WASHINGTON, D.C. — The path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is now set following
the official group stage draw, held Saturday at the Kennedy Center. Conducted
in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni
Infantino, the draw finalized the composition of the 12 groups for the first
48-team tournament in history.
The
expanded competition will be hosted across 16 cities in the United States,
Canada, and Mexico, with matches set to begin in June 2026.
The Draw in Focus
The
ceremony placed the 45 qualified nations and three placeholder spots into their
initial pots. The final three entrants will be determined through
intercontinental play-off tournaments in March 2026.
Several
groups emerged as immediate focal points:
· Group C features a formidable clash between five-time
champion Brazil and
2022 semi-finalist Morocco,
alongside Haiti and Scotland.
· Group D sees tournament co-hosts the United States drawn
with Paraguay, Australia, and a
play-off winner.
· Group A places fellow hosts Mexico against South Korea, South Africa, and a
play-off winner.
· Group H sets up a compelling matchup as Spain and Uruguay are
paired with Saudi
Arabia and Cape
Verde.
Complete Group Stage Draw
The
48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of four (Play-off winners are denoted
as Winner Play-off X):
·
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Winner Play-off D
·
Group B: Canada, Winner
Play-off A, Qatar, Switzerland
·
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
·
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Winner Play-off C
·
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
·
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Winner Play-off B, Tunisia
·
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
·
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
·
Group I: France, Senegal, *Winner Play-off 2*, Norway
·
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
·
Group K: Portugal, *Winner Play-off 1*, Colombia, Uzbekistan
·
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
What Comes Next
The
final three qualifiers will be decided in the play-offs next year. Following
that, the match schedule and specific venue assignments for each fixture will
be announced, allowing fans to begin planning their journeys across North
America.
The
tournament kicks off on June 11, 2026, promising a month of football across an
unprecedented expanse of the continent.