FIFA has unveiled the seedings for the 2026 World Cup draw, which will be held on December 5 at the John F Kennedy Arts Centre in Washington. Uzbekistan has been placed in Pot Three, while tournament debutants Jordan, Cabo Verde and Curacao have been assigned to Pot Four.
As hosts, the United States, Canada and Mexico will head three of the twelve groups. The remaining 39 qualified teams have been split into pots according to their FIFA ranking. Six winners from the European and intercontinental play-offs scheduled for March have been placed in the final pot, adding extra uncertainty. For example, four time winners Italy could end up in the same group as five time champions Brazil if they progress through the play-offs.
2026 World Cup Pots
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
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, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, plus the six play-off winners
FIFA says the draw will follow the principle of balanced allocation, meaning Spain and Argentina, the two highest ranked teams, will be kept apart until the final provided they top their groups. The same rule applies to France and England.
Groups will contain no more than one team from each confederation, except for UEFA which has 16 representatives. Each group must therefore feature at least one and no more than two European teams.
Uzbekistan, the only World Cup debutant outside Pot Four, has landed in Pot Three. With a favourable draw it could be placed in a relatively manageable group, for instance Canada, Ecuador, Uzbekistan and Cabo Verde.
The 2026 World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The expanded tournament will feature 48 national teams from six confederations. Qualification slots are allocated as follows: Europe 16, Africa 9.5, Asia 8.5, CONMEBOL 6.5, CONCACAF 6.5 and Oceania 1.5, with half places decided through intercontinental play-offs.
