World Cup 2026: All you need to know about Friday’s draw

The anticipation surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup will reach its first major peak on Friday, December 5, when the draw takes place in Washington at 5 pm.

It is the moment the football world has been waiting for, the point where speculation finally gives way to clarity as the 42 qualified teams learn the paths they must navigate when the tournament begins next year.

With six additional places reserved for the playoff winners, the draw will shape the full lineup of nations competing across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

This edition of the World Cup stretches across three countries, creating a geographic scope unlike any tournament before it. Mexico City has been handed the honour of hosting the opening match, a game that will feature Mexico and officially launch the expanded global showpiece.

The journey will eventually lead to New Jersey, where the final will be staged at MetLife Stadium in front of what is expected to be one of the largest crowds in tournament history.

Friday’s draw will follow a familiar structure, beginning with the teams in Pot 1 as they are assigned to Groups A through L. From there, the process will continue with Pots 2, 3 and 4, creating the twelve groups that will define the opening phase of the competition.

The placement of each team will be influenced by confederation rules, ensuring that no group contains more than one country from the same region, with the exception of UEFA, which has sixteen representatives. Each group must feature at least one European team, but cannot include more than two.

The pots themselves reveal much about how the draw could unfold. Traditional heavyweights such as Argentina, France, Brazil, Germany and Spain sit in Pot 1, along with the three hosts [Canada, Mexico and the United States]. Pot 2 offers its own balance of strong contenders, including Morocco, Senegal, Uruguay, Colombia and Japan.

African interest is further spread across the next two pots, with Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Côte d’Ivoire placed in Pot 3, while Ghana, South Africa and Cape Verde wait in Pot 4 alongside the remaining playoff slots.

As the football world gathers in Washington, the draw will set the stage for a tournament that promises drama across a vast landscape.

For many nations, the reveal of their group will provide the first real measure of their chances, and for supporters everywhere, it is the moment when dreams begin to take shape.

With excitement building across continents, Friday’s event marks the official start of the journey toward the 2026 World Cup.