Tournament Format
FIFA World Cup 2026 draw scheduled for December 5 in Washington
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The draw for the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place on Friday, December 5, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. The event starts at 17:00 GMT and will determine the group stage matchups for the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Forty-two teams have qualified, with six spots to be decided in March 2026 playoffs.
With qualification nearly complete, 42 nations have secured their places in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first edition with a 48-team format hosted across North America. Recent qualifiers include European powerhouses like France, Germany, and Spain, alongside surprise entrants such as Curacao, the smallest nation by population to ever qualify. The remaining six spots will be decided through intercontinental and European playoffs in March 2026.