The draw for the 2026 World Cup will be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on December 5th at Noon EST.

Same rule as always applies. Other than Europe, no two countries from the same confederation can be drawn into the same group. Europe can have up to two countries in one group.

Here are the pots, which are now set after the November 19th FIFA Rankings were updated:

Pot 1

Mexico (15) Host-Group A

Canada (27) Host-Group B

United States (14) Host-Group D

Spain (1)

Argentina (2) Champ

France (3)

England (4)

Brazil (5)

Portugal (6)

Netherlands (7)

Belgium (8)

Germany (9)

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 (41)

Ivory Coast (42)

Uzbekistan (50) Debut

Qatar (54)

Saudi Arabia (60)

South Africa (61)

Pot 4

Jordan (66) Debut

Cape Verde (68) Debut

Ghana (72)

Curaçao (82) Debut

Haiti (84)

New Zealand (86)

UEFA Path A

UEFA Path B

UEFA Path C

UEFA Path D

IC Playoff 1

IC Playoff 2

Edited November 19, 2025Nov 19 by DJHazey

One thing to notice is having 86th ranked New Zealand potentially be the lowest ranked nation isn't that bad with the fears about a 48-team tournament.

Also, the three hosts would all be in Pot 2, something that couldn't be said about a lot of the recent World Cups.

Norway sadly just missing Pot 2, but I think they're under-ranked.

Morocco almost in Pot 1, which would've probably been a first for a non-host, non-European, non-South American country.

Edited November 19, 2025Nov 19 by DJHazey

The rumours suggest that FIFA are set to announce that play-offs teams are actually going to be ranked based on the highest-ranked team which would mean the pots actually look more like:

Pot 1

Mexico (H15)

Canada (H27)

USA (H14)

Spain (1)

Argentina (2)

France (3)

England (4)

Brazil (5)

Portugal (6)

Netherlands (7)

Belgium (8)

Germany (9)

Pot 2

Croatia (10)

Morocco (11)

Italy Play Off (12)

Colombia (13)

Uruguay (16)

Switzerland (17)

Japan (18)

Senegal (19)

Iran (20)

Denmark Play-Off (21)

South Korea (22)

Ecuador (23)

Pot 3

Austria (24)

Turkey Play-Off (25)

Australia (26)

Ukraine Play-Off (28)

Norway (29)

Panama (30)

Egypt (34)

Algeria (35)

Scotland (36)

Paraguay (39)

Tunisia (40)

Ivory Coast (42)

Pot 4

Uzbekistan (50)

Qatar (51)

DR Congo Play-Off (56)

Iraq Play-Off (58)

Saudi Arabia (60)

South Africa (61)

Jordan (66)

Cape Verde (68)

Ghana (72)

Curaçao (82)

Haiti (84)

New Zealand (86)

We'll see if it does happen soon I guess 🤣

Oof, whoever gets Uzbekistan as a 4th team, that won't be an easy group.

Can someone please explain how the groups will be drawn?

Almost all of the teams in pot 4 are going to take some real batterings. Records could be broken at this World Cup.

22 minutes ago, Houdini said:

Almost all of the teams in pot 4 are going to take some real batterings. Records could be broken at this World Cup.

This doesn't make any sense though, half those nations have been in multiple World Cups already and weren't being beaten by record margins...

It's not like San Marino is in this thing. Yeah there might be a 7-0 match or two, but there always was.

57 minutes ago, Paddington James said:

Can someone please explain how the groups will be drawn?

There are 12 groups. The three host will be already drawn into Group A (Mexico), Group B (Canada), and Group D (United States), then they will draw another country from Pot 1 into each Group (C, E, F, G H I, J, K L) and repeat the process for Pot 2, Pot 3, and finally Pot 4. Each group will then have four countries, one each from each Pot which is how the 'balance the strength' of each group the best they can.

Group of death

Spain

Italy

Norway

Uzbekistan

1 hour ago, DJHazey said:

There are 12 groups. The three host will be already drawn into Group A (Mexico), Group B (Canada), and Group D (United States), then they will draw another country from Pot 1 into each Group (C, E, F, G H I, J, K L) and repeat the process for Pot 2, Pot 3, and finally Pot 4. Each group will then have four countries, one each from each Pot which is how the 'balance the strength' of each group the best they can.

Thanks for explaining. :)

Are we really throwing in Uzbekistan for the group of death? Can anyone name a single one of their players?

15 hours ago, DJHazey said:

This doesn't make any sense though, half those nations have been in multiple World Cups already and weren't being beaten by record margins...

It's not like San Marino is in this thing. Yeah there might be a 7-0 match or two, but there always was.

From the list of teams mentioned in pot 4 that have been in the World Cup before Haiti lost all of their matches in 1974 and so did Congo in that same tournament. Iraq lost all of their matches in 1986, Qatar were abysmal in their own 2022 World Cup. New Zealand lost all of their matches in 1982 but managed to draw all three in the 2010 group stage. Those teams are there to make up the numbers really and when they come up against teams from pot 1 they're going to take heavy losses, unless if they play any of the three hosts.

The team from pot 4 that eventually gets drawn into the group of death probably won't even score a goal.

You can't have three European countries in one group anyway, so Spain/Italy/Norway/Uzbekistan isn't possible.

You only need three powerful countries for it to be a 'Group of Death' anyway, it's never four.

2022 didn't really have one unless we count Spain-Germany-Japan

2018 didn't have one in the traditional sense either.

2014 had Spain-Netherlands-Chile and the Uruguay-England-Italy one plus the softer version which was Germany-Portugal-Ghana-USA

2010 had Uruguay-Mexico-France

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Uzbekistan doesn't have known players in European leagues, they only have one player on Manchester City, but a lot of times appearances in tournaments like these open the eyes of larger clubs. I'm sure a few Moroccan players were signed to bigger clubs after the last one.

I wouldn't write off Uzbekistan just because the national team doesn't have a footprint in European clubs. Our U.S. squad is half on European top leagues and we suck, doesn't mean everything.

Also, a team like Ghana, that's a battle-tested one I'm sure nobody wants as the 4th team in their group. That would be a group of death to me, depending on who else is in it. Austria in any group as a third would be trouble as well.

Wouldn't want Saudi Arabia either after what they did to the eventual World Champions last time around!

1 hour ago, Houdini said:

From the list of teams mentioned in pot 4 that have been in the World Cup before Haiti lost all of their matches in 1974 and so did Congo in that same tournament. Iraq lost all of their matches in 1986, Qatar were abysmal in their own 2022 World Cup. New Zealand lost all of their matches in 1982 but managed to draw all three in the 2010 group stage. Those teams are there to make up the numbers really and when they come up against teams from pot 1 they're going to take heavy losses, unless if they play any of the three hosts.

The team from pot 4 that eventually gets drawn into the group of death probably won't even score a goal.

Fair but you are mentioning 'record losses' like there's going to be 10-0 final scorelines.

Iraq, Haiti, Congo DR, New Zealand might lose to Spain or another topflight team 4-0 or something, but we're not talking about anything historical here. I didn't want tournament expansion as much as anybody else, but I don't think we're going to have anything embarrassing happen in the group stage. I mention the expansion to 48 teams, because I feel that's the commentary at play here,

Every tournament has and will have multiple groups with teams that finish at 0 points and no goals. What's new there?

6 hours ago, DJHazey said:

Fair but you are mentioning 'record losses' like there's going to be 10-0 final scorelines.

Iraq, Haiti, Congo DR, New Zealand might lose to Spain or another topflight team 4-0 or something, but we're not talking about anything historical here. I didn't want tournament expansion as much as anybody else, but I don't think we're going to have anything embarrassing happen in the group stage. I mention the expansion to 48 teams, because I feel that's the commentary at play here,

Every tournament has and will have multiple groups with teams that finish at 0 points and no goals. What's new there?

Spain beat Costa Rica 7-0 in the 2022 World Cup and that was before they levelled up to become the Nations League & Euro 2024 winning team that they turned into. I read that the record is a 10-1 win for Hungary against EL Salvador in the 1982 World Cup and going into that tournament they had never won the World or European Cup before and managed to be able to get a win like that. I can't compare like for like but it might be the case that the top teams now are stronger than the likes of Hungary back then so it could be a possibility.

I hope it doesn't happen though, if every match could be a 5-5 or 5-4, 4-3 , 3-3 thriller that would suit me haha.

And yes you're right about teams finishing with 0 points and no goals not being new.

On 20/11/2025 at 07:27, Dobbo said:

Are we really throwing in Uzbekistan for the group of death? Can anyone name a single one of their players?

They are a top 50 side and have had an excellent team over the past two campaigns. Not world beaters but a difficult side to beat.

Probably be best in all their games now!

It’s been confirmed that play-off winners will be in Pot 4.

Although they’ve announced that Spain/ Argentina and France/England will be separated in the draw so that (if they win their groups) they can’t meet until the final.

I prefer that so we get more interesting groups with a good European nation in Pot 4.

Also, FIFA decided Ronaldo gets to play in the first World Cup match for Portugal, reducing the two-game ban to one already served vs. Armenia. Big surprise...

Edited November 25, 2025Nov 25 by DJHazey