World Awaits 2026 World Cup Draw as Football’s Biggest Show Takes Shape
The 2026 World Cup draw is finally here, and global excitement is peaking as 42 nations prepare to learn their fate at a star-studded ceremony in Washington, D.C.
At long last, the 2026 World Cup Draw arrives this Friday at noon, and football fans across the globe will be glued to screens as the 42 qualified teams discover their group stage destiny. The draw will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in an event that mirrors college basketball’s famous Selection Sunday only bigger, louder and packed with global intrigue.
Of the 42 qualified teams, 39 are divided into four pots based on the November FIFA world rankings. The three co-host nations USA, Canada and Mexico are automatically placed in Pot 1 to ensure they avoid the highest-ranked sides during the group stage. The remaining six slots in the expanded 48-team tournament will be filled after playoff rounds in March, and those winners will enter Pot 4.
Friday’s ceremony is expected to draw massive star power, including Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Hart, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and even The Village People. President Trump is also expected to attend. Once the draw is completed, the 48 teams will be sorted into 12 groups of four igniting immediate debates over who landed a favorable group, who got dealt a nightmare, and which quartet will become the dreaded Group of Death.
On Saturday at noon, FIFA will release the full match schedule, revealing stadium assignments and kickoff times. That’s when fans worldwide begin mapping out travel, tickets and dream itineraries. The tournament kicks off June 11, 2026, in Mexico City.
As usual, the World Cup begins with round-robin play. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, advance to the knockout Round of 32 in what will be the biggest World Cup ever staged.
The pots have now been confirmed:
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Playoff A/B/C/D winners, FIFA Playoff Tournament 1 & 2 winners
How does the draw work?
The three host nations will be represented by different-colored balls so that when drawn, Mexico is assigned to Group A1, Canada to B1 and USA to D1. The remaining Pot 1 teams will then be drawn into position 1 of the remaining groups.
To maintain competitive balance, FIFA has installed new pathway restrictions. The top four ranked teams Spain, Argentina, France and Englan will be drawn into opposite semifinal paths so they cannot meet until the final if each wins its group.
Confederation rules also remain in place: no group may include more than one team from the same region except UEFA, which must have at least one but no more than two European teams in every group.
What games will Miami host?
Match assignments will be released Saturday. Miami, one of 11 U.S. host cities, will stage seven matches at Hard Rock Stadium, including a quarterfinal and the bronze-medal match. Group-stage games will be played June 15, 22, 24 and 27, followed by a Round of 32 match on July 3, a quarterfinal on July 11 and the third-place match on July 18. Bayfront Park will host a FIFA Fan Festival featuring giant screens, concerts and cultural showcases.
Which teams would the USA like to avoid?
Colombia unbeaten in their last eight meetings with the U.S. stands out as the most dangerous side in Pot 2. Croatia, Morocco and Uruguay round out the pot’s heavyweights. Norway, powered by Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, is the strongest threat in Pot 3 after scoring 37 goals in eight qualifiers.
Pot 4 is unpredictable, with several playoff slots still open. Should stronger European nations like Italy, Denmark or Ireland advance through playoffs, they would enter as low-seeded wildcard dangers.
Teams the USA would not mind drawing include Austria, Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, Cape Verde, South Africa, Kosovo and Saudi Arabia.
Five storylines to watch
Lionel Messi, who turns 39 during the tournament, hopes to guide Argentina to a successful title defense. Cristiano Ronaldo, now 40, is preparing for what will almost certainly be his final World Cup. The USA, under coach Mauricio Pochettino, face pressure to impress on home soil and advance deep into the knockout stages.
Haiti will be a sentimental favorite after qualifying for the first time in 52 years despite being unable to play home matches due to gang violence. Curacao, population just 155,000, enters as the smallest nation ever to make a World Cup and will also make history with coach Dick Advocaat, 78, becoming the oldest manager in tournament history.
South Florida Watch Parties
Miami will be buzzing with football fever as fans gather at Doral Amphitheater for a large community watch event hosted by the Miami World Cup Host Committee. MLS Season Pass personalities Kevin Egan, Maurice Edu, Kaylyn Kyle and Sacha Kljestan will host a live watch-along at La Tropical in Wynwood, joined by special guests including USMNT defender Alex Freeman and former striker Tosaint Ricketts.
The world’s biggest sporting event is about to take shape and Friday’s draw marks the official countdown to a tournament unlike anything seen before.
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