The countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is on! Before the global football extravaganza kicks off in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next June, all eyes are on the World Cup final draw, happening tonight in Washington, DC. This is the day that will reveal which teams land in which groups, providing fans a sneak peek at potential clashes and dream matchups.
When and Where the Draw Takes Place
The grand ceremony will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, starting at 12:00 noon local time (11:00 PM Bangladesh time). The event will be chaired by US President Donald Trump and attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. FIFA confirmed that the full match schedule will be released on Saturday, December 6, immediately after the draw.
Fans around the world can watch the draw live on FIFA.com and the official FIFA YouTube channel.
“This is a magical moment that unites football fans worldwide. Tonight, the journey of 48 teams begins,” said Infantino.
Teams Participating in the Draw
The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams divided into 12 groups. So far, 42 teams have secured their spots, while the remaining six teams will be decided in March through UEFA and intercontinental playoffs.
Notable Teams by Confederation:
- Hosts: Canada, Mexico, United States
- AFC (Asia): Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan
- CAF (Africa): Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
- CONCACAF (North & Central America): Curacao, Haiti, Panama
- CONMEBOL (South America): Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
- OFC (Oceania): New Zealand
- UEFA (Europe): Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
The final six slots will come from four UEFA playoff winners and two FIFA intercontinental playoff teams.
How the Draw Works
Teams are divided into four pots based on rankings and hosting status:
- Pot 1: Hosts (Canada, Mexico, USA) + 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, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand + 4 UEFA playoff winners + 2 FIFA playoff winners
The draw begins with Pot 1 teams, followed by Pots 2, 3, and 4. No two teams from the same federation can be in the same group, except for UEFA, which may have two teams in a single group due to 16 European participants.
“Each team’s fate will be revealed live. It’s always exciting to see how the groups are formed,” said a FIFA spokesperson.
Stars and Entertainment at the Draw
The FIFA World Cup draw is not just about groups—it’s a spectacular show. Supermodel and Emmy-winning TV personality Heidi Klum and American comedian Kevin Hart will co-host the event. Actor Danny Ramirez will also perform live.
Klum, who previously participated in the 2006 World Cup draw in Germany, shared her excitement:
“𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 20 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔. 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓.”
Musical performances will include Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, and Nicole Scherzinger. After the draw, the pop group Village People will perform their iconic YMCA song.
Although the entertainment lineup is ready, the final team placements and all remaining details of the group draw will be revealed during the live event.
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