World football’s governing body, FIFA, has announced the procedures for the final draw of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place on December 5, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The draw would determine the composition of 12 groups for the first-ever 48-team tournament, which kicks off in less than 200 days with Ghana’s Black Stars set to make their fifth appearance.
Ghana has been placed in Pot 4, which also includes Jordan, Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four European playoff winners and two FIFA playoff tournament placeholders.
Hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States will be placed in Pot 1 alongside nine of the highest-ranked teams in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking as of Nov. 19.
The remaining 39 qualified teams will be allocated across Pots 2, 3 and 4.
The draw would start with Pot 1 teams assigned to Groups A through L, followed by Pots 2, 3 and 4.
Hosts would be identified by coloured balls and placed in predetermined positions: Mexico in A1, Canada in B1 and the U.S. in D1.
To maintain competitive balance, FIFA said the top four-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France and England — will be drawn into separate pathways to avoid meeting before the final. Confederation constraints would apply, with no group allowed more than one team from the same region, except UEFA, which can have up to two teams per group.
FIFA would publish the updated match schedule, including stadium assignments and kick-off times, on December 6, 2025.
Pot allocations:
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, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four European playoff winners, two FIFA playoff placeholders
