The group-stage draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled for Friday, and expectations are high regarding how the groups will be formed. Many fans will be watching to see where one of the most historic national teams in World Cup history will be placed: Brazil. And the big question emerges, which teams could they face in the group stage?
First, it is important to note that the upcoming tournament will be historic. The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition featuring 48 participating national teams, which means there will be twelve groups of four teams each. To create those groups, all nations will be divided into four pots, based on the FIFA rankings.
Brazil will be seeded in Pot 1, which allows the Selecao to avoid first-round clashes against strong opponents such as the United States, Mexico, Canada, England, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium or Spain, along with other CONMEBOL teams in different pots.
As a result, Brazil will not be able to share a group with Uruguay, Colombia, Argentina, or Ecuador, since those South American teams are included in Pot 2. However, there are still several challenging possibilities for the Selecao.
Raphinha of Brazil
The possible opponents Brazil could face at the 2026 World Cup
From Pot 2, Brazil could draw one of the following: Croatia, Morocco, Switzerland, Senegal, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Austria or Australia. From Pot 3, their potential opponents include: Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Scotland, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa or Panama.
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From Pot 4, Brazil might face: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, New Zealand, Curacao or Haiti. Other possibilities include four UEFA playoff winners and two intercontinental playoff winners ā except for Bolivia if they advance, since CONMEBOL national teams cannot be drawn into the same group.
The easiest potential group for Brazil
As expected, Brazil are in a strong position as a top seed in Pot 1. Some opponents appear more manageable historically. In Pot 2, Austria is theoretically the most favorable matchup, and Brazil have won both previous World Cup meetings between the two nations. Austria are also winless in their ten total matches against Brazil.
In Pot 3, Ivory Coast is currently the lowest-ranked team among the top available options, making them the most favorable opponent for the Selecao in this scenario. And in Pot 4, New Zealand are the lowest-ranked national team. Therefore, the easiest projected group on paper would be: Brazil, Austria, Ivory Coast and New Zealand.
The toughest potential group for Brazil
On the other hand, there is also a challenging scenario. Croatia, who eliminated Brazil from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, stand as the toughest possible Pot 2 opponent. That quarterfinal loss remains a painful reminder of the European nationās ability to cause problems.
While Ecuador would be the most difficult opponent from Pot 3, CONMEBOL national teams cannot meet in the group stage, making Australia the toughest available alternative. And from Pot 4, South Africa would be the strongest available option given regional restrictions among AFC teams. The most difficult projected group would be: Brazil, Croatia, Australia and South Africa.
