The long wait has come to an end, and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. will be the stage for the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage draw. Stay with us to receive all the minute-by-minute updates and experience this major draw live.
Unlike previous World Cups, this historic edition will be the first to feature 48 nations instead of the traditional 32. To form the groups in this new format, all qualified nations will be divided into four pots based on their FIFA World Ranking classification. Pot 1 will be comprised of the three host nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada—along with the top nine ranked teams in the world.
The groups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be composed of one team from each pot, while adhering to the rule that prohibits two countries from the same confederation from being part of the same group. The only exception is UEFA, as 16 nations will qualify from Europe for the 12 groups, meaning four groups will be composed of two European nations.
