Rules Defined for the 2026 World Cup Draw
FIFA has announced the procedure for the draw of the 2026 World Cup, which will be held on December 5th. The event, which will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will define the composition of the groups and the order in which the teams will face each other in the tournament. In the draw, 48 teams will be divided into four pots, from which they will be drawn to form 12 groups of four teams each. The updated match schedule, including the stadiums and start times, will be announced on December 6.Composition of the Drums
The host countries, along with the nine highest-ranked teams according to the FIFA ranking, will make up Pot 1. This pot will be composed of Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Canada, Mexico, and the United States, as host countries, will be identified with balls of different colors and, when drawn, will be assigned to position A1 for Mexico (green ball), B1 for Canada (red ball), and D1 for the United States (blue ball). The following 12 best-ranked teams will make up Pot 2, including Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, and Australia. The Pot 3 will be made up of Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Finally, Pot 4 will include Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, and the six winners of the intercontinental playoffs. The draw will be held in such a way that teams from the same confederation cannot be in the same group, with the exception of Europe, due to the number of participating teams.To ensure competitive balance, Spain and Argentina, the teams with the best ranking, will be drawn and placed in opposite groups. The same will happen with France and England, guaranteeing that the teams with the best ranking do not face each other before the final.
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Match Schedule for the Hosts
The United States, which has been placed in Group D, will face a team from Pot 3 in its opening match on June 12 in Inglewood, California. It will then play against a team from Pot 2 on June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle, and will close the group stage in Inglewood against a team from Pot 4. For the USMNT, the most difficult match will probably be the second, against a team from Pot 2. Mexico, located in Group A, will debut on June 11 against a team from Pot 3 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Then they will face a team from Pot 2 on June 18 at the Akron Stadium, on the outskirts of Guadalajara, and will finish the group stage six days later against a team from Pot 4 in Mexico City. Canada will have a slightly different schedule. They will start the tournament on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto against a team from Pot 4. Their second match will be in Vancouver six days later against a team from Pot 3, and the group stage will end against a team from Pot 2, also in Vancouver.Composition of the drums
- Pot 1: 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, European Playoff A, B, C and D, FIFA Playoff Tournament 1 and 2
