Washington D.C. - The stage is set for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw, and the event promises to be a spectacle of both athletic anticipation and world-class entertainment. On Friday, December 5th, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. will host the draw, where the 48 participating teams will discover their group stage opponents for the tournament held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The draw ceremony itself is scheduled to commence at 12:00 PM ET (17:00 GMT), but the festivities will extend beyond the group assignments. A star-studded entertainment lineup has been announced, featuring performances by Italian maestro Andrea Bocelli, British pop star Robbie Williams (joined by Nicole Scherzinger), and the iconic American disco group, Village People. The Village People are expected to perform their global anthem, "Y.M.C.A.," after the draw's conclusion.
The event will be hosted by a trio of prominent figures: German supermodel Heidi Klum, American comedian Kevin Hart, and actor Danny Ramirez. Klum expressed her excitement about hosting the draw again, having participated in the 2006 tournament draw in Germany. Ramirez, with roots in both the United States and Mexico, conveyed his personal connection to the event, given the tournament's presence in those countries.
The draw itself will divide the 48 qualified and play-off-bound teams into 12 groups of four. FIFA's latest men's world rankings are being used to allocate nations into four pots. Co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States are automatically placed in Pot 1. Mexico will be assigned to position A1, Canada to B1, and the United States to D1. The remaining nine top-ranked teams are also placed in Pot 1. All six playoff winners will be placed in pot 4. To maintain competitive balance, Spain and Argentina, the highest-ranked teams, will be placed in opposite pathways, as will France and England.
The draw process will begin with all 12 teams from Pot 1 being sequentially drawn into the 12 World Cup groups, lettered A to L. The draw will then continue through the same process for the teams in Pots 2, 3, and 4. No group may have more than one team from the same confederation.
Following the draw, FIFA is scheduled to release the full tournament match schedule, including venues and kick-off times, on Saturday, December 6th. The exceptions are groups A, B, and D, which contain the three co-hosts, who are guaranteed to play all their matches at certain stadiums within their home countries.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 opening stage will consist of 12 groups of four teams, with each team playing the others in their group once. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the knockout stage, which begins with a round of 32. The top eight of the 12 third-placed teams from the group stage will also progress.
Live coverage of the Final Draw will be available on FIFA's official digital platforms, including FIFA.com, YouTube, and social media channels.
