2026 FIFA World Cup Draw: Excitement Builds as Matchups Are Revealed
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just seven months away, and the draw for the tournament is set to take place on December 5, 2025, at 12 p.m. ET. The draw will determine the matchups for the group stage and set the stage for the knockout rounds. Fans from all participating nations are eagerly awaiting to find out who their teams will face and where the matches will take place. The 23 host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico are also eager to learn which teams will be playing at their venues.
The draw ceremony will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., with U.S. president Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino announcing the event. The draw will feature a new format with 48 teams participating, divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, along with eight of the 12 third-place finishers.
The three co-hosts, USA, Canada, and Mexico, have already been pre-drawn into groups, with the U.S. in Group D, Canada in Group B, and Mexico in Group A. The draw will largely follow the same format as previous years, with 42 of the 48 qualifiers already known at the time of the draw, and the remaining six teams qualifying through intercontinental playoffs. The final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New York, with all teams aiming for international glory.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to be a historic event, with the expanded format and three co-hosts adding to the excitement. Fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the draw to see how the tournament will unfold and which teams will face off against each other. Stay tuned for more updates as the countdown to the 2026 World Cup continues.