2026 FIFA World Cup: Everything to know ahead of December final draw Elizabeth Flores, USA TODAY November 25, 2025 at 2:41 PM 0 A view of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Mexico City logo taken during the unveiling of the countdown clock for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City, on June 11, 2025. The 2026 FIFA World Cup final draw, which determines the groupings and matchups, is just a little more than a week away and will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on December 5.
- - 2026 FIFA World Cup: Everything to know ahead of December final draw
Elizabeth Flores, USA TODAY November 25, 2025 at 2:41 PM
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A view of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Mexico City logo taken during the unveiling of the countdown clock for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City, on June 11, 2025.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final draw, which determines the groupings and matchups, is just a little more than a week away and will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on December 5.
42 of the 48 teams participating in the largest FIFA World Cup to date will be divided into groups during the final draw, with the final six berths to be determined via play-off matches in March 2026. The draw will also finalize the matchups and schedule for the 16 host cities across North America, with the tournament set to run from June to July 2026. The host cities have already been assigned positions, with Mexico in Group A1, Canada in Group B1, and the United States in Group D1. The groups and matchups will be finalized on the day of the draw.
In the group stage, 48 teams will compete in 12 groups, labeled A through L. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight third-best teams, will advance to the round of 32. The remaining teams will progress through five knockout stages. Each team will play a total of eight matches, with three days of rest between each match if they continue to advance throughout the tournament. In total, there will be 104 official matches played during the tournament.
Here is everything to know ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final draw.
More: UEFA World Cup qualification playoff teams are set: What to know about format, draw
When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The final draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. on Friday, December 5.
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup final draw
Fox Sports will air the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, featuring three-and-a-half hours of live coverage. This event will be broadcast on television in the United States for the first time ever. Coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET. The official draw is expected to take place anytime between 12 p.m. ET through 2 p.m. ET. and expected to be around 45 minutes.
In two weeks on Friday, Dec. 5, @FOXSports presents the @FIFAWorldCup 2026 Final Draw with 3 ½ hours of LIVE coverage on FOX starting at 11:30 AM ET.More info: https://t.co/Ar6OtCtPxB pic.twitter.com/KvjjdRPZc6
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) November 21, 2025
Teams involved in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Here are the following nations that will be represented in the final draw, according to FIFA:
Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico, USA
AFC: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan
CAF: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Concacaf: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
OFC: New Zealand
UEFA: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
2026 FIFA World Cup drawing pots
The 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament will be organized into four groups, known as pots, based on team rankings. Pot 1 will include the three host nations—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—along with the nine highest-ranked teams. The remaining 36 teams will be allocated to Pots 2, 3, and 4 based on their FIFA rankings. Additionally, the draw will set aside six spots for teams that advance from the playoff matches.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 FIFA World Cup: Everything to know ahead of the final draw
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Published: November 25, 2025 at 11:27PM on Source: ANDY MAG
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