FIFA has announced the pots and a new seeding system for the 2026 World Cup draw, ensuring top teams like Spain, Argentina, France and England avoid early clashes. The draw will take place on December 5 in Washington, D.C., setting the groups for the expanded 48-team tournament. Host nations United States, Canada and Mexico join the top seeds in Pot 1.
FIFA revealed the structure for the 2026 World Cup draw on November 25, introducing a tennis-style seeding format to promote competitive balance in the tournament's knockout stages. The top four ranked teams—Spain (1st), Argentina (2nd), France (3rd) and England (4th)—will be paired into opposite halves of the bracket. This means Spain and Argentina cannot meet before the final, while England avoids Spain and Argentina until the semi-finals and France until the final, provided they top their groups.
The 48-team tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, features 12 groups of four teams each. The draw, scheduled for December 5 at 5 p.m. UK time (12 p.m. ET) at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will allocate teams from four pots based on FIFA rankings. Pot 1 includes the hosts alongside other high-ranked nations: Canada, Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Pot 2 comprises: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia. Pot 3 features: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Pot 4 holds: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, plus the four UEFA play-off winners and two inter-confederation play-off winners, to be decided in March 2026.
Draw procedures ensure no group has more than one team from the same confederation, except UEFA, which has 16 teams and allows up to two per group in four groups. The match schedule, including venues and kick-off times, will be confirmed on December 6. Scotland sits in Pot 3, while potential qualifiers like Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland would enter Pot 4 via play-offs.
