FIFA World Cup 2026 draw: When is it today? Where to watch? How do the pots work? Which teams have qualified?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feel that much closer today, when the draw for the finals takes place in the U.S.

While the World Cup play-off qualifiers are still to be played, as the likes of Italy, Denmark, Wales, and Republic of Ireland fighting to reach the finals, the bulk of the field for the North America-hosted tournament is set and those nations will now learn their respective paths to potential world glory.

This is the first-ever three-country World Cup, being held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with a record number of 48 nations competing, and for the first time a Round of 32 starts the knockout stages.

It means the draw for next summer's competition is going to be bigger and more complicated than ever.

Below, DAZN News breaks down all the vital information ahead of this week's 2026 FIFA World Cup draw.

When is the FIFA World Cup 26 draw?  Where is it being held?

The draw takes place on Friday, December 5 , at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., at 12pm local time (ET), which is 9am PT. That's 5pm GMT in the UK and 6pm CET. 

US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino will make the draw.

• FIFA World Cup 26 draw date:  Friday, December 5, 2025
• FIFA World Cup 26 draw time: 12pm ET /  9am PT / 5pm GMT / 6pm CET 

How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw: TV, live stream 

The whole draw will be streamed on FIFA's YouTube channel, and also on broadcasters in each country.

• UK:   BBC Sport ,  FIFA on YouTube
• Canada: TSN, TSN+, FIFA on YouTube
• USA: Fox, Fubo , FIFA on YouTube
• Rest of the World:   FIFA on YouTube

Watch the World Cup draw live on DAZN

Fans can watch the World Cup 26 draw live from Washington D.C on Friday for free in the following countries:

• Japan
• Cyprus 
• Italy
• Hong Kong
• Indian Sub-continent (excluding Maldives and Nepal)
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Myanmar
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Caribbean

DAZN/FIFA

Which teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

So far, 42 teams have booked their spots for the World Cup, with six more nations to be added early next year through play-offs.

Here are the teams who have qualified so far:

 

FIFA

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Which teams are still active in qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

As mentioned, there are still six spots left to be decided for the tournament.

Four of those berths will go to UEFA nations, which will be contested via play-offs exclusive to European teams, while the rest of the confederations will have representatives in the inter-confederation play-offs for the other two spots.

Both play-off tournaments will take place over the March 2026 international break.

Here are the teams:

How do the pots work for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? How many pots are there and how many teams in each pot?

The final pot placings have been confirmed by FIFA, as it is determined by the current FIFA Rankings. 

Each pot will consist of twelve teams and be drawn into twelve groups of four.  With one team from each continent making up each group, which the exception of Europe, where there could be two in each group. 

The top four seeded teams - Argentina, Spain, France and England will be 'paired' and placed into groups in opposite halves of the draw, meaning they cannot play each other until the semi-finals. 

The six play-off winners will be in Pot 4, as it will be unclear who will progress until they take place in March. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 draw pots

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When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The tournament kicks off June 11, 2026 with Mexico taking on an as-yet-unknown opponent at the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Nearly six weeks later, the last of the 104 games will be played at MetLife Stadium just outside of New York City on July 19, 2026 .

World Cup 2026 format and schedule

With 48-nations involved at this World Cup there will be 12 Groups of four teams each.

The top two in each group qualify for the knockout stages, with the eight best third-place teams also progressing. That means for the first time in World Cup history a Round of 32 will be played.

World Cup schedule and key dates:

• Group stages: June 11-27
• Round of 32 : June 28-July 3
• Round of 16 : July 4-7
• Quarter-finals : July 9-11
• Semi-finals : July 14-15
• Bronze final: July 19
• Final: July 19

DAZN/FIFA

Watch World Cup archive, highlights and documentaries for FREE on DAZN

DAZN is the home of FIFA+ , a vast library of football on-demand content including World Cup archive, iconic documentaries, player profiles, live matches and both full match replays and highlights.

Watch it all for FREE on DAZN on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles and web browsers.

FIFA+ includes:

• FIFA World Cup archive - full match replays of all matches from Brazil 1970 to Qatar 2022
• World Cup goals - the best goals from each tournament; every goal from every nation from every tournament
• Original documentaries - including Mo: A Global Icon; Golden Boot: The Documentary; After Diego
• Icons of the game - From Pelé to Cristiano Ronaldo
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Live matches from around the world

If you do not already have the FREE DAZN App, then it is easy to download and register for free to start watching

Follow these instructions....

• Download the free DAZN App from your normal App store on your TV, phone, tablet, or streaming device
• On a laptop or PC  visit www.DAZN.com/home
• Select 'Get started' or 'log in'
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