Official reveal of the group draws for the FIFA World Cup 2026

Speaking at the grand draw event held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized that this will be the greatest World Cup, the most spectacular event humanity has ever witnessed. U.S. President Donald Trump also attended the draw and was presented with the inaugural "FIFA Peace Award."

With President Trump and many heads of state and senior officials present, security was tightened around the Kennedy Center. Nearby streets were closed all morning (local time), and the media had to wait nearly an hour in the snow to enter the security checkpoint area.

This draw featured several new elements as the number of teams participating in the 2026 World Cup increased from 32 to 48 for the first time, with 12 groups and separate brackets for the top 4 ranked teams worldwide. Before the draw, 42 out of 48 slots were already confirmed. The remaining 6 places will be decided in playoff matches in March 2026.

Prior to the draw, the 48 teams — including the 42 qualified — were divided into 4 seeded pots, each with 12 teams based on FIFA’s November rankings. The last 6 teams were automatically placed in the fourth pot regardless of their rankings.

As co-hosts, the United States, Canada, and Mexico were placed in Pot 1 along with the 9 highest-ranked teams. Except for Europe (which can have up to 2 teams per group), no other confederation is allowed to have more than one team in the same group.

FIFA modified the draw process for the 2026 World Cup to ensure the top 4 ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France, and England — are placed in different brackets until the semifinals. This means if Spain and Argentina both top their groups, the world’s number 1 and 2 teams cannot meet before the final.

The U.S. team, as co-host, was pre-assigned to Group D and learned its three opponents during the draw ceremony. The U.S. will face Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of the UEFA playoff (Turkey / Romania / Slovakia / Kosovo) in the World Cup they are hosting alongside Canada and Mexico. The U.S. team currently holds a good record against Paraguay and Australia, including two 2-1 wins over these teams this past autumn.

Group L is considered the unofficial “Group of Death” for the 2026 World Cup, featuring England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.

The 2026 World Cup will begin in June with 104 matches held across 16 cities in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The final will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA.

This will be the largest sporting event in the history of the “Land of the Free,” especially as it coincides with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Independence Day (1776 - 2026) and will include a match in Philadelphia, where the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed.

The 12 groups for the 2026 World Cup are:

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, UEFA Play-off Path D (Czech Republic / Ireland / Denmark / North Macedonia).

Group B: Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, UEFA Play-off Path A (Wales / Bosnia & Herzegovina / Italy / Northern Ireland).

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland.

Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Play-off Path C (Turkey / Romania / Slovakia / Kosovo).

Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador.

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Play-off Path B (Ukraine / Sweden / Poland / Albania).

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand.

Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay.

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Play-off 2 (Iraq / Bolivia / Suriname).

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan.

Group K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, FIFA Play-off 1 (New Caledonia / Jamaica / Congo).

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama.