USA, December 13 – With fewer than 200 days until the historic 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026™ kicks off, FIFA has confirmed the procedures for the highly anticipated Final Draw, set to take place on Friday, 5 December, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, where participating nations will learn their paths toward the final in New York New Jersey on 19 July 2026.
Hosts Canada, Mexico, and the USA join nine top-ranked teams in Pot 1, while the remaining qualified nations are allocated into Pots 2, 3, and 4 based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking issued on 19 November 2025, with play-off placeholders completing Pot 4.
The draw—designed to ensure competitive balance, avoid confederation clashes (except UEFA), and maintain two evenly structured pathways to the semi-finals—will assign teams into 12 groups (A to L), with group positions determined by a predefined allocation pattern.
Following the draw, FIFA will release an updated match schedule on Saturday, 6 December, confirming stadium assignments and kick-off times, aiming to provide optimal conditions for teams and global accessibility for fans.
