The pots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw have been finalized, with 42 teams already qualified and six spots to be decided by playoffs. The draw is set for December 5, 2025, in Washington. Host nations United States, Mexico, and Canada are seeded in Pot 1 alongside top-ranked teams like Argentina and Spain.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature an expanded 48-team format, with teams divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a new round of 32.
Seeding for the draw is based on FIFA's latest world rankings, with the three host nations automatically placed in Pot 1. The pots are as follows:
Pot 1: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, United States, Mexico, Canada.
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, plus four European playoff winners and two intercontinental playoff winners.
The final lineup will be confirmed after March 2026 playoffs. FIFA is expected to place all playoff qualifiers in Pot 4, regardless of their rankings, to avoid overly strong groups. The draw takes place on December 5, 2025, at 5 p.m. UK time (12 p.m. local time in Washington).