2026 World Cup finals draw takes shape: teams, pots, opponents, date...

The 2026 World Cup draw is set, with the date, time and first outlines of the seeding pots already taking shape, even if FIFA has yet to make everything official. The groups will be allocated on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC at 12:00 noon local Eastern Time.

The original plan placed the event in Las Vegas, but pressure from President Donald Trump – who is expected to attend – shifted the ceremony to Washington so it could be staged in the U.S. capital and seat of government.

So far, 39 teams have qualified, with six more to come through the playoffs. The tournament will be held for the first time across three different countries: Mexico, the United States and Canada.

The missing six teams

When the draw takes place, the full list of 48 participants will still not be known. Six spots will be filled by the winners of the March playoffs – four from Europe and two from the intercontinental path.

Each pot will contain 12 countries. Spain will be in Pot 1, the group of top seeds, joined by the three hosts and the nine highest-ranked sides in the FIFA standings. La Roja sits at No. 1 in the world, so their presence among the elite was assured once they qualified. They will be joined by Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

The major change – still not officially confirmed by FIFA – concerns how playoff teams will be seeded. Unlike previous tournaments, where all playoff winners were placed directly into Pot 4, this time they will slot into the pot corresponding to the highest-ranked team in each playoff path.

That means Italy and Denmark would fall into Pot 2 and, if either fails to qualify, the winner of their playoff will take that place. The same applies to Turkey and Poland. They are positioned, by ranking, in Pot 3; if they miss out, another European playoff winner will occupy their spot.

The same system applies to the intercontinental playoff winners, both of whom lack the ranking points needed to avoid Pot 4 regardless of who advances.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.