 "FIFA World Cup Draw 2026 Highlights: Mexico vs South Africa fixed as opening game, Trump wins Peace Prize & more")
 "FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw live streaming: IST timing and where to watch in India on TV and online")
 "FIFA World Cup 2026 full schedule announced: Argentina to open campaign on June 16; check full fixture list")
FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw LIVE Updates: The draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to take place at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC on Friday, December 5. Fans around the world are eagerly waiting to find out which teams will face each other in the group stage of the biggest football tournament.
This will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, up from the usual 32, meaning the group stage will be larger and more exciting than ever. The draw will place the teams into 12 groups of four, setting up the fixtures for the opening phase of the tournament.
How does the draw work?
The draw follows FIFA’s traditional four-pot system. Teams are divided into four pots based on their world rankings and host privileges. Pot 1 contains the three host nations - Canada, Mexico, and the USA – along with the highest-ranked teams. Pots 2, 3, and 4 include lower-ranked sides, debutants, and teams that qualify through play-offs.
When the draw starts, one team from each pot will be placed into each group. This ensures a balance of strong and weaker teams across all groups.
Pots for the 2026 World Cup Draw
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, 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, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, plus four European play-off winners and two intercontinental play-off winners
 "Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodia in a setback to Trump's ceasefire deal")
 "'Not hawkish or dovish': 5 key things for Asia in Trump's new national security policy")
 "'With China, it's always we verify': Trump's top aide on trade deal with Beijing")
 "Why the Goa nightclub fire, which killed 25, was so difficult to contain")
 "Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodia in a setback to Trump's ceasefire deal")
 "'Not hawkish or dovish': 5 key things for Asia in Trump's new national security policy")
 "'With China, it's always we verify': Trump's top aide on trade deal with Beijing")
 "Why the Goa nightclub fire, which killed 25, was so difficult to contain")
