The kickoff for the 2026 World Cup will be given this Friday (5/12) with the draw for the competition groups. The event will be held at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, from 2pm (Brasília time). The 48 World Cup teams will be divided into 12 groups, which will be defined based on the draw of four pots shaped by the FIFA rankings.
O Sporting News shows where the draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place.
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2026 World Cup group draw: where to watch
The World Cup draw will be broadcast around the world. In Brazil, it can be followed by Globo (open TV), SBT, SporTV (closed), NSports, GeTV, CazéTV and Fifa+ (streaming).
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The ceremony will be hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and actor and comedian Kevin Hart. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, is also expected.
Sports icons will also perform at the ceremony. Rio Ferdinand will conduct the draw alongside presenter Samantha Johnson. Tom Brady, seven-time Super Bowl champion, will remove the marbles from Pot 1, which brings together the top seeds, including Brazil. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal will be responsible for drawing Pot 2.
Wayne Gretzky, considered the greatest ice hockey player of all time, will draw the balls from Pot 3. Finally, Aaron Judge, captain of the New York Yankees and baseball icon, will draw from Pot 4, which includes the six teams that still need to confirm their place via playoff.
2026 World Cup group draw: division of pots
The Brazilian team will be part of Pot 1 alongside Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, in addition to the three host countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Pot 2 will feature Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia.
In Pot 3, Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa enter.
The remaining teams will go to Pot 4, along with the six winners of the intercontinental playoffs. This group includes Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti and New Zealand.
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2026 World Cup group draw: where to watch and time
- Data: December 5, 2026 (Friday)
- Time: 14 (from Brasilia)
- Where to watch: Globo (open TV), SBT, SporTV (closed), NSports, GeTV, CazéTV and Fifa+ (streaming).
