The FIFA World Cup draw is an event that only comes around once every four years – but it can do a lot to determine the morale of a footballing nation heading into the sport’s most prestigious world tournament.
The 2026 tournament With a record 48 teams – to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico – the draw has added a few new twists to spread out the contenders from hypocrites.
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Here’s what you need to know before distributing the all-important little plastic balls to their bowls:
When and where is FIFA World Cup 2026?
The draw will begin at 12 noon (17:00 GMT) on Friday, December 5 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
How does the World Cup draw work?
The draw will begin with Pot 1 and the 12 seeded teams, drawn into groups A to L, as determined by FIFA. These teams include:
- Top four-ranked nations: Spain, Argentina, France and England
- The next five best seeded countries: Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands and Portugal
- Three seeded spots allocated to the host nations: Canada, Mexico and the USA
The process will then continue with Pots 2, 3 and 4, in that order, FIFA explained.
There are still six World Cup spots to be filled among the 22 nations through the playoffs In March.
Italy, four-time World Cup winners and 12th in the FIFA rankings, are in the playoffs and could find themselves in Pot 4 if they qualify.
Newcomers Uzbekistan are in Pot 3, while fellow players Jordan, Cape Verde and Curacao are in Pot 4.
What are the rules of the World Cup draw?
The name of each nation is printed on a slip of paper, which is then folded and placed in a plastic ball numbered 1 to 4 to represent one of the four pots.
Draw reps by mixing balls in large glass jars (jars) – and then draw one ball at a time from each jar to form groups.
There are three predetermined groups of host nations: Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the USA in Group D.
The other top nine FIFA seeded countries will be spread across the remaining nine groups: C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K and L.
There is less certainty for the remaining 36 teams, but specific rules apply:
- In principle, no group shall have more than one team from the same confederation.
- The exception to this rule is UEFA’s 16-nation squads – up to two European teams can be drawn in a single group.
When can the top seeds play each other in the World Cup?
The draw for the 2026 World Cup will award the four highest-ranked teams – Spain, Argentina, France and England – who will be placed in separate divisions, or quarters, of a new tennis-style seeded tournament bracket.
FIFA has said that the top four countries, if they top their respective round-robin groups, will avoid each other until the semi-finals.
Defending champions Argentina (ranked No. 2) with Lionel Messi and top-ranked European champions Spain (ranked No. 1) with Lamine Yamal will ensure they don’t meet until the final at MetLife Stadium near New York.
What other teams are in the pot?
Forty-two of the 48 teams have now qualified for the World Cup, with the remaining six countries to be confirmed in March 2026.
Teams will be drawn randomly from each of the four pots and assigned to one of 12 groups in Friday’s draw:
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany (three host nations and nine top seeds)
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, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Playoff Winners A, B, C and D, Intercontinental Playoff Winners 1 and 2
Why is Iran Boycotting World Cup Draw?
Iran has decided Boycott the World Cup draw Because the US has denied visas to members of its delegation, the state-run IRNA news agency said on Friday.
The agency quoted Iran Football Federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi as saying officials faced visa obstacles that go beyond sporting considerations.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Alvi said the federation has approached FIFA and hopes to help resolve the issue.
President Donald Trump’s administration in June announced a travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, including Iran, although it promised exemptions for “any athlete or athletic team member, coach, person performing an essential support role, and immediate family member traveling to the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting events as determined by the Secretary of State.”
It is not clear whether the exemption applies to World Cup draws as well.
How to see
Live coverage of the 2026 World Cup draw will be provided on FIFA.com and FIFA World Cup social media channels. The draw will also be broadcast by FIFA’s media partners.
Al Jazeera Sports Will provide live text commentary of the draw.
