The countdown continues toward the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and one of the main contenders drawing global attention is Argentina. As the defending champions and with Lionel Messi still leading the way, the team will reach its first major checkpoint on December 5, when the group-stage draw takes place in Washington, D.C. That will be the moment when the world champions discover their first three opponents.
The upcoming event will be historic, as the 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 participants, producing twelve groups of four teams each. To form those groups, the qualified nations will be divided into four pots based on the current FIFA rankings.
Lionel Scaloni’s team will be placed in Pot 1, along with Mexico, the United States, and Canada—who join as host nations—plus Spain, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands. As a seeded team, Argentina will avoid facing any of those major contenders in the opening round.
It is also important to remember that FIFA regulations prevent teams from the same confederation from being drawn into the same group, with the exception of UEFA, which has 16 qualifiers. For that reason, Argentina cannot be placed with Uruguay, Colombia, or Ecuador, who are all positioned in Pot 2.
Lionel Messi of Argentina.
Potential opponents for Argentina at the World Cup
Pot 2 features some of the strongest possible adversaries, including Morocco, a semifinalist in 2022. In Pot 3, one of the few opponents Argentina cannot face is Paraguay, but the team could meet Saudi Arabia again—the same squad that shocked Scaloni’s team in their opener at Qatar 2022 and snapped their long unbeaten run.
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Among the European options, the primary threat would be Norway, powered by star striker Erling Haaland and coming off a playoff run that complicated Italy’s qualifying path. Italy, if they advance through their playoff, could also appear as a potential opponent for Argentina.
The toughest and easiest groups Argentina could draw
Given this landscape, the toughest possible group for Argentina could include Morocco, Norway, and Italy, a combination that would bring together three national teams with high competitive levels and recent success across global and continental competitions.
However, the picture could look far more favorable if the draw aligns in Argentina’s favor. A more manageable group might include Australia or Iran from Pot 2, Panama from Pot 3, and one of the debutants from Pot 4—such as Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, or Haiti.
The teams in each pot that could face Argentina
To understand the full picture, it’s important to remember that each World Cup group is formed by one team from each pot — one from Pot 1, one from Pot 2, one from Pot 3, and one from Pot 4. This is the complete list of national teams that could be drawn into Argentina’s group based on their pot placement. It’s worth noting that teams from Conmebol are not included, as they cannot share a group with Argentina.
Pot 2:
- Croatia
- Morocco
- Switzerland
- Japan
- Senegal
- Iran
- South Korea
- Austria
- Australia
Pot 3:
- Norway
- Panama
- Egypt
- Algeria
- Scotland
- Tunisia
- Ivory Coast
- Uzbekistan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
Pot 4:
- Jordan
- Cape Verde
- Ghana
- Curacao
- Haiti
- New Zealand
- European Playoff 1
- European Playoff 2
- European Playoff 3
- European Playoff 4
- Intercontinental Playoff 1
- Intercontinental Playoff 2
