Football fans globally will focus on North America this Friday, December 5. FIFA is conducting the draw for the historic first-ever 48-team World Cup.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled from June 11 to July 19. It will take place across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This expanded format marks a major shift for the competition. The upcoming draw will determine the groups for all 48 qualified nations. It will also outline the early path for top contenders.

Understanding the Draw Structure

FIFA will split the 48 participating teams into four pots. Each pot will contain 12 teams. The latest world rankings will determine these allocations. Every group formed will feature one team from each pot.

Significantly, the governing body has designed this draw differently. For the first time, it aims to prevent early clashes among the four highest-ranked nations.

Spain, Argentina, France, and England will remain separated. They will not meet until at least the semi-finals. This is provided each team finishes first in their respective group.

Only one team from the same confederation can be in a group. Europe is the sole exception to this rule. Sixteen UEFA nations are expected to qualify. Therefore, four groups will feature two European teams.

Host Nations Already Placed

The three host nations will bypass the draw entirely. Each has already been assigned to a group.

The United States will lead Group D. They will play twice in Los Angeles and once in Seattle. Mexico will headline Group A. They expect a strong home atmosphere, especially at the Azteca Stadium. Mexico will kick off the tournament there on June 11. They will then travel to Guadalajara for their third group game.

Canada takes its place in Group B. One match will be in Toronto, and two in Vancouver.

New Knockout Round Introduced

The expanded format brings an additional knockout stage. After the group phase, the tournament will move to a round of 32. This will feature the first and second-placed teams in each group. It will also include the eight best third-placed sides.

This means 32 nations will progress beyond the group stage. Only 16 teams will be eliminated after the opening 72 matches.

Projected World Cup Pots

Here are the projected team placements in each pot:

Pot 1: United States, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.

Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.

Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.

Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four UEFA play-off winners, two intercontinental play-off winners.

UEFA Play-Off Paths

Sixteen European teams will compete for the final four places:

Path A: Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy or Northern Ireland
Path B: Ukraine or Sweden vs Poland or Albania
Path C: Slovakia or Kosovo vs Turkey or Romania
Path D: Czech Republic or Ireland vs Denmark or North Macedonia

All semi-finals are scheduled for March 26. The finals will take place on March 31.