The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is in full swing. The World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 and is co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
One of the most anticipated dates in the lead up to the World Cup is the official draw, which begins at 12 p.m. ET on Friday.
The draw will sort the 48 World Cup teams into 12 groups of four. Here’s how it works.
How does the draw work?
This will be the biggest World Cup draw ever, with the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams. Right now, 42 teams have already qualified, with six spots still up for grabs.
The three host nations, Canada, Mexico and the U.S., are sorted into Pot 1, along with the nine highest ranked nations.
The 39 other teams secured their tournament spots during two years of global qualifying events. They will be split into pots based on the November 2025 FIFA World Rankings in descending order.
Pot 4 will feature the six lowest ranked teams and the six still-to-be-determined playoff winers.
The groups, A to L, can have only one team from each region, except for UEFA. All groups will have at least one European team, but no more than two.
FIFA has also put a seeding structure in place that guarantees the four highest ranked teams, Spain, Argentina, France and England, can’t meet until the semifinals if they win their respective group.
Who else can qualify?
Six spots are still up for grabs, four through the European pathway and two through inter-confederation playoffs.
European pathway:
There will be 16 UEFA nations competing in the European playoffs from March 26-31. This consists of the 12 group runners-up during qualifying and the four highest ranked remaining UEFA Nations League section winners.
The top team from each path will qualify.
Path A
Italy vs. Northern Ireland
Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Final: Italy/Northern Ireland vs. Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B
Ukraine vs. Sweden
Poland vs. Albania
Final: Ukraine/Sweden vs. Poland/Albania
Path C
Turkey vs. Romania
Slovakia vs. Kosovo
Final: Turkey/Romania vs. Slovakia/Kosovo
Path D
Denmark vs. North Macedonia
Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland
Final: Czechia/Republic of Ireland vs. Denmark/North Macedonia
Inter-confederation playoffs:
The March 26-31 window will also see the final two teams decided via playoffs held in Mexico.
Pathway 1
Semifinal: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica
Final: New Caledonia/Jamaica vs. DR Congo
Pathway 2
Semifinal: Bolivia vs. Suriname
Final: Bolivia/Suriname vs. Iraq
Qualified teams
As co-host, Canada, Mexico and the United States automatically qualified for the World Cup. Here are the remaining teams to have qualified, sorted by region.
