Decoding the World Cup draw: FIFA's process of grouping teams explained by The AP

The 2026 World Cup draw will be held on Friday at the Kennedy Center, setting the stage for the tournament by placing 48 teams into 12 groups of four. From these preliminary groups, 32 teams will progress to the knockout rounds.

The groups are labeled from Group A through Group L. Heres a breakdown of how FIFA arranges the draw.

Team Pots

The teams are divided into four pots of 12, with each group receiving one team from each pot. The pots are organized based on FIFA rankings:

• Pot 1: Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), England (4), Brazil (5), Portugal (6), Netherlands (7), Belgium (8), Germany (9), United States (14), Mexico (15), Canada (27).
• Pot 2: Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), South Korea (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26).
• Pot 3: Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (40), Ivory Coast (42), Uzbekistan (50), Qatar (51), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61).
• Pot 4: Jordan (66), Cape Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curaao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86), plus six placeholders for playoff winners.

The host nationsU.S., Mexico, and Canadaare automatically in Pot 1, ensuring they avoid top-ranked opponents in the group stage. Mexico will be in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the U.S. in Group D. Additionally, the top four ranked teamsSpain, Argentina, France, and Englandare arranged to avoid facing each other before the semifinals if they advance.

Placeholders and Playoffs

Six spots in Pot 4 remain undetermined until March due to playoffs. Four European teams will qualify via UEFA playoffs, while two additional spots will come from global FIFA playoffs. The UEFA playoffs feature teams such as Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania, Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, and Ireland. FIFA Playoffs include teams from New Caledonia, Jamaica, Congo, Bolivia, Suriname, and Iraq.

Italy, a four-time champion currently ranked 12th, has yet to qualify since 2014 but could enter via UEFA Playoff A. Teams may strategize to avoid ending up in a group with this placeholder.

Draw Rules

• Each group must contain at least one European team and no more than two.
• Teams from the same confederation, other than UEFA, cannot be placed in the same group. The confederations include AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), and OFC (Oceania).

Potential Group Challenges

Although pots are ranked by FIFA standings, group difficulty can vary. Pot 4 might feature established teams like Italy or newcomers such as Curaao. For example, a group with Argentina, Morocco, Norway, and Italy could be highly competitive, while one with Canada, Austria, South Africa, and New Zealand would appear less daunting.

Game Schedule

The complete schedule of venues and match times will be announced Saturday. Matches for host nations have already been confirmed:

• Canada: June 12 (Toronto), June 18 (Vancouver), June 24 (Vancouver)
• Mexico: June 11 (Mexico City), June 18 (Guadalajara), June 24 (Mexico City)
• United States: June 12 (Los Angeles), June 19 (Seattle), June 25 (Los Angeles)

Author: Benjamin Carter