaks out there, here's a nice graphic from Ireland, World Cup 2026 hopefuls, of all the teams and their respective Pots for the tournament.

Opta has had its say:

The lab-coated boffins at Opta have run the numbers so you don't have to, and they think that Spain are favourites for the tournament, with France and England making up the top three.

After that, we get the 2022 winners, Argentina, ahead of Germany, Portugal, and Brazil.

European World Cup qualification still to be decided:

The European system is a little more complex, with more teams still involved at this stage.

A total of 12 teams finished runners-up in their groups. They are now seeded into three pots by their world ranking.

There is also a fourth pot. This contains the four teams who were awarded a play-off through performance in the UEFA Nations League.

One team from each pot will be drawn into four separate paths: Path A, Path B, Path C and Path D.

For each path, the pot one team will face the pot four team in a one-off match. The teams in pot two and pot three from each path will be drawn against each other in one-legged games.

This creates two semi-finals in each path, after which a final per path will be played.

Teams in pot one and pot two will both be at home in the semi-finals.

Pot 1: Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine

Pot 2: Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia

Pot 3: Republic of Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo

Pot 4: Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland

World Cup playoffs:

The World Cup this year has been expanded to 48 teams,with just six spots remaining for those who have qualified for the playoffs, which will be held at the start of 2026.

The fixtures and potential pathways have already been decided for those teams.

For everywhere except Europe, things are straightforward, with two semi-finals and two finals already set up: 

Game 1: New Caledonia vs Jamaica

Winner to play DR Congo in the final

Game 2: Bolivia vs Suriname.

Winner to play Iraq in the final

Shaq turns up

Speaking of the big man, here's Shaq looking suave on the red carpet ahead of the draw.

Who will present the draw?

We've got a number of high-profile sports stars from the host countries taking part, and Rio Ferdinand.

Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal will all be present alongside the former Leeds and West Ham defender.

Another favourite to win the World Cup

OK, now I’ve gone for last time’s finalists. France are another team that could well go all the way in 2026, as they have two of the greatest front men on the planet. A bit like David Gilmour and Roger Waters, just with worse hair.

Current Ballon d’Or holderOusmane Dembele might not have had his best season this year due to absences, but he didn’t win that trophy for nothing, while Kylian Mbappé is scoring for fun at Real Madrid. Put them alongside Olise, Zaire-Emery, and Cherki and you’ve got some serious fun happening for Les Bleus.

Here's how things look from the queue to get into Kennedy Center

With just over an hour until we get going, here's how things look for us and our colleagues as the queues stretch back huge distances in the freezing weather. 

How to watch the draw:

What time is the 2026 World Cup draw?

The 2026 men’s World Cup group-stage draw is scheduled to take place on Friday, December 5, at 12:00 noon ET/9:00 a.m. PT.

How can I watch the World Cup draw in the U.S.?

Viewers in the States will be able to tune in to the draw on Fox, Peacock, Telemundo and Universo. Your streaming options also include the online platform fubo, which offers new users a free, introductory trial.

Tension high ahead of the draw

Given Donald Trump's presence at the event today, security measures are understandably through the roof, with press queues stretching around the block as the media tries to get access. 

The Kennedy Center is essentially closed off for citizens and only those with official access are allowed within the huge circle created by a significant number of security officials.

Why is the draw in Washington?

Great question, dear reader.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Las Vegas was FIFA’s choice of host city for the draw, presumably because Gianni likes the bright flashing lights.

However, his best friend, Donald Trump, announced in August that it would be held in Washington instead. Various reports soon emerged suggesting that FIFA’s decision to move the host city to Trump's backyard came at the “suggestion” of his administration.

It has also been reported that logistical issues scuppered Las Vegas’s chances of hosting the draw. Yeah, they scuppered my ability to go to Vegas for a week, too, not the Mrs telling me I couldn't. 

Here's a look at the previous winnners...

How many tournaments can you remember?

Who are the favourites?

It would be rude not to put the current World Champions at the top of my favourites list, so I’m not going to. The best team in the world right now are the 2010 winners, Spain.

With Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Fabián, Nico Williams, Mikel Merino, Zubimendi, Rodri, and more, they are playing simply sensational football that has seen them win both the Euros last summer.

Under Luis de la Fuente they have been on a stunning unbeaten (across 90 minutes) run for 30 games, outsourcing high level opponents along the way.

They come into the World Cup with renewed hope and a young team with the world at their feet, but must remember to keep their feet on the ground. 

How does the draw work?

The big question: how is this going to work? FIFA seems to have done a simply stunning job when it comes to draws, making things go from simple person-pulls-ball-out-of-bowl dynamics to flash-bang AI Kerplunk! hoo-has. 

They sound like Gianni Infantino’s ideas that he’s worked out with Trump in the East Wing basement jacuzzi, or in one of his “I feel like…” moments, and they’re extremely complicated. 

Anyway, for this one, the 48 teams will be split into 12 groups of four. Using the latest FIFA rankings, they have been placed into four seeding pots. One team from Pot 1 will be drawn into each group, followed by one team from Pot 2, and so on through Pots 3 and 4.

The three co-hosts, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, are treated as top seeds, meaning they will avoid Spain, Argentina, England, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium and Germany. Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B) and the USA (Group D) already know which groups they will enter, along with the venues for their three group matches.

Each group can include a maximum of two UEFA teams, and no other confederation may have more than one representative in the same group.

What time is the World Cup draw?

The draw will take place at midday ET, which is around 1 hour and 45 minutes from now.

Where is the World Cup draw?

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC is the host venue for the event today, which will feature the great and the good of world football, as well as some special guests who will undoubtedly make an appearance. 

Welcome!

Hello and a warm welcome to AS USA’s live coverage of the World Cup 2026 draw where we’ll find out which teams go into which groups for the upcoming summer tournament.

It’s Joe here to guide you through the action as it unfolds.