The stage is set for the most expansive FIFA World Cup in history as the draw ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025, revealed the groups for the 2026 tournament. In a glittering ceremony attended by football legends, FIFA officials, and dignitaries including President Donald Trump who received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, the 48 participating teams were divided into 12 groups of four teams each.
Host nation United States received a manageable draw in Group D, where they will face Australia, Paraguay, and the winner of UEFA Playoff C (likely to be Kosovo or Romania). The Americans will open their campaign against Paraguay on June 12, 2025, at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California. Their second match against Australia will take place on June 19 at Seattle Stadium, before concluding group play on June 25 back in Los Angeles against the European playoff winner.
Defending champions Argentina find themselves in a challenging group alongside Algeria, Morocco, and another qualifier. The South American giants will be favorites to progress, but Algeria presents a dangerous opponent with their physical style and counter-attacking prowess. This matchup evokes memories of their previous World Cup encounters and promises to be one of the group stage's most anticipated fixtures.
Brazil, the five-time world champions, were drawn into Group C alongside Morocco and two other teams. Germany, another traditional powerhouse, heads Group E with Ecuador and will be determined to improve on their disappointing early exits in recent tournaments. The Netherlands will lead Group F, while their neighbors Belgium anchor Group G, creating an interesting geographic split for the Low Countries.
Mexico, as one of the co-hosts, will open the entire tournament against South Africa in what promises to be a festive atmosphere. The Mexicans are placed in Group A alongside South Korea, setting up intriguing matchups that will test "El Tri's" credentials on home soil. Canada, the third co-host nation, received their group assignment and will look to capitalize on home support to advance past the group stage for the first time in their World Cup history.
The expanded 48-team format represents FIFA's most ambitious World Cup structure yet. The tournament will feature a group stage consisting of 12 groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group plus the eight best third-place teams advancing to a newly created Round of 32. This knockout stage will then be followed by the traditional Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
The tournament is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, spanning 39 days of football across venues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This will be the first World Cup hosted by three nations and the first in North America since the United States hosted the 1994 tournament. The expanded format means 104 matches will be played—a significant increase from the 64 matches in traditional 32-team World Cups.
