The World Cup 2026 group draw takes place this Friday in Washington, with Argentina as a top seed in Pot 1. World champion coach Lionel Scaloni will have a central role by carrying the trophy to the stage. The ceremony features figures like Donald Trump and sports stars.
The World Cup 2026 group stage draw, for the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, begins this Friday, December 5, at 2 p.m. Argentina time at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. FIFA is hosting this historic ceremony for the first edition with 48 teams, divided into 12 groups of four teams each, totaling 104 matches.
Argentina, the current world champion after its victory in Qatar 2022, is in Pot 1 alongside powerhouses like the United States, Mexico, Canada, Spain, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The other pots are: Pot 2 with Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, and Australia; Pot 3 with Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa; and Pot 4 with Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, and six playoff qualifiers in March.
Hosts are pre-assigned: Mexico in Group A (opening June 11 at Estadio Azteca), Canada in B, and the United States in D. Argentina and Spain will be placed on opposite sides of the bracket to avoid early clashes, as will France and England. No teams from the same confederation will share a group, except up to two Europeans per UEFA group.
Lionel Scaloni arrived in the United States for the ceremony and revealed he will have a special role: carrying the World Cup trophy to the stage, a symbolic honor for the Qatar title, similar to Didier Deschamps in 2018. The event, hosted by Rio Ferdinand, will include Donald Trump, Claudia Sheinbaum, Mark Carney, and stars like Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Gretzky, and Aaron Judge, plus artists like Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams. It will be broadcast on TyC Sports, DSports, FIFA, and TN.
The Argentine national team aims to defend its title in an expanded format with round-of-32 matches. Historically, in 21st-century World Cups, it has faced varied group opponents, but the draw will determine its specific rivals.
