The entity is holding an event this Friday (5) to define the 12 groups of the 2026 World Cup
This Friday (5) the draw will be held to define the groups for 2026. The United States, Canada and Mexico will host the biggest edition of the World Cup. The 48 selections will be distributed into 12 brackets. Bate-Pronto, from Young Panfollows and analyzes the event (watch below).
The 42 classified teams were divided into four pots for the draw. In the coming months, the last six will be defined, their groups will be defined in this Friday’s draw.
To differentiate the balls from the host countries that are already selected, the balls will have different colors and will be in pot 1. Mexico, allocated to Group A, is identified with the color green. Canada, which is in Group B, in red. The United States, head of Group D, with blue.
The Seleção will be seeded, as will the hosts and the teams from Portugal, Argentina, France, England, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. All are in port 1.
FIFA will draw pot 1 first. Then, pot 2, 3 and 4. The classified teams were divided as follows:
- Pot 1: Brazil, Argentina, Canada, United States, Mexico, Portugal, France, England, Netherlands, Germany and Belgium;
- Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia;
- Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa;
- Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, places A, B, C and D in the European repechage and 1 and 2 in the FIFA Qualifying Tournament.
RESTRICTIONS
The entity maintained the rule that teams from the same continent cannot face each other in the group stage, with the exception of Europe, which has 16 participants and can have up to two teams per bracket. To balance the selection, the four best placed teams in the ranking (Spain, Argentina, France and England) will be positioned in the table to only meet after the semi-finals, if they complete their campaigns.
PATH TO THE CUP
With the expansion to 48 teams, the tournament now has 12 groups of four teams. The top two in each group and the eight best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage. Thus, the teams that reach the final will play eight matches, one more than in the previous format.
This Friday’s ceremony only defines the composition of the groups. The complete table will be released by FIFA in a new event on Saturday. The opening of the World Cup will be on June 11, at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico. The final will be held at MetLife Stadium, in the United States, on July 19, 2026.
