12 groups · 48 teams · 104 matches
The full 2026 draw.
Every group, every team, every qualification status. Slots marked TBD will fill as play-offs conclude.
Final Draw
5 December 2025
Las Vegas — pots seeded by the Nov 2025 FIFA Ranking.
Opening match
11 June 2026
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City — Group A.
Final
19 July 2026
MetLife Stadium, New York / New Jersey.
Group A
1/4 qualified- 🇲🇽MexicoPot 1
- 🏳️TBD (UEFA play-off)Pot 2
- 🏳️TBD (CONMEBOL 5)Pot 3
- 🏳️TBD (CAF 4)Pot 4
Group B
4/4 qualified- 🇨🇦CanadaPot 1
- 🇨🇭SwitzerlandPot 2
- 🇶🇦QatarPot 3
- 🇧🇦Bosnia & HerzegovinaPot 4
Group C
2/4 qualified- 🇺🇸USAPot 1
- 🇯🇵JapanPot 2
- 🏳️TBD (UEFA)Pot 3
- 🏳️TBD (CONCACAF 4)Pot 4
Group D
3/4 qualified- 🇦🇷ArgentinaPot 1
- 🇭🇷CroatiaPot 2
- 🇲🇦MoroccoPot 3
- 🏳️TBDPot 4
Group E
3/4 qualified- 🇫🇷FrancePot 1
- 🇺🇾UruguayPot 2
- 🇦🇺AustraliaPot 3
- 🏳️TBD (Inter-confed play-off)Pot 4
Group F
3/4 qualified- 🇧🇷BrazilPot 1
- 🇵🇹PortugalPot 2
- 🇰🇷South KoreaPot 3
- 🏳️TBDPot 4
Group G
3/4 qualified- 🏴EnglandPot 1
- 🇩🇰DenmarkPot 2
- 🇪🇬EgyptPot 3
- 🏳️TBD (UEFA play-off)Pot 4
Group H
3/4 qualified- 🇪🇸SpainPot 1
- 🇨🇭SwitzerlandPot 2
- 🇸🇳SenegalPot 3
- 🏳️TBDPot 4
Group I
3/4 qualified- 🇩🇪GermanyPot 1
- 🇳🇱NetherlandsPot 2
- 🇩🇿AlgeriaPot 3
- 🏳️TBDPot 4
Group J
2/4 qualified- 🇮🇹ItalyPot 1
- 🇨🇴ColombiaPot 2
- 🇹🇳TunisiaPot 3
- 🏳️TBDPot 4
Group K
3/4 qualified- 🇵🇱PolandPot 1
- 🇷🇸SerbiaPot 2
- 🇬🇭GhanaPot 3
- 🏳️TBDPot 4
Group L
1/4 qualified- 🇹🇷TürkiyePot 1
- 🇳🇴NorwayPot 2
- 🇨🇷Costa RicaPot 3
- 🏳️TBDPot 4
Live qualification status updates require the SportsDB API integration.
How the new 48-team format works
2026 is the first expanded World Cup: 48 teams, 12 groups of four, 104 matches over 39 days. The top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed sides advance to a new Round of 32, then standard knockout from Round of 16 through the Final at MetLife on 19 July 2026.
Canada is seeded into Pot 1 as Group B leader and opens the tournament at BMO Field in Toronto on 12 June. Mexico leads Group A (opener at Estadio Azteca, 11 June). The USA leads Group D.
2026 groups & format — questions answered
- How many groups are in the 2026 World Cup?
- Twelve groups of four teams (Groups A through L), expanded from the eight groups of four used at every World Cup from 1998–2022. Forty-eight teams compete in total — up from 32 — and the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed sides advance to a new Round of 32 knockout.
- When is the World Cup 2026 group stage draw?
- FIFA's Final Draw is scheduled for 5 December 2025 in Las Vegas. Pot allocations are set by the November 2025 FIFA World Ranking, with the three co-host nations (Canada, Mexico, USA) seeded as Pot 1 group leaders A1, B1, and D1 respectively.
- Which group is Canada in for the 2026 World Cup?
- Canada is seeded into Pot 1 as the head of Group B and opens the tournament at BMO Field in Toronto on 12 June 2026. The remaining three Group B opponents (one each from Pots 2, 3, and 4) are confirmed at the Final Draw on 5 December 2025.
- How do teams advance from the group stage in 2026?
- The top two finishers in each of the 12 groups advance automatically (24 teams). The eight best third-placed teams across all groups also qualify for the new 32-team knockout round — a format change from the 16-team knockout used in 2022.
- How does the new 48-team World Cup format work?
- 12 groups of 4 in the group stage (36 matches across 12 days), then a 32-team knockout starting with the Round of 32, followed by Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place playoff, and the Final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July 2026. Total: 104 matches over 39 days.