2026 FIFA World Cup Group Draw

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Türkiye, will see its group stage draw serve as a fundamental step in determining the tournament’s organizational structure. The draw ceremony will take place today in Washington, where the group assignments of the qualifying teams will be finalized. Due to the expanded format of the tournament—the first to feature 48 teams—the draw has a more comprehensive structure than previous editions, both in terms of participant profiles and procedural framework.

FIFA headquarters, Zurich (AA)

Location, Timing and Organizational Structure of the Draw

The draw will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, at 20:00 Türkiye Standard Time. Presenters appointed by FIFA include former England national team player Rio Ferdinand and host Samantha Johnson. Additionally, numerous renowned figures from various sports will serve as assistants during the draw. This group includes athletes such as Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal, all invited by FIFA to participate in the draw process.

The draw ceremony will be broadcast live via FIFA’s official platforms and TRT Spor. TRT Spor has announced that its broadcast will begin at 19:50.

Participating Teams and Tournament Format

With the number of teams increasing to 48, the group stage will consist of twelve groups of four teams each. So far, 42 nations have secured direct qualification for the finals. Four teams from the four European play-off paths and two teams from the intercontinental play-offs will be the final entrants to the draw. Thus, the group stage fixture for all 48 nations will be determined by the draw.

As per the tournament format, the three host nations—Canada, Mexico and the United States—are automatically placed in Pot 1 and pre-assigned to position A1, B1 and D1 respectively. FIFA has determined that Mexico will be in Group A1, Canada in Group B1 and the United States in Group D1. This confirms that the opening match of the tournament will be played in Mexico’s group.

Countries in the draw are distributed into four pots of twelve teams each, based on the FIFA World Rankings. Additionally, teams qualifying through the play-offs are directly placed into Pot 4, regardless of their ranking.

Pot Distribution

The structure of the pots has been finalized as follows:

Pot 1

Canada, Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.

Pot 2

Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.

Pot 3

Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.

Pot 4

Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four European play-off winners, two intercontinental play-off winners.

Play-off Process and Türkiye’s Position

The Türkiye national football team will compete in the play-off round based on its performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Türkiye has been drawn against Romania in the semi-final and will host the match at home. The match is scheduled for 26 March 2026. If Türkiye advances, it will face the winner of the Slovakia–Kosovo match away in the final. The final play-off matches will be played on 31 March 2026. If Türkiye qualifies for the finals through the play-offs, it will enter the draw from Pot 4.

There are four separate play-off paths in Europe, with each winner earning a ticket to the tournament. In addition, two teams will qualify through intercontinental play-offs.

Türkiye National Football Team (AA)

Technical Details of the Draw Procedure

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has published a detailed technical description of the draw mechanism in its official statement^【1】, as follows:

• The draw will proceed sequentially, starting with Pot 1, followed by Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4.
• Teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn into the same group. This rule applies to all confederations except UEFA, which allows one or two teams per group from its member associations.
• A structure has been designed to ensure that the four highest-ranked teams in the FIFA World Rankings will be placed in different tournament paths. Accordingly, Spain and Argentina, as well as France and England, will not face each other before the final if they both finish first in their respective groups.

Tournament Schedule and Elements Determined by the Draw

The tournament will be held between 11 June and 19 July 2026. The match schedule and stadium assignments will be announced one day after the draw. The allocation of stadiums and kickoff times will be shaped according to the draw results due to the intensive logistical planning required for the tournament.

Show and Presentation Format for the Draw

Athletes invited by FIFA as part of the tournament’s promotional campaign will serve as assistants during the draw. Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal will be responsible for opening the draw pots. The World Cup trophy will be brought to the ceremony venue in Washington and displayed prior to the event.

Stadiums and Kickoff Times for Matches

Following the draw, the venues and kickoff times for all matches have been announced.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced at the ceremony in Washington D.C. the stadium and kickoff times for matches to be played between 11 June and 19 July 2026. If the Türkiye national football team qualifies through the play-offs, the venues and kickoff times for its group matches against the United States, Paraguay and Australia have also been confirmed.

If Türkiye qualifies for the tournament, it will face Australia on 13 June at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada, at 07:00 Türkiye Standard Time, Paraguay on 19 June at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in the United States at 07:00 Türkiye Standard Time, and the United States on 26 June at the Los Angeles Stadium in the United States at 05:00 Türkiye Standard Time.

2026 FIFA World Cup Group Draw

The group structure of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been determined following the draw held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. The tournament, to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is planned for the first time with 48 teams participating, and the format has been finalized after the draw for the new 12-group structure. The event was completed as a comprehensive ceremony featuring stage performances and invited guests.

Tournament Overview

The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to take place from 11 June to 19 July 2026. The group stage will consist of 12 groups, each containing four teams, as determined after the draw. Of the 48 teams that will qualify for the tournament, 42 were confirmed on the draw date, while the remaining six will be determined through the completion of the European play-offs and intercontinental play-off stages. According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the next round.

Group Composition

The draw resulted in a structure where each of the 12 groups consists of four teams. Group A includes Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, and the team advancing from European qualifying Path D. Group B comprises Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, and the team from Path A. Group C features Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti. Group D consists of the United States, Australia, Paraguay, and the team advancing from Play-off Path C.

Group E includes Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Curaçao; Group F features the Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, and the winner of European qualifying Path B; Group G consists of Belgium, Iran, Egypt, and New Zealand; Group H includes Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde.

Group I is composed of France, Senegal, Norway, and the winner of the second intercontinental play-off path; Group J includes Argentina, Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. Group K consists of Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and the winner of the first intercontinental play-off path; Group L features England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.

Group for Türkiye

If Türkiye succeeds in qualifying through the play-offs, it will be placed in Group D. The three confirmed teams in this group are the United States, Australia, and Paraguay. The fourth team will be the winner of Play-off Path C, which includes Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo.

Infographic of Group D if the National Team qualifies through the play-offs (AA)

Play-off Path C and Schedule

The play-off path that includes Türkiye begins with a semi-final match between Türkiye and Romania, to be played as a single leg. The winner of this match will face the winner of the Slovakia–Kosovo encounter away in the final. The play-off semi-final is scheduled for 26 March 2026 and the final match will be held on 31 March 2026. The winner of this stage will qualify as the fourth team in Group D of the World Cup.

Opening Match and Tournament Structure

The opening match of the tournament has been scheduled to take place at the Estadio Azteca between Mexico and South Africa. The event, which includes the stage program, invited guests, and technical organization announced during the draw, marks the beginning of the tournament. The match schedule and kick-off times for the group stage will be announced after the draw.