The draw for the 2026 World Cup in Washington begins now at FIFA with live broadcast and an unprecedented format in 2025
The Federação Internacional of Futebol (Fifa) is preparing for one of the most awaited moments of the Copa of the The iconic Kennedy Center will be the venue for this pivotal event, which will kick off at 12pm local time, corresponding to 2pm on Brasília, officially marking the start of the countdown to the expanded tournament. Esta ceremony, which will define the 12 groups with the 48 participating teams, promises to be a global spectacle, capturing the attention of millions of fans across the planet.
The draw will bring together the teams already classified, including powerhouses such as Brasil, Argentina and França, alongside placeholders awaiting the remaining six places in the intercontinental repechages. Expectations surrounding the distribution of the groups are high, as it will directly influence the tactical and logistical planning of the delegations in the coming months. The live broadcast of the event guarantees global access, with wide coverage across national broadcasters and digital platforms, ensuring that no fan misses the details.
Among the attractions confirmed to brighten the ceremony are musical performances by renowned artists such as Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams, which promise a touch of art and entertainment. Celebridades from sport and culture, such as former American football player
Event in the American capital defines groups
Kennedy Center, in Washington, will be the setting for this historic draw, which inaugurates the expanded format of Copa of Mundo with 48 teams, an unprecedented new development. The ceremony will begin with formal speeches from the top management of Fifa, followed by a detailed explanation of the method for dividing teams into pots, based on the updated world ranking for 2025.
Internationally renowned presenters, such as Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart, are confirmed to lead the stage, ensuring a festive and dynamic environment. Seleção Brasileira, appearing in Pote 1, will have the advantage of avoiding early clashes with other world football powers, such as Espanha and Inglaterra, at least until the later stages of the tournament, potentially the semi-finals.
Detailed coverage of national broadcasters
In the national territory, Rede Globo will broadcast the draw on an open network, offering complete coverage with narration by Galvão Bueno, starting at 1:30 pm, Brasília time. SBT will also go live, with its own team of commentators and presenters, focusing on reactions and analyzes from fans and national experts.
SporTV, Grupo Globo’s pay television channel, will provide extended coverage, with pre- and post-event debate programs, in-depth analysis of the groups and the possible paths of the teams. Além Furthermore, streaming platforms such as Globoplay will make the Globo signal available at no additional cost to logged in users, expanding access to the public.
Unreleased format of the next Mundial
The Copa of the 2026 Mundo introduces an innovative format with 12 groups of four teams each, resulting in a total of 32 teams advancing to the knockout stage. Pote 1 will include the seeded teams, such as Seleção Brasileira and Alemanha, which will be randomly distributed across groups from A to L, ensuring balance and competitiveness from the start.
The draw rules prohibit the presence of more than one team from the same confederation in a group, with the exception of Uefa, which, due to its large number of 16 participants, can have a maximum of two selections per bracket. Este system aims to promote balanced clashes and ensure that the four best ranked teams have different paths to the semi-finals, increasing the unpredictability of the tournament.
The tournament will kick off on June 11th, at the historic Estádio Azteca, at Cidade of México, and the grand final is scheduled for July 19th, at MetLife Stadium, at Nova Jersey. A total of 104 games will be played in 16 cities spread across the three host countries: Estados Unidos, México and Canadá. Essa expanded structure not only increases the opportunities for upsets, with the eight best third-placed teams also advancing, but Fifa has also adjusted the calendar to game times that are globally accessible.
Expectations of the classified teams
By the time of the draw in 2025, dozens of nations have already secured their places through the continental qualifiers, with América of Sul contributing six teams, including Brasil and Uruguai, while Europa will have 16 representatives. The European playoffs, scheduled for March 2026, will define four additional places, and the intercontinental playoff will add two more teams, completing the list of participants.
Coaches and technical committees monitor the draw with increased attention, using the results to plan initial training sessions and the first preparatory friendlies. Seleção Brasileira, under the command of Dorival Júnior, for example, is already studying possible formations and strategies against potential opponents of Pote 2, such as Senegal or strong Asian teams, aiming to improve performance.
Preparation strategies also focus on adapting to varying time zones and different weather conditions across the tournament’s 16 host cities. Fifa, in turn, will publish the complete game schedule the day after the draw, including specific stadiums and local times for each match, allowing for more detailed planning by teams and fans.
Global access via digital platforms
The FIFA+ platform will be the main digital channel for free broadcast of the draw, offering options in Portuguese, English and other languages, ensuring that fans from all over the world can follow the event. The official Fifa website will also cover the draw with real-time updates, including photo galleries and summaries of the ceremony’s most important moments.
On YouTube, the official channels of Fifa and major broadcasters will reach millions of viewers, with the possibility of automatic subtitles, making the content even more accessible. Para audiences on Estados Unidos, platforms such as Peacock and Fubo will offer the broadcast, with narration in Spanish through Telemundo, taking into account the country’s linguistic diversity.
These digital channels are essential to ensure inclusion, especially for those who are on the go or prefer to follow events on smaller screens. The broad global broadcast reinforces football’s universal reach and Fifa’s ability to connect fans regardless of their geographic location, consolidating Copa’s Mundo as a truly planetary event.
Performances and distinguished guests
Shows by artists such as Village People and Nicole Scherzinger will serve as a prelude to the ball extractions, raising the level of spectacle of the ceremony. Andrea Bocelli, with his classic and powerful voice, will open the event with an exciting performance, while Robbie Williams will liven up the halftime, mixing culture and sport in a unique way.
These artistic attractions not only entertain but also attract a wider audience, including those who are not die-hard football fans. Fifa uses the event as a platform to promote cultural diversity, showcasing artists from varied backgrounds. The stage at Kennedy Center, with a capacity for 2,200 people, will be broadcast in high definition, while sports celebrities, such as the legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky, will participate in the extraction of the balls, symbolizing the union between different sports.
Post-draw analysis and next steps
For those who miss the live broadcast of the draw, full replays will be available on Globoplay and SporTV’s YouTube channels shortly after the event ends. The highlights of the groups, the reactions of the coaches and the analyzes of the experts will circulate quickly on the official social networks of Fifa and the main sports media.
Podcasts from renowned broadcasters and news portals, such as UOL, will dedicate special episodes to analyze the scenarios and implications of the draw the following day, offering in-depth perspectives on the clashes. Fifa will also release an official video with a complete summary of the event in multiple languages, ensuring that all information reaches the public.
These features ensure that engagement with the 2026 Copa Mundo remains strong even after the draw has concluded, keeping fans informed and involved with every step of the lead-up to the biggest football event on the planet.
