The draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026, held on December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., has set the stage for the expanded 48-team tournament. This landmark edition, co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, marks a significant change in the competition's format. Here’s a breakdown of how the teams were allocated into the 12 groups (A to L).

Draw Mechanics

The 48 participating teams were divided into four pots based on the FIFA Men's World Ranking as of November 2025. Pot 1 comprised the three host nations (USA, Canada, and Mexico) and the next nine highest-ranked qualified teams. Pots 2, 3, and 4 were then populated by the remaining qualified teams in descending order of their ranking. It’s worth noting that at the time of the draw, only 42 teams had secured their place, with the final six spots to be determined in the March 2026 playoffs. These placeholders were all assigned to Pot 4.

During the draw, one team was selected from each pot to form a group, ensuring that each group had four teams. To maintain geographical balance, FIFA applied the rule that no group could contain more than one team from the same confederation, with the exception of UEFA (Europe), which could have a maximum of two teams per group.

Pot Allocation and Restrictions

The pots were structured to ensure a balanced distribution of team strengths across the groups. Following tradition, the host nations were pre-assigned to specific groups: Mexico to Group A, Canada to Group B, and the USA to Group D. Furthermore, to prevent the highest-ranked teams from meeting early in the knockout stages, the top four teams in the FIFA rankings (Spain, Argentina, France, and England) were placed in separate halves of the draw, meaning they could not face each other before the semi-finals, assuming they each win their respective groups.

The Tournament Format

The 2026 World Cup will feature a group stage where each team plays three matches in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will automatically advance to the Round of 32. Additionally, the eight best third-placed teams will also progress, creating a 32-team knockout stage. This expanded knockout phase is a first for the tournament and promises more excitement.

Playoff Teams

The final six teams will be decided through two playoff pathways: the UEFA playoffs and the inter-confederation playoffs. The UEFA pathway will grant four additional spots, while the inter-confederation playoffs will determine the last two qualifiers. The inter-confederation playoff tournament will involve six teams, one from each confederation except UEFA, plus one additional team from CONCACAF (North America).

Looking Ahead

With the group stage draw complete, anticipation is building for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The tournament promises to be a historic event, with more teams, more matches, and a wider geographical spread than ever before.