The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place on December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., revealing the groups for the expanded 48-team tournament. The United States, as a host nation, was automatically placed in Group D and will face Paraguay, Australia, and a team from UEFA playoff C – a group consisting of Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo.
This year’s draw featured a new format due to the increase in participating teams, moving from the traditional 32 to 48 nations. The tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Forty-two nations have already qualified, with the remaining six spots to be determined through playoffs in March.
Group A will see Mexico compete against South Africa and South Korea, alongside the winner of UEFA playoff D, which includes Czechia, Ireland, Denmark, and North Macedonia. Canada is in Group B with Qatar, Switzerland, and the winner of UEFA playoff A, featuring Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and Northern Ireland. Brazil headlines Group C, facing Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.
Germany is in Group E with Curaçao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador. The Netherlands will play Japan and the winner of UEFA playoff B – Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and Albania – in Group F. Group G consists of Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. Spain will compete against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay in Group H. France is in Group I with Senegal and Norway, alongside a team from FIFA playoff 2, including Iraq, Bolivia, and Suriname.
Argentina is drawn into Group J with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. Portugal will face Uzbekistan, Colombia, and a team from FIFA playoff 1, comprised of New Caledonia, Jamaica, and Congo, in Group K. Finally, Group L features England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, speaking at the draw, stated, “This will be the greatest World Cup ever, the greatest event mankind will ever see.” The draw also included the presentation of the inaugural “FIFA peace prize” to President Donald Trump, an award announced weeks after he was not selected as the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The expansion to 48 teams has resulted in 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, advancing to the knockout stage. Italy, currently ranked 12th in the FIFA rankings, will be placed in Pot 4 if they successfully navigate the UEFA playoffs to qualify for their first World Cup since 2014.
The full schedule of group stage matchups is yet to be released, but the tournament is scheduled to begin in June and July of 2026 across venues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The United States men’s national team is considered to have received a favorable draw, facing opponents that, on paper, present a manageable path to the knockout stages.
