The draw for the 2026 World Cup is set to commence at 7 p.m. EST on December 5, 2025, in Washington D.C.,determining the paths of participating nations across North America. This expanded tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will feature 48 teams – a significant increase from the traditional 32 – and promises a new competitive landscape.
The draw carries immense weight for the 40 teams that have already qualified,shaping their group stage opponents and,consequently,their chances of advancing through the tournament. National teams and their supporters eagerly await the outcome, as the groups established today will dictate early strategies and potential knockout round matchups. The event marks a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the first World Cup held across three nations and the first wiht 48 participants, fundamentally altering the dynamics of international football competition.
Contributing coverage to The Guardian includes reporting from John Brewin, Barry Glendenning, and Jamie Jackson.UK Sport is also listed as a contributing entity.
The qualified teams are divided into pots based on FIFA rankings as of December 2025.The draw procedure will ensure that no group contains more than one team from any single confederation, with exceptions made for UEFA, which has 16 qualifying teams. The host nations – the United States,Mexico,and Canada – will be automatically placed in seperate groups and given preferential seeding.
The 2026 World Cup will be played across 16 cities in the three host countries, with the final scheduled for July 4, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.This tournament represents a landmark occasion for football in North America, aiming to capitalize on the sportS growing popularity and leave a lasting legacy.
