The 2026 World Cup Draw & Groups, Explained

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the first edition with 48 teams, played across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The draw determines which 12 groups each nation lands in — and ultimately the path to the final on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium.

How the draw works

The 48 qualified teams are split into four pots of 12. Pot 1 contains the three co-hosts (USA, Canada, Mexico) plus the next nine highest-ranked qualifiers in the FIFA World Ranking. Pots 2, 3, and 4 are filled by ranking. Each group of four is drawn with one team from each pot, with a confederation constraint that prevents two teams from the same continent (UEFA aside) sharing a group.

How to watch the draw

The official draw is broadcast live by FIFA's global rights holders and streamed on FIFA+ in many regions. In the United States, FOX and Telemundo carry the ceremony; in the UK it airs on the BBC; in Canada it streams on TSN and on RDS in French. The ceremony typically lasts around 90 minutes.

The 48-team group stage format

Twelve groups of four play a single round-robin. The top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance to a new Round of 32, then the bracket follows the usual single-elimination path through the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off, and final.

Why the new format matters

With 104 matches across 16 host cities, the tournament adds roughly three weeks of fixtures compared to 2022. Group selection rewards early-tournament momentum: a strong group-stage seed often means an easier Round-of-32 matchup, and the eight wildcard third-place spots make even mediocre group runs survivable.