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<p>All the Details</p>
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<p>Excitement is building ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with the draw for the group stages happening this week. It’s the most prestigious football competition globally and the most-watched sporting event, set to be the largest World Cup in history. The tournament will see an expansion from 32 to 48 nations, with most teams already qualifying, while six playoff winners are yet to be determined.</p>
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<p>This summer will be a football carnival across the three host nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada, all of which have automatically qualified. The World Cup kicks off on June 11, with the grand final scheduled for July 19. Fans worldwide are eager to tune into the draw, and we have provided all the essential information you need to understand the process.</p>
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<h2>When is the Draw?</h2>
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<p>The draw will occur on Friday, December 5, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. FIFA President Gianni Infantino will oversee the event, which is set to start at 5 PM GMT (12:00 PM local time). While the exact duration of the draw hasn’t been specified, such events typically run long. Although the draw takes place on Friday, FIFA will disclose the actual match schedule on Saturday at 5 PM GMT (12:00 PM local time) to ensure optimal locations and times for fans attending and watching from home.</p>
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<h2>How Does the Draw Work?</h2>
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<p>The 42 confirmed qualifying teams and the six playoff winners are categorized into four pots of 12 based on FIFA rankings. The three host nations are included in Pot 1 alongside the nine highest-ranked nations. Notably, the six playoff winners will be placed in Pot 4, and the winners of the European playoff matches are expected to have higher rankings than teams in Pot 3.</p>
<p>Additionally, FIFA has announced that top-seeded Spain and second-seeded Argentina will be placed in opposite halves, ensuring they won’t meet until the final—if they win their respective groups. The same arrangement applies to third-seeded France and fourth-seeded England.</p>
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<h2>What Nations are in Each Pot?</h2>
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<p><strong>Pot 1:</strong> Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.<br>
<strong>Pot 2:</strong> Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.<br>
<strong>Pot 3:</strong> Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.<br>
<strong>Pot 4:</strong> Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, and four European playoff teams alongside two intercontinental playoff teams.</p>
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<h2><strong>Who is in the Play-offs?</strong></h2>
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<p>For an in-depth explanation of the playoff ties, you can refer to our detailed article, but here’s a quick overview. In the European playoffs, the winners of Wales vs. Bosnia will face the winners of Italy vs. Northern Ireland. The matchup between Ukraine and Sweden will determine the team facing the winner of Poland vs. Albania. Slovakia and Kosovo will compete against either Türkiye or Romania. Additionally, the winners of Czech Republic vs. Republic of Ireland will go up against Denmark or North Macedonia. In the intercontinental playoffs, New Caledonia will play Jamaica to advance to the final match against DR Congo, while the winners of Bolivia vs. Suriname will take on Iraq.</p>
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<h2>How to Follow the World Cup Draw?</h2>
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<p>You can keep up with the World Cup draw on Transfermarkt through our website and social media platforms. The draw will also be live-streamed on FIFA’s official website and YouTube channel.</p>
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