This Friday, December 5, 2025, FIFA promotes the draw for the groups of Copa of Mundo of 2026 in Kennedy Center, in Washington, in Estados Unidos. The event begins at 12pm ET and 2pm ET. The ceremony establishes the 12 keys for the competition, which will feature for the first time 48 teams divided into four teams per group.
The new format increases the number of matches and changes the classification for the knockout stage, with the top two in each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing directly to the round of 16. Três host countries — Estados Unidos, México and Canadá — already have fixed positions in groups A, B and D, respectively.
The live broadcast will be made on Brasil on TV Globo, SBT, sportv, ge and CazéTV, in addition to the FIFA+ platform. Coverage includes narration and commentary from 1:30 pm on some stations.
All the cards on the table 👀
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup)December 4, 2025
Visithttps://t.co/zJTWWlwshQto find out where you can watch the Draw in your territory.
Official pots released by FIFA
The entity confirmed the division of the 48 places into four pots with 12 teams each, using the world ranking updated after the November qualifiers.
- Pot 1 brings together the seeded teams: México, Canadá, Estados Unidos, Espanha, Argentina, França,
- Pot 2 brings Croácia, Marrocos, Colômbia, Uruguai, Suíça, Japão, Senegal,
- Pot 3 contains Noruega, Panamá, Egito, Argélia, Escócia, Paraguai, Sul.
- Pot 4 includes Jordânia, Cabo Verde, Gana, Curaçao, Haiti, Nova Zelândia and six repechage places.
The restrictions prevent more than one team from the same confederation per group, with the exception of UEFA, which is limited to two teams per group.
Special rules applied to the draw
The procedure separates the four highest-ranked teams — Espanha, Argentina, França and Inglaterra — into opposite quadrants to avoid clashes before the semifinals. The hosts’ balls have different colors: green for México, red for Canadá and blue for Estados Unidos.
The draw starts with pot 1 and continues in sequence until pot 4. FIFA software automatically blocks unfeasible combinations based on continental criteria. The order of games within each group will only be known on Saturday, December 6th, at 2pm on Brasília.
The event is expected to last 90 minutes and features performances by international artists before and during the draw breaks.
Repechages that complete pot 4
Six places remain open and will be defined in March 2026. Quatro European playoffs bring together 16 teams in direct confrontations.
Europa A faces Itália, País from Gales, Irlanda from Norte and Bósnia. Europa B places Ucrânia, Polônia, Suécia and Albânia. Europa C has Turquia, Romênia, Eslováquia and Kosovo. Europa D brings together República Tcheca, Irlanda, Dinamarca and Macedônia from Norte.
Two intercontinental tournaments define the last two places: one with RD Congo, Jamaica and Nova Caledônia; another with Bolívia, Suriname and Iraque. The winners enter directly into pot 4 without changing the groups already drawn.
Tournament structure with 48 teams
The competition will have 104 games in total, 36 more than the previous format. The group stage takes place between June 11 and 27, 2026, with up to three matches per day for some teams.
The round of 16 begins on June 29th, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and the final scheduled for July 19th at MetLife Stadium, in Nova Jersey. The opening game is confirmed for Estádio Azteca, at Cidade of México.
The 16 venues cover 11 American cities, three Canadian and two Mexican cities, with an average capacity of over 65 thousand fans.
Coverage and expected audience
Broadcasters from more than 200 countries broadcast the draw in real time. No Brasil, Globo and SBT share open TV rights, while sportv and CazéTV offer exclusive images and interviews.
FIFA+ offers free streaming in all territories with narration in more than 10 languages. Aplicativos of local broadcasters allow monitoring via cell phone with notifications of each group formed.
Research indicates that more than 300 million people will watch the event live, a number higher than the 2022 draw at Catar.
Next steps after the draw
The detailed table with dates, times and stadiums will be released on Saturday in a new broadcast at 2pm on Brasília. FIFA adjusts clashes to minimize long journeys between host countries.
Qualified selections begin immediate logistical planning, including booking training centers and hotels. Ticket sales begin in phases from February 2026, with priority given to registered fans.
The complete calendar of preparatory friendlies will be announced by March, allowing for final adjustments to the squads.
