2026 World Cup draw: Seeds, teams, playoffs… Here is the way it works

[ad_1] The 2026 World Cup finals draw ceremony will get began at 12:00pm native time (17:00 GMT) with a glitzy ceremony co-hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, comic Kevin Hart and actor and producer Danny Ramirez.

After dwell music performances from Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, a slew of sports activities legends together with Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky and Shaquille O'Neal will get right down to the enterprise of drawing groups for soccer's greatest occasion, which takes place subsequent summer time from June 11 to July 19.

Here is all it's worthwhile to find out about how the draw works.

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Settle for Handle my selections Groups are break up into 4 pots of 12 primarily based on the newest world rating, with one group from every pot going into every of the 12 teams of 4. For the primary time, FIFA has determined that the draw can be executed in such a manner as to make sure the 4 highest-ranked nations are saved aside. Spain, Argentina, France and England is not going to subsequently have the ability to meet earlier than the semi-finals, if all 4 prime their teams.

No group can have multiple group from the identical confederation, apart from UEFA. With 16 groups qualifying, which means 4 of the 12 teams will comprise two European nations.

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<img fetchpriority="low" src="https://s.france24.com/media/display/9266546a-c4eb-11f0-8465-005056bfb2b6/w:1280/p:16x9/J24-belgique-1.jpg" srcset="https://s.france24.com/media/display/9266546a-c4eb-11f0-8465-005056bfb2b6/w:388/p:16x9/J24-belgique-1.jpg 388w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/9266546a-c4eb-11f0-8465-005056bfb2b6/w:720/p:16x9/J24-belgique-1.jpg 720w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/9266546a-c4eb-11f0-8465-005056bfb2b6/w:1024/p:16x9/J24-belgique-1.jpg 1024w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/9266546a-c4eb-11f0-8465-005056bfb2b6/w:1280/p:16x9/J24-belgique-1.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) calc(100vw - 32px), (max-width: 1076px) calc(100vw - 44px), 850px" width="1280" height="720" alt="Le défenseur belge n° 04 Brandon Mechele célèbre avec l'attaquant belge n° 17 Charles De Ketelaere après avoir marqué le quatrième but de son équipe lors du match de qualification européenne pour la Coupe du monde de football 2026 entre la Belgique et le Liechtenstein au stade Maurice-Dufrasne, à Liège, le 11 novembre." loading="lazy" class="a-img "/> Le défenseur belge n° 04 Brandon Mechele célèbre avec l'attaquant belge n° 17 Charles De Ketelaere après avoir marqué le quatrième however de son équipe lors du match de qualification européenne pour la Coupe du monde de soccer 2026 entre la Belgique et le Liechtenstein au stade Maurice-Dufrasne, à Liège, le 11 novembre. AFP - NICOLAS TUCAT The three host nations have already been assigned to teams: America can be in Group D and can play two matches in Los Angeles in addition to one in Seattle. Mexico can be in Group A wherein they play two matches on the Azteca in Mexico Metropolis – together with the event's opening recreation on June 11 – and one in Guadalajara. Canada will occupy Group B with one recreation in Toronto and two in Vancouver.

An expanded event, that includes 50 % extra individuals than on the final World Cup in 2022, means much more video games. There may be now an additional knockout spherical, with a spherical of 32 that includes the highest two groups from every of the 12 teams, plus the eight finest third-placed sides. In different phrases, the group section will function 72 video games however will see simply 16 of the 48 groups be eradicated.

Pot 1: United States, Mexico, Canada, 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, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, 4 x UEFA play-off winners, 2 x Intercontinental play-off winners

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<img fetchpriority="low" src="https://s.france24.com/media/display/edfb0fac-c566-11f0-9eb1-005056a97e36/w:1280/p:16x9/foot-00-00-51-22-Still001.jpg" srcset="https://s.france24.com/media/display/edfb0fac-c566-11f0-9eb1-005056a97e36/w:388/p:16x9/foot-00-00-51-22-Still001.jpg 388w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/edfb0fac-c566-11f0-9eb1-005056a97e36/w:720/p:16x9/foot-00-00-51-22-Still001.jpg 720w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/edfb0fac-c566-11f0-9eb1-005056a97e36/w:1024/p:16x9/foot-00-00-51-22-Still001.jpg 1024w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/edfb0fac-c566-11f0-9eb1-005056a97e36/w:1280/p:16x9/foot-00-00-51-22-Still001.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) calc(100vw - 32px), (max-width: 1076px) calc(100vw - 44px), 850px" width="1280" height="720" alt="Football: Curaçao’s first-ever World Cup berth" loading="lazy" class="a-img "/> Soccer: Curaçao’s first-ever World Cup berth © France24 UEFA play-offs (16 groups break up into 4 paths of 4 groups in every, with one winner from every path qualifying; one-off semi-finals to be performed March 26, one-off finals on March 31)

Path A: Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina v Italy or Northern Eire

Path B: Ukraine or Sweden v Poland or Albania

Path C: Slovakia or Kosovo v Turkey or Romania

Path D: Czech Republic or Eire v Denmark or North Macedonia

Intercontinental play-offs (6 groups break up into two paths, with one group from every path qualifying; one-off semi-finals to be performed March 26, finals on March 31; all matches to be performed in Mexico)