Oman today_ The 2026 World Cup draw will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., starting at 7:30 PM Tehran time. The event will begin with several speeches, short videos, and performances highlighting football’s role in promoting global peace. Afterward, the teams will be allocated into their respective groups, revealing the official tournament schedule.
The 48 participating teams are divided into four pots of 12 teams each. Pot 1 includes the three co-hosts (USA, Mexico, and Canada) along with the nine highest-ranked FIFA teams. The remaining three pots are determined by FIFA rankings, with the lowest-ranked teams placed in Pot 4. Twelve World Cup groups will then be formed, each containing one team from every pot. Six spots will be decided through playoffs held in late March, with the teams involved assigned to Pot 4.
Teams from the same confederation generally cannot be drawn into the same group, but for Europe, a maximum of two teams per group is allowed. Additionally, the top four ranked teams—Spain, Argentina, France, and England—cannot face each other before the semifinals, provided they finish first in their respective groups. The full match schedule will be released after the draw on Saturday, December 6, to optimize game times and venues for fans both within and outside North America.
So far, 42 teams have officially qualified:
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, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four European playoff teams, and two intercontinental playoff teams
In the European playoffs, the winners of Wales and Bosnia will face Italy and Northern Ireland. Other playoff matchups include Ukraine vs. Sweden against Poland vs. Albania, Slovakia vs. Kosovo against Turkey vs. Romania, and the Czech Republic vs. Republic of Ireland against Denmark vs. North Macedonia. Intercontinental playoffs in Mexico will feature single-elimination matches between teams such as New Caledonia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, and Iraq.
With the tournament expanding to 48 teams, there is room for underdog teams like Haiti, Curaçao, and Cape Verde to participate. While the official hosts for the draw have not yet been announced, retired players and well-known personalities are expected to participate in the ceremony.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino will also present the Peace Award during the draw, recognizing outstanding efforts in promoting peace and unity among people.
The 2026 World Cup will kick off on June 11, 2026, with the final scheduled for July 19, 2026, in New Jersey.