FIFA has confirmed the official procedures for the Final Draw of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, marking a major milestone with fewer than 200 days until kickoff of the expanded 48-team tournament. The draw will take place Friday, December 5, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where qualified nations will learn their group-stage opponents on the road to the July 19 final in New York/New Jersey.

Host nations Canada, Mexico, and the United States headline Pot 1 and will be pre-assigned to positions A1, B1, and D1, respectively. They join global heavyweights Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany in the top tier. The remaining 39 qualified teams are placed into four pots of 12 based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, while two FIFA Play-Off Tournament winners and four European play-off slots occupy Pot 4.

The draw will proceed sequentially from Pot 1 through Pot 4, with confederation restrictions preventing more than one team from the same region in any group—except UEFA, which may have up to two teams per group due to its larger representation.

FIFA also confirmed competitive-balance measures, including ensuring the top four ranked teams—Spain, Argentina, France, and England—are split across opposite knockout-stage pathways, preventing early clashes should they top their groups.

 

Group-stage matchups will be assigned to venues on Saturday, December 6, when FIFA releases an updated schedule that includes stadium assignments and kickoff times across the 16 host cities. The allocation process aims to optimize conditions for teams while accommodating fans in multiple time zones worldwide.