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The FIFA World Cup 2026 pots have been finalized, meaning that the procedures for making the 12 groups for the 48-team tournament at the Dec. 5 draw are set.
The 48 participating teams (or qualifying slots) will be placed into “pots” based on criteria such as FIFA rankings and confederation constraints. As of now, 42 of those 48 teams have qualified. The other six teams will be known by March 2026.
Each of these teams are ranked by FIFA. Each of the four pots will have 12 teams (with placeholders for those six March teams). And each group will therefore have one team from each pot.
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, 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, 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
The draw will begin with all the teams from pot 1 being drawn into groups A to L. It will then continue with pots 2, 3 and 4 in that order.
The three host nations (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) are already placed into specific groups to ensure their matches occur in their home country.
Teams from the same qualification zone — except for the European confederation (UEFA) — cannot be drawn into the same group. So don’t expect two South American teams (CONMEBOL), for example, in the same group. However, you could see up to two UEFA teams in one.
When and Where is the Draw?
The draw will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT and will air live on FOX. The draw will be streamed on FOX One, FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App.
Are the USA, Canada, and Mexico Already in Groups?
The three co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup are already placed in respective groups, even if we still don’t know their opponents. This was done to ensure that the teams would play their group stage matches in their respective countries.
For the USA, the three group-stage games will be on June 12 (in Los Angeles), June 19 (in Seattle), and June 25 (in Los Angeles).
For Canada, the three-group stage games will be on June 12 (in Toronto), June 18 (Vancouver), and June 24 (Vancouver). For Mexico, the three-group stage games will be on June 11 (in Mexico City), June 18 (Guadalajara), and June 24 (Mexico City).
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